The pilot: a tale of the sea. By J. Fenimore Cooper.

Trur PiLoT. 1
keg," said the drover, wintlking_ to the listenletrs
Noo inl the nortlh, tiley ca) a gathering of {]1(
1lk, antd foill(. the pipes as gracio usly tas y.e wvad
tourney kirkwaird o' a Sabbath morn. I've scee.
ta' the n iames o a Il eeland raj'm ent on a sma' bit
l aper that ye might cov er wi' a lcddy:s hatnd.'I'hey var' a' Camerons and MIl )onalds, C tOuOLl.1 }}E hey t NV a 2|l8 I.}}. tl<1 I )}1llSI (tt}
they paraded sax hundred men! -But what ha' ye,otten here!cI That chield has an ow'r liking to ti.(
land fior a seahrint- body; atn' if the bottom o' thle
sea be ony thtng like the top) o't, hes in gr'at (danger o' a shipwraek!''
this unexpected chan Ige in the discourse drew
all eyes on t.he object towards which the staff of
the observtant drover Nwas pointed. to the tltte
amazement of every individual present, a smn all
v ess el was seen movmnin slowvly round a point of
lantel that tforlned omIe of the sides of the little bay,
to whichl the field the laliourers vre i, in (otpos. (
the otler.'lhere. was something very i)CCtliar in
the externals of this unustuIal visiter which aidded
in no sniall degree to the Slurprise ere'ted b)y her
ap1p)etratce in that retired p)lac('. None but the
snallt.est Xvessels and t)hose rarely, or, at lonrg intervalis, a des)perate st tu/lteri, wxere ever known to
venture so close to the land, aKmid Ithe sandl-bIars
andt( sunkeln rocks with{ which thlat imtmediate coas t
abounded. The adventurous man, ners who novw
attemptel this (angerous navigation in so wantn.1:
and,1 apparently, so heedless a 1maineltr, WereC int aI
low, blacel s chooner,,whose tult seeei * t 1 te y''
disproptortioncd to t}ile ralkin masts it upheld.
wv'lieh in their tturn, supporteCl a lighter set of
s)ars t thit tap r (ed away until their utpp)er extremni
ties apl)ea'ire io l. arger' ithan tre lcazy pennant, thati
in vain etde avourc(.d to d(isplay its ltength in tlhe:
light breeze