Show f CONDENSED CLASSICS C A J d THE THE- PILOT H B By BJ JAMES COOPER la Qt C Clark v. v S. S Cooper was born In 10 New Jersey In 10 1780 1750 but when only about a n year 1 old removed to io al almost nl- nl MM fathers father Y most moot feudal do do- 4 main nt ot Cooperstown Coopers Coopers- town NC NOW New York where here he died In 10 inI I 1851 There he be learned to know itts the tV wilderness 1 Ide meR i k which pIn plays HO so y Important n part port partIn In 10 his bin bool books and there too he 4 probably acquired t that It Ii n a t headstrong elf leU and disregard of ot the opinions of or others other which made Joint him while one of ot the few most mod widely rend read authors In 10 the world one of or the most moat cordially detested detected ted Individuals to be found round lie De had a 0 positive genius for forgetting forgetting getting In bad bod While Dickens Dicken Dud and Kipling deeply wounded one nation by br their American Notes they ther were pigmies pig mice mies In this respect compared to Cooper Be lie could exasperate nay nUT and ond everybody and nud apparently cultivated th pleasure hi his habitual aptitudes Lowell jowell wrote of him as nil Cooper who's nho written six volumes Volume to prove he hes a na good as nil a lord An Ao English described him as all n a bilious braggart n a liar a II full fall jackass an Insect t. t a grub b and nud a II r reptile The New Yorker pleasantly wrote of or hunt lie He HeIs liela Is la as a. proud of or as 08 a flab flab- woman I. I of or billingsgate It Is a as all natural to him as all snarling 10 o a tomcat or growling to n a bulldog lie hOB has the scorn and contempt of every evelT well In Informed in- in formed ormed American N a n late afternoon of a winters winter's ON O day during th the thc American Revolution Revolution Revolution Rev Rev- a rakish schooner and a majestic frigate anchored well inside a little bay on on the northeastern coast of England A whaleboat drove shoreward shoreward shoreward shore shore- ward a young officer scrambled d up the steep cliffs cUrts and a few minutes later latera a mysterious stranger was transferred to the frigates frigate's deck tIe He answered to the name of Mr Gray Oray and was said to be merely a pilot he was greeted greet greet- ed with surprising deference For no ordinary man would these vessels have ventured so near that co coast st of sandbars and hidden rocks The wind was a mere ruffle rume of air But the Incessant mutter of the lo long g slow waves foretold that a storm was brewing Ever more fitfully and faintly faint faintly ly Iy blew v the land breeze the mutter of the waters grew deep deeper r. r Only here and there did a few stars twinkle between the fast gathering clouds It was time timeto timeto timeto to beat out to open s sea a if It were not even now too late Men swarmed aloft and hung up the yards sails fluttered out the anchor anchor- was pulled In the frigate gathered headway Then the faint bree breeze e died The spread of canvas canvas can can- vas hung useless the currents drove the ship shoreward With a roar the wind came suddenly from the east White spray dashed from the bow Yet the Pilot paced the quarter deck seemingly oblivious to danger But open water was far far ahead and suddenly from the forecastle tle tie came that tha t dreaded cr cry Breal Breakers ers breal breakers ers d dead ad ahead The Pilot shook off his trance of thought His orders thundered forth sailors sprang hither and thither at nt Ms bidding the frigate swung about at his cry of Hold on ever everything I 1 Tortuously she picked her ber way through the twisting channels in darkness amid the howlIngs howlIngs howl- howl Ings lags of the great winds winds winds' She shivered from bow to stern as asa asa asa a hundred men loosed the huge main- main sail saU The jib was torn free with a crash like lUte a cannons cannon's bl blast st but the big sail san held and the frigate bowed like a 1 reed ed In- In the Iff-the the wind White foam showed dimly upon both bot sides but the Pilot kept the ship as by a n miracle within a n narrow ribbon of dark water He took the wheel himself Time and again the frigate seemed to have reeled free from peril time and again she plunged anew toward a n welter of white water But Bub she drove ever on and at last she rode the great waves of the open sea sen Not the storm alone had these ships dared They w were American vessels lurking about an enemy's coast This little bay had a peculiar fascination for tor two young lieutenants nants aboard EdWard Ed Ed- Ward Griffith and Richard Barnstable Not far Inland lived C Colonel lonel Howard Howar a n Tory who had fled from America when the colonists revolted With him dwelt his lila niece Cecilia Howard beloved be he- loved loed by Griffith and his ward Kath ath- ath Plowden betrothed to ble hIe In St. St Ruths Ruth's abbey lingered too Christopher Dillon a poor poor kinsman I anxious to better his condition h by wedding wedding wedding wed wed- ding the wealthy Cecilia Redcoats lent a esq to o the venerable abbey for tor a small garrison carrlson under Captain had been summoned summoned summoned sum sum- by the owner For aught that men men knew John Paul Jones himself might be aboard these ships hovering nearby While reconnoiterIng the next night Mr ul Gr Gray y and Griffith were captured but drunkenness enabled enabled enabled ena ena- bled them to escape Griffith was however however how bow ever retaken The Impetuous Barnstable fretting offshore with his enormous coxswain Long Tom Coffin had been been nearly cut cutoff cutoff off ore from his bis schooner by an English cutter but he scrambled ab aboard ard safely ind Ii thc drum beat bea to quarters While White I broadsides roared and the decks grew slippery with blood the tho little little- fighting I ships met and grappled Before Barnstable Barnstable Barn Barn- stable could lead his boarders to the enemy's deck Coffin tumbled into the sea Shouting Revenge Long Tom I 1 Ithe Itile the tile lieutenant rushed with his men upon the foe It was fighting at close quarters and the the- Issue was In doubt w when en the drenched and furious coxswain coxswain coxswain cox cox- swain emerged from the sea sea and and with his harpoon pinioned the Engl English Ish captain captain cap cap- tam tain to his mast In a few minutes the Americans were vere masters of the cut cut- ter Cowering in that scene of bloods bloodshed blood blood- s shed abed ed the victors discovered the crafty Dillon who pleaded to be sent Fent off as s a hostage promising to return In person or to have Griffith delivered In his stead stend His word of honor bonor was trusted and he was sent away awny with Long Tom He luckily overheard Dillons Dillon's treacherous plot to entrap Barnstable's waiting party The resourceful old seaman gagged and drove Dillon Dil lon Ion at the point of his harpoon back to the waiting schooner By this t time me howe however howee e a battery on the cliff brought down the schooners schooner's mainmast She was driven from her course by heavy henvy seas sens The masts were felled and anchors anchors an an- dropped but she plunged on like hike a u bobbing cork in rapids Barnstable would have stayed by his s ship lp but suddenly Long Tom seized him and hurled him over the bulwarks Gods will be done with me Coffin cried above the winds wind's roar DJ Dillons Dillon's lons lon's lifeless body was rolled upon the shore but Long Toms Tom's stayed with the sea to which he be had bad dedicated his life Surprise succeeded surprise at the abbey Barnstable marched his shipwrecked shipwrecked shipwrecked ship ship- wrecked mariners into the building and they took possession but they were soon made prisoners by the redcoats Then the mysterious figure of the Pilot appeared at the door and behind him loomed the marines from the frigate Colonel Howard an nn unwilling prisoner prison prIson- er was marched away with Cecilia and KatherIne who could not be downcast downcast downcast down down- cast at the triumph of their lovers Captain was freed as ns was vas another inmate of the abbey Alice She Sho had recognized the Pilot in his disguise when he was first captured They had bad been lovers but she was so staunch In her love for her herkIng herking herking king and find she so hated bated bloodshed that she had broken her troth to this Mr Gray whom she addressed as John She reminded him that did she but once call aloud his true name the whole countryside would ring with It What that name was Is never revealed but there was but one sea rover who could strike stark terror Into all English English Eng Eng- lish Ush hearts On board the frigate repeated conferences conferences conferences con con- were held between the captain captain cap cap- tam tain Griffith and Mr Gray Suddenly Suddenly Suddenly Sud Sud- denly out of the fog drove a 11 mountainous mountain mountain- ous ship of the line The drum beat aboard the frigate sailors leaped nimbly nimbly nim nim- bly about the deck clearing for action The women were led below and gradually gradually ally order resolved Itself out of the cha chaos s of shouting men A terrific roar filled the aIr nir as ns three tiers of guns blazed a broadside from the English ship A few sails and nud ropes were cut but the fri frigates frigate's tes te's sailing power was hardly affected One chance ball struck the captain and hurled him to death Griffith succeeded to the command com corn mand and he was appalled as he be saw the frigate te hemmed about To the east loomed the great ship of war and far In the northeast the sails of another frigate What are we to do cried Griffith Fight them 1 I fight them l' l shouted the Pilot Let me proclaim your name to the men Griffith appealed But the Pilot refused Should we come to a n grapple he said I 1 will give forth the name as a war cry and these English will quail before It The ship of war was distanced bit tut she cut off a n retreat and the the- frigate ahead had been re-enforced re by two others The he foremost maneuvered with the American frigate for position Broadsides crashed and they grappled The American guns raked her ber foe and left her helpless with useless ropes rope dangling from shattered masts The Th deck was cleared and as another enemy enemy enemy ene ene- my appeared Griffith shouted Hoist Holst 1 flew fiew Way sway of everything Fifty men aloft upon the spars and white canvas canvas can can- vas was vas spread from every mast The frigate lunged ahead but it could not outstrip Its rival and the halt to give battle had enabled d the ship of the line to draw up Then for a I few breathless moments the Pilot leaped Into command Breakers Breakers Break Breakers ers loomed ahead b hilt but t he drove the vessels straight Into the shoals Into narrow narrow passages where white foam bubbled perilously close The Tile enemy dared not follow and when night fell pursuit was hopeless Colonel Howard fatally wounded In Inthe Inthe inthe the battle lived long enough to see Cecilia Cecilia Cecilia Ce Ce- cilia Howard and Plowden n by by the chaplain to their lovers His last words were spoken n to Griffith Perhaps I may have mistaken m my duty to America but AmerIca but I was too old to toc c change ange my politics or my ray religion I III III I- I I II loved the king king God God od bless him him him- The The frigate drove on to Holland 1 where the Pilot landed In a small boat that dwindled into a black speck and disappeared In the s sorting setting sun Twelve years later hater Cecilia Griffith saw her husbands husband's hus bus bands band's face cloud as he be read In the the- newspaper of or the Hie death of a great greatman man but not even then did he ho divulge his name He had promised to keep It se- se se so cret lIe He said only Our happiness might have been wrecked in the voyage voyage voy voy- age of life had we not met the unknown unknown un un- known Pilot of the of-the the German ocean Copyright 1919 by the tho Post Publishing Co The Boston Doston Post Copyright In the United Kingdom the Dominions Its Colonies and dependencies under the I c copyright act by the Post Publishing j Co Co Boston Doston Mass Marc U. U S. S A. A All rl rights II I reserved |