The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1840-07-11
and from brisk trot they at length got into

"Haul taught the fore Braces" said the
commodore alluding to the lines which were
attached to the leaders,
"Aye, aye, sir" responded Mike, who
was now holding them in with all his
might.
"Slacken the lsrboard fore brace there
hurry" continued the Commodore, az the
leaders were approaching too pear the brink
Of precpice which started a, them from
the left.
"Aye, aye, sir" said Mike.
"How fast are we going now!" said the
Commodore 10 the other tar.
About sixteen knots, sir" continued
Jack, who was holding fast to the little fore.
mast, to prevent being pitched out, as the
wheels would occasionally hit stump or
root.
The pace had now become absolutely ter
rife. Single-treeS and donble-trees were
rattlng, traces were swinging about, hold
back straps were strained all but to break
ing, and still the mad steeds kept on down
the declivity. To the left was the steep
and gloomy precipicc, at some points a
hundred feet high, and to run off hereto
meet with shipwreck at such point
would involve the certain destruction OF
passengers and horses, officers and crew
The passengers were alarmed, and even
the brgve old Commodore, although he
showed no fear,and appeared perfectly cool
and collected, began 10 think it time TO haul
in sail"
"How does she head, now!" shouted the
old fellow to Mike.
"Righ! on that howlin' precipice there
BY me sewl it wouldn't be our molhers thai
ud know us if she sinks in that ugly spot
was the answer.
"Let go the nainsaiI, "sung out the Com
modore, who was all the while working
at sham rudder aft, imagining he was
keeping hiJ craft from going over the
steep.
cave, aye, sir" and down came the sail
rattling and futering with the current of ali
raised by the speed at which they were 60
ing. The noise frightened the horses still
more, and down they went at pace fasleI
than ever.
"Let go the topsails, Jack" was the mex
order, and they were soon futtering anc
tapping about.
"Keep her steady, there, Mike"
"That's just what I'm alther dsing, sir
but the devil himself couldn't Keep crap
steady In such rough time as this"
"Jib, there-let go and haul the jib,'
sung out the Commodore. In less time
than it takes us to tell the jib came dOwu up
on the wheel horses, who, receiving an ad
ditional fright, started eff more furiously
than ever. Things now looked slarminsly
serious, and the gentlemen passengers were
trembling with fright. The Commodore
had one more experiment to try, and as
shipwIeck now appeared inevitable, he sung
out.
"Let 60 the anchor! Be quick" Ne
sooner said than done, for before the words
were fairly out Ofths Commodero's mouth,
Jack had pushed small anchor from the
bows of the craft About fifteen fathoms OF
rope spun out with great velocity, when
the anchOr caught in tree by the road side
and brought them all up. 1t did not bring
them all up standing, however, but all tum-
bling, for the sudden jerk sent the leaders
over the prsciplce, dragging the other hOr-
ses and the novel craft-Passsngers, bag
gage and ala distance of about thirty feet
after them. Three Of the horses were kill
ed. Mike had his shoulder put out, the old
Commodore was severely, and his friends
slightly injured, and oven the Guerrero, af-
ter having been battered all to pieces by the
Constitution, did not present such melan-
chOly locking wreck as the cid COmMe-
dOrs's man-Of-war pleasure Wagon after
the accident. Thus ends our story Of the
Land Cruise of an Old Salt."-N o.
Pic.