tlemented gray walls
making one fancy he was looking down into the inner court of some great
mediaeval castle. Then we drifted out over the Hudson toward Cold
Spring until, caught by a different current, we were swept along the
course of the river.

As we sailed over mid-stream and two hundred feet above it, with the
tall cliffs and mysterious, dark recesses of the Highlands on either
hand, the waters turned to a livid gray under the feeble light of the
waning moon. No part of our voyage was more impressive, no scene more
awe-inspiring. It was a region of such weird lights and gruesome
shadows as no fancy could people with aught but gaunt goblins and dread
demons, come down to us through generations untold, an unspent legacy
of terror, from half-savage, superstitious ancestors.

Suddenly Ford spoke in a low voice: "Boys, I was in nine or ten battles
of the Civil War, from Gaines's Mill to Gettysburg, but in none of them
was there a scene which impressed me as so terrible as this, no
situation that seemed to me so threatening of irresistible perils."

Nearing Fishkill at eleven, a land breeze caught and whisked us off
eastward. At midnight we struck the town of Wappinger's Falls--and
struck it hard. Our visitation is doubtless remembered there yet. The
town was in darkness and asleep. We were running low before a stiff
breeze, half our drag rope on the ground. The rope began to roar
across roofs and upset chimneys with shrieks and crashes that set the
folk within believing the end of the world had come. Instantly the
streets were filled with flying white figures and the air with men's
curses and women's screams. Three shots were fired beneath us. Two of
our fellows said they heard the whistle of the balls, so Donaldson
thought it prudent to throw out ballast and rise out of range.

Here the moon left us and we sailed on throughout the remainder of the
night in utter darkness and without any extraordinary incident, all but
the watch lying idly in the bottom of the basket viewing the stars and
wondering what new mischief the drag rope might be planning.

The only duty of the watch was to lighten ship upon too near descent to
the earth, and for this purpose a handful of Hippodrome circulars
usually proved sufficient. Indeed, only eight pounds of ballast were
used from the time we left Miss Thompson till dawn, barring a half-sack
spent in getting out of range of the Wappinger's Falls sportsmen, who
seemed to