_An Incident on the Coast._
Towards the close of an afternoon in the dreary month of December, a
small vessel was descried in the offing, from the pier of a romantic
little hamlet on the coast of ----. The pier was this evening nearly
deserted by those bold spirits, who, when sea and sky conspire to frown
together, loved to resort there to while away their idle hours. Only a
few "out-and-outers" were now to be seen at their accustomed station,
defying the rough buffetings of the blast, which on more tender faces
might have acted almost with the keenness of a razor. Though the evening
certainly looked wild and stormy to an unpractised eye, still to those
who "gauge the weather" it was unaccompanied with those unerring
symptoms which usually usher in a gale. However, the appearance of the
night was so uninviting, as to have induced the local craft to run some
time before along shore for shelter; and the movements of the strange
vessel were consequently a matter of speculation to those on land. There
is something to our minds exceedingly interesting in a solitary vessel
at sea--it is a point on which you may hinge your attention--a living
thing on the desert-bosom of the main. For sometime her movements were
apparently very undecided, but though the weather seemed to be looking
up, she suddenly put about helm, and ran without further wavering right
for the shelter held out at Lanport. In less than twenty minutes she was
safe alongside the pier. She was one of the larger class of fishing
vessels and was well manned. The attention of the bystanders was now
directed to an individual who seemed to be a passenger, and who
immediately landed after conversing for a short while with the master.
The gentleman brought ashore an immoderately large carpet-bag, and
forthwith marched for the chief street of Lanport. When we say chief,
we, perhaps, ought to add that it was the only assemblage of buildings
in the village, which by the comparative uniformity of their
arrangement, could lay claim to such a title. On reaching the foot of
the declivity, the traveller, who was evidently much jaded with his
marine excursion, espied with symptoms of satisfaction, the antiquated
sign-post of an "hostelrie" swinging before him in the breeze. Without
further investigation, but with "wandering steps and slow," he
decided on taking up his quarters at the "Mermaid Inn and Tavern, by
Judith, (or Judy as she was called by some) Teague." This determination
of the traveller would, however, have turned out to be "Hobson's choice"
had his eyes wandered in quest of a rival establishment, for here Mrs.
Judy Teague reigned supreme amongst "licensed victuallers," no rival
having hitherto been found bold enough to enter the field against her.
The leisurely advance of the traveller up the street, had given all the
old gossips and that numerous class who esteem other people's business
of infinitely greater consequence than their own, full opportunity to
remark on his dress and appearance; in which as faithful chroniclers we
have not gathered that there was anything remarkable--save and except
the enormous carpet-bag aforesaid, about which its owner seemed as
solicitous as the traveller in Rob Roy. A stranger was, at the period
we are describing, a _rara avis in terris_ indeed at Lanport; and it
may be conceived that the news of this arrival was discussed round every
hearth in the place within half an hour at the utmost. Mrs. Teague is
recorded to have advanced to the door with unwonted rapidity (bearing
in mind that she had halted a little since she was on the wrong side of
forty, from a rheumatic affection,) to meet such an "iligant-looking
guest;" and certain it is that he had not been two hours in the house,
before it was evident that both parties were on an excellent footing
together. The old lady was seen to come from the best--the parlour we
mean to say--of the Mermaid, with very unusual symptoms of good humour
on her countenance, considering (as Betsy the "maid of all work"
whispered to "Jack Ostler,") that her visage had generally a "vinegar
cruet" association; though we would not take upon ourselves to assert
that brandy had not a greater share in its composition.
The strange gentleman continued in close occupation of the parlour
during the entire evening. The mysterious carpet bag was secured in an
upper room, and its owner chased away the damps and cold of the season
by unusually liberal potations; in short, Mrs. Judith declared to the
numerous party of customers who had assembled from chance or curiosity
on her hearth, that he was the most liberal gentleman that had ever
crossed her threshold in the way of business, since Julius O'Brien
(commonly called the tippling exciseman,) had unexpectedly departed this
life by mistaking the steep staircase of the Mermaid for a single step,
one night when his brain was more than usually beclouded. The arrival of
the stranger, however, had nearly caused a schism between the hostess
and her leading customers; for the former had whilst he honoured the
Mermaid with his presence, engaged the parlour for his exclusive
accommodation--an arrangement contrary to all the rules of Lanport
etiquette; and he might have experienced rather a rude reception had not
Mrs. Judy given up her _sanctum sanctorum_ for the temporary use of
the "elect."
Next day, the morning had passed away, nay, the sun was fast careering
towards the western horizon, and yet the stranger exhibited no
inclination to explore the locality of Lanport. Night at last set in,
but still he remained in close quarters as before.
This appeared the more strange, as the situation of Lanport was
singularly wild and interesting. The prospect from the wooded and rocky
heights of the coast was of great and commanding beauty; and the inland
view presented many scenes and objects highly calculated to invite the
attention of the lover of nature or the curious traveller. It was
evident that the stranger was deficient in both these points.
The history of the next day closely corresponded with that of the
preceding. There he sat. That night there was again a strong muster
around the capacious hearth of the Mermaid. If the stranger was
deficient in that inherent passion of the human mind--curiosity--not so
the villagers. But one sentiment seemed to pervade the assembled party,
and that may be summed up in the words "Who _is_ he?" An echo
responded "Who _is_ he?" Conjecture was literally at a fault. His
very appearance was unknown to all except the fortunate few that had
beheld him in his march from the pier; the fishing boat had put to
sea before any one thought of making inquiry as to the freight it
had delivered, but every one agreed that there was something of an
extraordinary character about the said freight. Ever and anon the
parlour door opened, and a lusty ring of the hand-bell summoned the
hostess into that now mysterious room: and the volley of questions which
assailed her on her return were enough to overturn the very moderate
stock of patience which she possessed, had it been centupled. She
declared that "the jintleman was like other jintlemen, and barring that
he seemed the b'y for the brandy," she saw nothing amiss in him. In the
midst of this excitement in walked the officer commanding the preventive
service of the district. He was soon closeted in the _sanctum_,
and after a due discussion of the singular proceedings of the stranger,
on the part of each member of the Lanport smoking club, the worthy
lieutenant declared "it was not only d----d odd, but very suspicious;"
and that he would beard the foe who had so unceremoniously taken
possession of their own proper apartment, face to face, even though
he should turn out to be Beelzebub, in _propriâ personâ_. This
determination was received with a vast and simultaneous puff of
exultation from every pipe in the room, so that the cloud was for a
short space so great as completely to envelope the ample proportions
of Mrs. Judy Teague, who had been an unnoticed witness of this bold
proposal. The lieutenant was striding onwards in full career towards the
parlour, which lay at the opposite side of the intervening kitchen, when
he somewhat roughly encountered the fair form of Mrs. Teague, which was
extended halfway through the doorcase with a view to prevent his egress.
"Och! murder, Lafetennant ----, and is this the way you'd be sarving a
lone woman, and she a widow these twelve year agon, since Michael
Tague's (Heaven rest his sowl!) been laid aneath the turf!"
The lieutenant apologized for the rather unceremonious way in which he
had run foul of Mrs. Teague.
"Och! Lafetennant," she responded, "its not that _agra_! (here she
gave a twinge) that Judy Tague would ever spake of from the like of
you--but its against your goin' and insulting the jintl'm in the parlour
that I was spaking of--and a _rale_ jintl'm he is, I'll be bail."
But it was all of no avail. After holding forth for several minutes, now
at the top of her voice, now in a beseeching whine--the lieutenant again
got under weigh, and soon reached the parlour door; which after giving
a slight tap, he entered fully prepared to take its inmate by storm.
But, lo! he had vanished! It appeared impossible that any portion of the
previous conversation could have been wafted to his ears, but certain it
was, that in place of a living occupant of flesh and blood, nothing but
the wavering shadow of an ancient high-backed chair near the fire--which
cast a faint and uncertain light through the apartment--met the eyes
of the angry lieutenant. A heavy step overhead announced that he had
just retired to his sleeping-room. Thus was the now greatly increased
curiosity of the smoking club doomed to receive an unexpected check. The
stranger was evidently no ordinary person--the conversation gradually
sank away--and more than one individual of the company started in the
course of the evening as the wind now wailed with a strange unearthly
sound up the silent street, and now blew in violent gusts which made the
old house creak and groan to its very foundations. Our gallant friend,
the lieutenant, was perhaps the only individual absolutely unmoved in
the party; and his proposal to retake possession of the parlour met with
a general negative. Nettled at this, he declared that another sun should
not go down over his head, without obtaining some satisfactory account
of this mysterious visitant.
The third day came, and with it a partial change in the conduct of the
stranger. He appeared to have in some measure shaken off his indolence,
and sallied forth betimes in the morning, apparently to examine the
beauties of the coast, towards the rocky wilds of which he was seen to
wend his way. About noon he again returned to the Mermaid. This conduct
partially disarmed the suspicion which had been excited; however it was
agreed that though nothing had hitherto occurred which could authorize
any direct interference with his movements, yet that a watch should be
kept over them for the present.
The afternoon threatened to turn out stormy. Vast masses of clouds were
continually driven across the sky: and the increasing agitation and deep
furrows of the ocean foretold a night fraught with peril and disaster
to the seaman. Drear December seemed about to assume his wildest garb.
This day of the week always brought the county paper. A solitary copy
of this journal was taken by Mrs. Teague, and it formed the sole channel
(alas! for the march of intellect,) by which the smoking club and other
worthies of Lanport were enlightened on the sayings and doings of the
great world. It must not be inferred from this that the demon of
politics was unknown in this retired spot; on the contrary, the arrival
of the ---- Journal, was looked for with the utmost impatience from week
to week; and as long as its tattered folio hung together, its contents
formed a never ending subject of conversation. On the day of its
arrival, therefore, the "club" invariably met many hours before their
wonted time, to discuss politics and pigtail, revolutions and small
beer.
This circumstance, and the state of the weather, had drawn a numerous
party around the hearth at the Mermaid. The delay which took place
in the arrival of the newspaper seemed unusual; the "spokesman" had
cleared his throat, the pipes had long been lit, but still it was not
forthcoming. Mrs. Teague at last announced that it was engaged by the
"jintleman in the parlour." The patience of the party lasted half an
hour longer, when the clamorous calls for news dictated the step of
sending a message to the stranger. It met with an ungracious reception.
At this moment some one came in with the intelligence that a suspicious
looking craft was hovering off the coast, and that the lieutenant (whose
absence was thus accounted for) was about to put off in his galley to
bring her to and overhaul her.
A second and a third message to the parlour having met with the same
success as the first, the ire of all began to rise, and after a
clamorous discussion it was at last resolved, (it was now broad
daylight,) that they should go in a body and storm the enemy's quarters.
The room was situated at the other end of the house, and thither they
proceeded, after a few preliminary difficulties had been arranged as to
who should first lead the way. But if the lieutenant had been astonished
at the disappearance of the stranger the preceding night, much greater
was the surprise evinced on the present occasion on finding the room
again tenantless. It had evidently only just been vacated; but what
created the greatest sensation was the discovery of the smoking remains
of the ---- Journal, on the hood of the fireplace! Every one crowded
around, and presently intelligence was brought that the stranger,
carrying his enormous carpet bag had been seen walking at a great speed
towards Shorne Cove, a retired little spot within a short distance of
the harbour. As is often the case on such occasions, several minutes
elapsed before any plan was determined upon, but some one at last wisely
suggested that if he was to be pursued, no time ought to be lost. The
appearance of the strange vessel on the coast, and the day's occurrence,
were connected together, as they hurried onwards in the pursuit; but
when they arrived at the seashore, the mysterious man and his carpet bag
were no longer visible, unless a large boat which was pulling out to sea
as fast as wind and tide would permit, gave a clue to his invisibility.
Every eye was now cast out for the strange sail.
About a mile from the pier-head, a large lugger under a press of canvass
was seen coming down the wind, with the galley in close pursuit. From
the freshness of the wind and the quantity of sail she was able to
carry, it was evident that the king's boat had little chance with her.
As the chase came careering along, dropping the galley rapidly astern,
the interest hinged on the apparent connexion between her and the boat
which had just left Shorne Cove with its unknown freight. From their
relative situations it was evident she must bring to for a short space
if she intended to pick up the fugitive; and this delay might possibly
enable the galley to draw her. For a few minutes the scene was one of
exciting interest. The lugger broached to as had been anticipated, and
she had scarcely shipped the strange boat's crew, when the galley
pitching bows under was close in her wake. But it was too late. The
lugger had no sooner paid off, so as to get the wind again abaft the
beam, than she rapidly got way on her, and the wind continuing to
freshen, in half an hour she was all but hull down.
The night passed not over the heads of the good folks of Lanport,
without numberless recriminations on the stupidity which had been
displayed in not arresting the stranger before it was too late; and
the ferment was not lessened on the arrival of another copy of the
---- Journal, which contained a paragraph headed with the glittering
words, "ONE THOUSAND POUNDS REWARD."