Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1852-04-07

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tried to; but | laid my hand upon his
arm, and held him back, while l'said
to the mate ~
"Don'ssend this boy aloft, ~; I'll
go.i in hia place. - - A
!. Before IS could reply, 1
"fiold 5a slIel
send that boy up 3kel &. 49, M
fall and be killed, 81 Jp2E A. H !.
would be downright murder. y : soa so
90 Geo vos guardep Heaven pre-
serve you) exclaimed the boy, as he
bounded forward, and seizing the
captains hand, eagerly pressed it to
his lips.
At that moment strange lurid
glare lit up the Heavens, and every
object about the ship was as plainly
visible as though it had been noon
day. 1t was not lighting, but seem
rather to proceed from the murky
atmosphere itself, and appeared to
roll in from all parts of the compass
towards the ship, in undulating wave,
like the beautiful coruscations of a
aurora borealas; it was just such
light as one would have imagined to
light up the recess Of the Russian for
ests from the midnight flames of burn
ing Moscow.
On the topsail yard the men were
straining every nerve to furl the sail
The yard arms were rolled in, and
the gaskets half passed,when a rush
ing noise like the escape of pent-up
stream arrested orr attention, and
turning our eyes in the direction from
which it came, we beheld, not a mile
astern of US, the whole surface OF
the water converted into mass ol
boiling, driving foam, by the hoarse
breath of the coming tornado. Long
spiral wreaths of mists were caught
up from the leaping waves, and came
driving on white as the whirling drift
from the summets of our New En-
gland hills, hurried onward by the
winter hurricane.
Come down! down from aloft there
every soul of ye--in with ye; and
down for your lives! DO ye hear?---
Let the @ail go, and come down p
Thus yelled the excited captain
and in came tbs @sa o tbs !as SSasa Ssca
stays-and the last man had ius,
cleared the rigging, when the hurri-
cane burst upon the ship in all its
wild yelling fury. said the last man
had gained the deck-Idid not mean
that; for there was one who needed
not the captains warning, and still
remained on the yard. That man
was Manuel the noble looking Portu-
gesc sailor, the friend of the boy
Diego.
Obstinately he clung to the almost
furled sail, after all the others had
left the yard. Twice the captain
screamed to him after the others had
reached the deck; but he needed him
not, and he was there alone when
the most terrific gust broke in wrath
upon the quivering ship.
Then commenced the most despe-
rate struggle | had ever witnessed
The puny arm of ma.c. L...:,.ng LS.;i with
onr or natures mightiest elements
In an instant the bunt of the heavy
topsail filed with wind, and boiled
out forward of the yard like an in
fiattted balloon; but the daring sal
lor smothered it in with giant strength
and had almost secured it. Ten
pounds more, or the aid of another
pair of hands, and the sail would
have been saved. But a second bias,
wilder than the first, tore the canvass
from his grasp, and the next moment
it was rent from the yard by the tre-
menduous power of the gale; and
the brave sailor who hae SO nobly
periled his life to save it, was hurled
backwards to the deck. Stunned and
confused by the Stating frao -------'
the torn sail, he lost Fl
precipitated backwspovder. l
top, and would doufNs
killed on the spot had IL d.0(
that in the descent he fell across the
mlzzen stay, which partially broke
his fall
Never, while | live shall forget
that shrll, piercing scream of agony
which broke from the lips ofthe beau.
tiiul Brazilian boy, as he rushed for
ward and flung himself upon the in
animated body Of his unfortunate
friend.
"Keep her square before it, SIR
said the captain to Mr.. Vibert; "and
here, three or four Of you, take this
brave fellow into the cabin"
The boy clung convuIsively to the
body, and would only relinquish his
grasp about his neck when | assured
him he should accompany us to the
cabin, and be permitted to remain
with his friend.
Upon examination it was found
that Manuel had received no serious
injury, having been merely stunned
by the fall, and it was almost certain
that provided it proved that he had
not been hurt internally, he would,
III the course IF a few days be able
to return to his duty. The captain
had bed prepared for him, by turn
ing two Of the settccs together, and