Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-01-18
CHAPTER x.

II SJOIim-DSdH starring me mariners az me
.tace-the missing Drdgon-tte signal.
The morning after the combat and cap
ture, the two vessels were sailing along
making strong headway for the coast
At an early hour all hands came on deck
to learn the cause of peculiar sensation
felt below The sky was of inky black
ness, the wind had been on the increase for
the last twenty hours and it now blowed
gale. The waves had become lashed into
fury during the night, and their fieecy
crests seemed to turn and hoist with pow
erful force and then burst in foam like
water spout. Black feaks of cloud, like
fragments from creation funeral pail, would
be torn from the gloomy mountains Of va
por, that seemed to rise heaven high from
the restless bosom of the sea, and after be-
ing whirled about for time would take
definite course and go flying above the
waves and foam. The top sails of both
vessels were closely reefed, and had storm
staysails set.
They were in the midst of a storm at
sea-spectators of all its sublimity and ter
ror The water seemed to be parted into
a thousand chasms dug down to the pro-
found depths, while, on each side, stood
mountains of watery pillows ready to leap
together in liquid embrace and spout tho
shattered spray from the point of collision.
The coming of the morning star was hid and
and even the beams of the brig ght sun found
no vent in the clouds through which to
dart his cheering beams-above, around,
below, all was gloom and darkness the
oIo,,do coon,od fbioI- nc Oooop1g h., o,,J
floating in their toiling career just above
the masts of the vessels, trembling in eve
ry plank and bolt The eye could not pen
citrate the thick gloom that shaded with its
pail the sea; an area Of an hundred yards,
on either side and above, with watery
grave deep as earth's middle vault, was all
that seemed left to the unfortunate persons
on the ill-fated vessels. Like great pail
of Death the clouds hung over them, Dip
ping an hundred yards ahead into the foam
ing waste of waters. The gloom was ever
and anon lighted up to display its horror
by a momentary sheet of lighting, gleam-
ing out in forked and in spiral forms, from
the dark battlements of tae cloud fortress
on high; and the roll and repeated detona-
tions of the thunder--the mighty bass Of
Yarring nature singing the chorus of the
Majestic march Of Jehovah-hurst upon
the ear at intervals with startling empha-
sis. Human fancy painting with human
pen can not depict the storm as it was II
its fullest power. The vessels strove hare
; to remain near each other, but the contra
winds and rearing waves tossed them hith
er and thither like child's toy-the sail
were useless-the wheel ceased to guild
their course-the ropes were strained, tn
the blocks crcaked and the strong cable
| were snapped asunder like the weaver
thread.
! The storm showed no sign of abatinl
| and the crew became detected. Capt. Jer
| rold sat in moody silence thinking of wifi
: and little ones at home soon to be lef
} without a protector. Jacques St. Clai
stood looking out upon the warning ele
ments thinking of the past, of little Mar
tha, with prayer on his tongue and hi
heart that when they all went down togeth
{ er that Agnes might fall in his arms an
!, rest with him in a coral tomb in the Ocean
, depths and their spirits might be reunite
in better world. Agnes showed a calr
: resignation to meet death, and even praye
: that it might come speedily, rather than
spend life on a Pirates ship, and be th
: unwilling wife of so repulsiyc wretch q
. Nicholas St. Clair, who sat By her in su
r len and dogged silence.
Matters continued to grow worse unit