The Fourth Watch

The Fourth Watch

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Fourth Watch, by H. A. Cody
Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the
copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing
this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook.
This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project
Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the
header without written permission.
Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the
eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is
important information about your specific rights and restrictions in how
the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a
donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved.
**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts**
**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since
1971**
*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of
Volunteers!*****
Title: The Fourth Watch
Author: H. A. Cody
Release Date: May, 2005 [EBook #8198] [This file was first posted on
July 1, 2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English

Character set encoding: utf-8
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE
FOURTH WATCH ***

E-text prepared by the Online Distributed Proofreading Team

THE FOURTH WATCH
BY
H. A. CODY
AUTHOR OF THE FRONTIERSMAN, UNDER SEALED ORDERS,
THE LONG PATROL, ETC.

TO ALL
"Messengers, Watchmen and Stewards of the Lord," who have
faithfully toiled through Life's long night, and now in their Fourth
Watch and Last Watch behold the dawn of a new Life breaking, this
book is affectionately dedicated by one but yet in the Second Watch.

Contents

I.--The Awakening II.--The Vision III.--Glendow Rectory IV.--The
Warder of the Night V.--The Breath of Slander VI.--The Auction
VII.--The Farringtons VIII.--The Golden Key IX.--Beating the Devil
X.--In Camp XI.--Guarding the Flock XII.--Light and Shadow
XIII.--For the Sake of a Child XIV.--The Long Night XV.--Deepening
Shadows XVI.--For Sweet Love's Sake XVII.--Hitting Back
XVIII.--Wash-Tub Philosophy XIX.--The Sting XX.--The Overseer
XXI.--Decision XXII.--In the Deep of the Heart XXIII.--Where Is Dan?
XXIV.--The Rush of Doom XXV.--Beneath the Ashes XXVI.--A Rope
of Sand XXVII.--In the Toils XXVIII.--Waiting and Serving
XXIX.--Rifted Clouds XXX.--Beneath the Surface XXXI.--Light at
Eventide

The Fourth Watch

Chapter I
The Awakening
The boy plied his hoe in a listless manner, for his thoughts were
elsewhere. Several hundred yards to the right stood the forest, glorious
in its brilliant autumn hues. There among those trees the wary
partridges were feeding or perching temptingly upon bough, fallen log
or ragged stump. To the left the waters of the noble River St. John
rippled and sparkled beneath the glowing sun. Over there amidst that
long stretch of marshland, in many a cove and reedy creek, the wild
ducks were securely hidden. What connection had a rugged, stirring lad
with a brown sombre potato patch when the strong insistent voice of
the wild was calling him to fields afar? There was no inspiration
here--among these straggling rows. Nothing to thrill a boy's heart, or to
send the blood surging and tingling through his body. But there--! He
sighed as he leaned upon his hoe and looked yearningly around. Down
on the shore; in a sheltered cove among the trees, the Scud, a small boat,
was idly flapping her dirty patched sail.
"Wonder what dad left it up for?" thought the boy.
"Maybe he's going after more ducks. Wish to goodness he'd help with
these potatoes so I could get off, too."
Then his eyes roamed out over the water until they rested upon a white
sail away in the distance, bearing steadily down-stream. He watched it
carelessly for some time, but noticing the manner in which it drooped
under an occasional squall his interest became aroused.
"There's too much canvas, that's sure!" he ejaculated. "Some idiot, I
s'pose, who doesn't know 'bout these squalls. Guess he'll learn soon if
he isn't careful. Now the Scud, she's all right. I'd risk her any
time--My--!" and he almost held his breath as the white sail, much
nearer now, swooped to the water like the wing of a gigantic bird. The
boat righted herself, however, and sped gracefully forward. Again and
again she dipped and careened under each successive squall, winning

the lad's unstinted admiration. But even as he looked and wondered, a
furious gust caught the white sail as it listed heavily, and drove it with
one sweep to the water, overturning the boat as it did so. With a cry of
fear the boy dropped his hoe, stared for an instant at the overturned
craft, and then sped across the potato field sloping to the shore. He did
not wait to go by the path, which led straight up to a little cabin in the
valley, but, making a short