Page:The Wreck of a World - Grove - 1890.djvu/122

106 Or was it rather a detachment sent by our relentless foes, who would not suffer even these poor relics of the human race to occupy a remote corner of the globe? If so, with Dana and his sailors absent, and the Roanoke and America practically unusable till their return, God help the poor Jeffersonians! We must fly to the mountains, and see our beautiful towns and gardens and farms laid waste once more; and if the monsters of the deep had brought with them land monsters to harry us, who could say that we should be safe even there?

I looked through the glass again. The first vessel had grown more distinct; the second was beginning to exhibit its outline; the faint streak indicating the third had become a dark thick line; and on the horizon was now to be seen a fourth,—yes and a fifth streak marking where the distant ships were pouring clouds of coal smoke into the sky. Five ships, if these were indeed the enemy, to combat our poor two! And our seamen, officers, engineers, gunners,—all absent. What could be done?

Nevertheless what I could do I did. Collecting the old coast-guardsmen—only nine or ten in all—I sent