There came a very black night toward the beginning of winter in the year 1777. A light wind blew in from the sea, carrying an unpleasant, chilly feeling among the people of the town of New London. They had previously been somewhat uncomfortable, for, during several days, there had been British men-of-war hovering along the coast. None of these had ventured in far enough to exchange shots with the forts, but there was a rumor, nobody knew where from, that the British had determined to seize the port and put an end to its notable services to the cause of American independence. The harbor forts were believed by their commanders to be in good fighting condition, and their garrisons at once received small reinforcements. The thing most to be feared, it was said, was the landing of a strong body of troops, for in that case the town itself would be assailed, as well as the forts.
In short, military men foresaw and predicted precisely such an attack as was so destructively made at a later date by the king's forces under Arnold.
Very dark was the night. Wakeful and watchful were the sentinels and guards at every battery. Moreover, boats were out, silently patrolling hither and thither, ready to run in and report whatever signs of danger they might discover. The sea-scouts could not be everywhere, however, nor could they see everything. Somehow or other, an exceedingly important arrival passed by them all in the darkness.
A little before midnight a solitary musket shot rang out at the seaward bastion of Fort Griswold, and the officer of the guard, with a party of soldiers, hurried to the spot to ascertain its meaning.
"Officer of the guard," responded the sentry to the formal hail, "two American lights, seaward. Flash, flash, and cover. There they are again."
One of the soldiers was an old sailor, and he exclaimed:—
"Captain Havens, jest let me watch that there signal a minute."
"Watch!" said the captain.
Again the seaward flashes came, as if they were asking questions.
"What is it—"
"Captain Havens!" shouted the old whaling man, excitedly. "That there was Lyme Avery's private signal. TheNoankhas come home! The other light was Joe Taber's, I guess. I've whaled it with both of 'em."
"Hurrah!" burst from the captain. "Signal back, if you know how."
"Shall we fire a gun, sir?" asked an artilleryman.
"No," said the captain; "we won't stir up the town. And we won't send any information to the British cruisers, either. See Hadden work his lantern."
The sailor was swinging the lantern given him,—this way, that way, up and down, and he was speedily replied to from the sea.
"Two craft comin' in together," he explained. "I guess it's theNoankand a prize."
"I'll send word to Colonel Ledyard," said Captain Havens. "Hadden, you and four men come with me. I must go out and meet 'em with a boat. Lieutenant Brandagee, you may tell the colonel I will anchor the ships in the harbor mouth, so that their guns may support our batteries, if the British try to run in to-morrow."
Every gun would count in such a case, it was true, but half an hour later, on the deck of theNoank, he was told by Captain Morgan:—
"No, sir! Their boats would be too much for us, so far out as that. We'll run farther in and lie still till morning. After daylight our guns'll be good for something, I can tell you. Ledyard'll say I'm right."
"Take your own course," said the captain, "only be ready if they come. Now, that's settled.—Morgan! This is bad news about Lyme Avery. I don't want to be the man to tell his wife."
"No more do I," said Morgan. "Taber says he'd a'most as soon be shot. Don't I wish, though, that Lyme was alive, to hear of the surrender of Burgoyne's army. It makes me feel better'n I did. We hardly felt safe 'bout comin' in at all. For all we knew, we might be sailin' into a British port and under the king's guns."
"It hasn't quite come to that yet," said Captain Havens. "I can tell you, though, the country's wider awake than it ever was before. Have you heard about Sam Prentice and Vine Avery? They got in long ago. So did your other prizes. What did you say this one with you is?"
"It's a long story," said Morgan. "Joe Taber's captain of her. He knows more 'bout her than I do. She was a British privateer. Lyme Avery was killed when we took her. Now!—My head's in a kind of whirl. Havens, I'm thinkin' of Lyme one minute, and the next I'm thinkin' of Burgoyne and the way he was defeated. Jest you hold on with any more questions till some time to-morrow. The first thing for Taber and me is to get farther in."
There might be little time to spare, indeed, if a British line-of-battle ship and three frigates were in the offing, drawing on toward cannon range of them. Therefore theNoankand theLynxstood slowly in, feeling their way, and as yet their presence was known only to a few boatmen and the garrison of Fort Griswold. Colonel Ledyard himself had settled one question.
"No," he said, "we will wait. The good news and the bad news will keep till morning. Let Mrs. Avery sleep—don't wake her. It'll be hard enough for her.—I thought a great deal of Lyme Avery!"
So the little that was left of the night waned away, and all New London remained in ignorance of any important arrival. As the sun arose, however, a gun rang out from Fort Griswold, and all who were awake sprang up to listen.
A minute passed, while hundreds were hastily dressing, and then another gun sounded. One full minute more, for there were those who counted, and the third gun began to make the firing understood.
"Minute-guns! The British are coming!" shouted more than one hasty listener. "Every man to the forts! Our time's come!"
Many were the conjectures and exclamations, but the first men to reach the water front sent back word that not a British sail was in sight. More than that was sent, however, for a hasty messenger ran on to the Avery house and knocked at the door. It was opened instantly by Vine Avery himself.
"What is it?" he asked.
"TheNoank!" was half whispered. "A large prize ship is with her. Don't say a word about it to your mother."
"Why not?" said Vine.
"Well!" replied the messenger. "It's this way. There are minute-guns at the fort and both of the flags of those ships are at half mast. There are boats pulling from 'em to the shore now. Come on!"
Vine stood still for a moment, hesitating. Then he turned and shouted back into the house:—
"Mother! TheNoank! I'll go on down to the wharf. I'll let you know."
"Lyme! Lyme is home again!" she said. "Vine—"
She was darting forward without waiting for hood or wrap, but other ears besides Vine's had heard the messenger, and a firm hand was laid quietly upon Mrs. Avery's shoulder.
"My beloved friend," said Rachel Tarns, "hold thee still for a moment. I have a word for thee."
"What is it, Rachel?"
"Rachel Tarns," broke in the excited voice of Mrs. Ten Eyck, "did he say theNoankis here?"
"Yea," replied Rachel, "and I say to both of you women that she hath her flag at half mast, and that from her deck hath some one gone home indeed. It may be that many of those who sailed away in her are not here to be welcomed. Be you both strong and very courageous, therefore, for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth. I will go along with you, and so will He. Be ye brave this day!"
So the strong, good, loving Quaker woman helped her friends, but hardly another word was spoken as they walked hurriedly along down the road toward the wharves.
"I do not see him!" murmured Mrs. Avery. "He would surely be coming to meet me."
"Anneke Ten Eyck," said Rachel, "be thou a glad woman! Look! Yonder comes thy son!"
"And not Lyme?" gasped Mrs. Avery.
"On crutches!" exclaimed Mrs. Ten Eyck, as she sprang forward. "I don't care! O Guert! Guert! Thank God!"
If anything else, any other word than "Mother!" was uttered during the next few moments, nobody heard it.
Mrs. Avery was trying to speak and could not, and it was Rachel Tarns who came to her assistance.
"Guert," she said, "thee brave boy! Thee is wounded? It is well. We are glad thou art here. Tell Mary Avery of her husband—at once! Is he with thee and her, or is he with his Father in Heaven?"
"Mother," whispered Guert, "I can't! You tell her. He was killed when we boarded the British privateer. I did all I could to save him. That's where I was cut down—"
Low as had been his whispering, there was no need for his mother to tell Mrs. Avery.
"Don't speak!" she said. "I'm going back to the house! He fell in battle!"
Around she turned, catching her breath in a great sob, and Rachel and Vine turned to go with her, putting their arms around her. Guert and his mother lingered as if it were needful for them to stand still and look into each other's faces. She glanced down, too, at his crutches, and he answered her silent question smilingly with:—
"That's getting well, mother."
"O Guert!"
"Ugh!" exclaimed a deep voice close behind them. "Up-na-tan say ole woman go home. Take boy. Ole chief mighty glad to bring boy back.—Whoo-oop!"
It was, after all, the triumphant warwhoop of the old red man that closed the record of the long cruise of theNoank.
Selections from
LOTHROP PUBLISHING COMPANY'S
List of Books
Books
By WILLIAM O. STODDARD.
The Despatch Boat of the Whistle. A story of Santiago. Illustrated by F. T. Merrill, 1 vol. 12mo. $1.25.
The incidents of our war with Spain in 1898 supply the theme for this story. It is a sea story and a land story. It tells the adventures of a breezy newspaper correspondent and of the sacrifices and revenges of a Cuban patriot. It is spirited, vigorous, and absorbing, and is, incidentally, a story of the war from the news of the destruction of theMaineto the fall of Santiago. And it is told by Mr. Stoddard! What more could any boy or girl desire?
Chuck Purdy. The Story of a New York Boy. 12mo. $1.25.
A capital story of life in New York City; strong, honest, breezy, practical, and absorbing. Told by one of the favorite writers for young people.
Gid Granger. The Story of a Country Boy. 12mo. $1.25.
A capital story of American country life; the sturdy, hard-working, energetic boy, the stern but well-intentioned father, the bright ambitious sister, together with the village folks, all strongly individualized and made delightfully real.
Guert Ten Eyck. A Hero Story. Illustrated by F. T. Merrill. $1.25.
A stirring story of real American boys and girls, and how they helped on the Revolution. The background is the dramatic story of Nathan Hale, the hero. Washington, Hamilton, and Aaron Burr also appear in the story.
The Partners. Illustrated by Albert Scott Cox. 12mo. $1.25.
This is a capital story of a bright, go-ahead country girl, whom all the girl admirers of Stoddard's stories—and all the boys, too—will vote to be delightful.
Winning Out.
A Book of Success.
By ORISON SWETT MARDEN. 12mo, cloth, gilt top, illustrated. $1.00.
Dr. Marden, the editor ofSuccess, has never prepared a more invigorating or inspiring book than this. It is really the first book he has designed for young people. To young men whose ambition is honorable success, this book with its practical suggestions and its wealth of example has a value that is almost inestimable. If any young fellow of spirit does not, after reading this book, act up to the advice to Sempronious, he is lacking somewhere:
"'T is not in mortals to command successBut we'll do more, Sempronious, we'll achieve it."
Concerning Cats.
My Own and Some Others.
By HELEN M. WINSLOW. 8vo, cloth, gilt top, illustrated from photographs of famous cats. $1.50.
The first real "cat book" from a popular, practical, and entertaining standpoint. Miss Winslow is a pronounced cat-lover, and she here deals with the cats of history, the home and the cat-show in a manner that is at once attractive and exhaustive. Her book will find ready readers among cat-lovers and cat "fanciers" the world over. The photographic illustrations are beautiful.
The Story of the Nineteenth Century
By Elbridge S. Brooks. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, $1.50
The story of "the wonderful century"—its progress, its achievements, its inventions, its development and its results—is here presented in a connected, simple, straightforward narrative, showing, as its main purpose, the progress of the people out of limitation to enlightenment, out of serfdom to independence, out of selfishness to nationality, out of absolutism to liberty. Chapter by chapter, it is an absorbing and often dramatic story, told by one who has made a study of popularizing history.
In Blue and White
A Story of the American Revolution
One volume, 8vo, illustrated by Merrill, $1.50
This stirring story of the Revolution details the adventures of one of Washington's famous lifeguards, who is a college mate of Alexander Hamilton, and a personal follower of Washington. It is based upon a notable and dangerous conspiracy against the life of Washington in the early days of the Revolution, and introduces such famous characters as Washington, Hamilton, Greene, and Nathan Hale. It is a splendid book for boys and girls.
Eben Holden.
A Tale of the North Country.
By IRVING BACHELLER, author of "A Master of Silence." 12mo, cloth, gilt top, rough edges. $1.50.
A refreshing story of the "plain people" of country and town. The "North Country" is the farm-land of St. Lawrence County in Northern New York. Uncle Eb,—hero, "hired-man" and border philanthropist—is a lover of animals, of nature and of all creation. The scene shifts to New York in war time, and the story of the rout at Bull Run is unsurpassed in realism. Altogether it is one of the brightest and most popular of recent books, for it appeals to that love of mingling sentiment and humor that all men and women like.
The Last of the Flatboats.
A Story of the Mississippi and its Interesting Family of Rivers.
By GEORGE CARY EGGLESTON, author of "The Wreck of the Redbird." 12mo, cloth, illustrated by Charlotte Harding. $1.50.
The story of five western boys who take a flatboat on a venture to New Orleans. They are bright, apt, and intelligent young fellows, and find fun, adventure, and profit in their scheme. This book is an absolute storehouse of mid-west facts, but it is also full of action, manliness, endeavor, and adventure.
The Forestman of Vimpek
His Neighbors, his Doings and his Reflections in a Bohemian Forest Village
By MADAM FLORA P. KOPTA, author of "Bohemian Legends and Poems," 12mo, cloth, gilt top, $1.25
A simple but unique, picturesque and delightful story of peasant life in a Bohemian shut-in village, "on the edge of the forest." It introduces English readers to a charming and little-known community, far removed from towns and cities, but where the duties, desires, passions and purposes of men and women are just as human and just as diversified as in the busier haunts of men.
Germany: Her People and their Story
By AUGUSTA HALE GIFFORD. One volume, 8vo, 593 pages, cloth, gilt top, uncut edges, emblematic cover, fully illustrated, $1.75
The first popular story of Germany, especially prepared for American readers, and written from an American standpoint. In this light the book is unique. It stands alone as the latest and most complete, while it is the briefest and most condensed story of the German Empire, from its beginnings to its present proud position among the world-leaders.
Mr. Trunnell, Mate of the Ship Pirate
By T. JENKINS HAINS, author of "The Wind-Jammers," "The Wreck of the Conemaugh," etc. 12mo, cloth, illustrated by Ditzler, $1.25
No more vivid and absorbing sea story has ever been written. Mr. Hains, with his yarns of the "Wind-jammers," placed himself at once in the front rank of the tellers of sea tales, and his latest book "Mr. Trunnell," surpasses his first effort. Mr. Hains knows the sea as one who has braved all its perils and tested all its adventures. In "Mr. Trunnell," he has a tale strong in its intensity, vivid in its realism, novel in plot and action and full of the taste of salt water from first to last.
The Wind-jammers
By T. JENKINS HAINS. 12mo, cloth, ornamental, $1.25
Mr. Hains is to be congratulated upon writing a better, more natural, vigorous, and thrilling yarn than any other American writer of this class of fiction, and whoever reads this book will be likely to wish to see more of his work.
The Famous Pepper Books
By MARGARET SIDNEY
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew
12mo, illustrated, $1.50
"A genuine child classic."
Five Little Peppers Midway
12mo, illustrated, $1.50
"Every page is full of sunshine."—Detroit Free Press.
Five Little Peppers Grown Up
12mo, fully illustrated, cloth, $1.50
"The tale sparkles with life and animation. The young people are bright and jolly, and enjoy their lives as everybody ought to do."—Woman's Journal.
Phronsie Pepper
The Last of the Five Little Peppers
Illustrated by Jessie McDermott. 12mo, cloth, $1.50
This closing book of the now world-famous series of the "Five Little Pepper Books" has been enthusiastically welcomed by all the boys and girls of America to whom the Five Little Peppers have been dear ever since they first appeared in the "Little Brown House." This new book is the story of Phronsie, the youngest and dearest of all the Peppers. But Polly and Joel and Ben and Jasper and Mamsie, too, are all in the story.
The Stories Polly Pepper Told
One volume. 12mo. Illustrated by Jessie McDermott and Etheldred B. Barry, $1.50
A charming "addenda" to the famous "Five Little Pepper Stories." It is a unique plan of introducing old friends anew. Wherever there exists a child or a "grown-up" to whom the Pepper family has become dear, there will be a loving and vociferous welcome for these charming, characteristic, and delightful "Stories Polly Pepper Told."
The Judges' Cave
A Romance of the New Haven Colony in the days of the Regicides
By MARGARET SIDNEY, author of "A Little Maid of Concord-town," "Five Little Peppers," etc. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, $1.50
There are few more fascinating phases of colonial history than that which tells the wanderings and adventures of the two judges who, because they sat in judgment over that royal criminal, Charles the First of England, were hunted out of England into hiding in New England and there remained, a mystery and fugitives, in their celebrated cave in New Haven Colony. Margaret Sidney has made her careful and exhaustive research into their story a labor of love and has, in this book, woven about them a romance of rare power and great beauty. Marcia, the heroine, is a strong and delightful character, and the book will easily take high rank among the most effective and absorbing stories based upon a dramatic phase of American history.
A Little Maid of Concord Town
A Romance of the American Revolution
By MARGARET SIDNEY. One volume, 12mo, illustrated by F. T. Merrill, $1.50
A delightful Revolutionary romance of life, love and adventure in old Concord. The author lived for fifteen years in the home of Hawthorne, in Concord, and knows the interesting town thoroughly. Debby Parlin, the heroine, lived in a little house on the Lexington Road, still standing, and was surrounded by all the stir and excitement of the months of preparation and the days of action at the beginning of our struggle for freedom.
By Way of the Wilderness
By "PANSY" (Mrs. G. R. Alden) and MRS. C. M. LIVINGSTON. 12mo, cloth, illustrated by Charlotte Harding, $1.50
This story of Wayne Pierson and how he evaded or met the tests of misunderstanding, environment, false position, opportunity and self-pride; how he lost his father and found him again, almost lost his home and found it again, almost lost himself and found alike his manhood, his conscience and his heart is told us in Pansy's best vein, ably supplemented by Mrs. Livingston's collaboration.
As Talked in the Sanctum
By ROUNSEVELLE WILDMAN, U.S. Consul-General at Hong Kong; author of "Tales of the Malayan Coast," etc. 12mo, cloth, gilt top, $1.00.
Mr. Wildman was at one time editor of a prominent magazine on the Pacific coast. He here presents, in a charming and attractive volume, the talks on men and things that occupied himself and his friends—the Contributor, the Poet, the Reader, the Parson, the Office Boy and others as, day by day, they met to discuss, dissect and talk over the world and its happenings as these appeared to the "Senate" of the editor's sanctum. It is a book that will be found at once entertaining, amusing, suggestive, philosophic and delightfully real.
Tales of the Malayan Coast
By ROUNSEVELLE WILDMAN, Consul-General of the United States at Hong Kong. One volume, 12mo, illustrated by Henry Sandham, $1.00
A notable collection of Malayan stories and sketches reproducing both the atmosphere and flavor of the Orient, and emphasized also by a dash of American earnestness and vigor. The book is dedicated by permission to Admiral George Dewey, Mr. Wildman's "friend and hero."
LOTHROP PUBLISHING COMPANY,530 ATLANTIC AVENUE, BOSTON.