Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-10-02

Of the dark shadows Of the mountain
seemed lighter and thinner than in
shore, asdV .lsagu 81 tH-l4 tsf"
Were to make for the islands
you. say, sir?" a e ..a,.l
20 Yes. What distance are they
Off" sse'iol iaai Hi.N '
q About eighteen miles Tive
hours, if the wind lasts, and we car
bear il. .,ff eslW .aeis.i
"And could the yawl stand this
said Harcourt, rs heavy sea struck
the bow, and came in cataract over
them. Is offl f9sa'.fi''' -
"Better than ourselves, IL she was
manned Luffl Luifl that's IL 7
And rs the boat turned up 10 wind
sheets Of spray and foam flow over
her. Mister Charles hasn't his
equal for steerin, IL he wasn't alone
Keep her therel-nowl steady sir'
Heres a squall coming CRIED
Harcourt; 81 hear IL hissing'
? Down went the peak, but scarcely
in time, for the wind catching th,
sail, laid the boat gunwale under
After q struggle, she righted, but
with nearly one-third of her filled
with water,
li"Id take in reef, or two reefs,
said the man; g but IL she couldnt
rise TO the say, she'll fill and go down
We must carry on, at all events a
:" SO say l. It's no time TO shorten
sail, with such q sea running
The boat few through the water
the sea itself impelling her, ms with
every sudden gust the waves struck
the stern r. ,.,...
ashes brave craft, said llar.
court, as sho rose lightly over the
great waves, and plunged down
again into the trough of the sea
but il we ever get TO land again Ill
have combings round her to keep
her dryer" go
~Hep it comes here il comes,
sirl y tr.t Inl io .tiii t 9hf i
Nor were the words well out, whom
like n thunder-clap, the wind struck
the sail, and bent the mast over like
n whip. For an instant it seemed as
If she were going down by the prov
but she righted again, and, shivcring
in every plank, held on her way. a
That's as much as she could do,
said the sailor, and l would not
like TO ax her to do more
'r'I agree with you, said IIarcourt,
secretly stealing his feet back again
into his shoes, which he had just
kicked off. .ssaa So has -
"Its fresh ming it is every minute,
said the man; "and I'm not sure that
we could make tho islands If II lasts .
."Woll---what then ? Z 9a I
There's nothing for it but 10 be
blown out 10 say" said he. .tragically,
as, having hllcd his tobacco pipe, nc
struck a light and began TO smoke
"Tho very thing I was wishing
for, mid olIarcourt, touching his
cigar TO the bright ashes. How sho
labors do you think she can stand
thisY''
aShe can, fits no worse, SIR"
But IL looks heavier weather out
sido." sli s. Hals8l - ffIaa en
[" As well as J. can soc, its only
bcginnin'." f
IIarcourt listened with species OF
admiration 20 the calm and measured
sentiment Of tho sailor, who fully
conscious Of all tho danger, yet mover,
by u word or gesture, showed that ho
was Hurried or excited.
"You have been out on nights as
bad as this, suppose, 'a s'
"May bo not quito, sir, for It's o
gr,at say IL runnin'S and, with the
wind of shore, we couldn't have this,
IL thorc wasn't u storm blowing fur
thcr OUT in "Fv
eFrom the westward, you mcanY
"Yes sir; a wind coming over the
whole ocean, that will Soon meet the
land wind" 80. ~ aga5l aAatl.l
And does that often happen I
The words were but out, when,
with aloudrcport like cannon. shot,
thewind reversed tho sail snapping
tho strong spirit IN two, and bringing
down. the whole canvas clattoring
into the boat. With the aid of q
hatchct, the sailor struck OF the
broken portion OF the spar, and soon
cleared the wreck while the boat
now reduced 20 a mere ioresail
labored heavily, sinking her PROV IN
the sea ut every bound. Her course
too, was now altered, and sho flew
along parallel 20 the shore, the great
foliils looming through the darkness,
and seeming as ii close to them
"The boy the boyl cried Har,
court "what has become of him
He never could have lived through
that squall."
III tho spar stood, therc was an
cnd OF US too,p said the sailor; she'd
have gone down by the storm, Us sure
as my namc is Peter"
It's all over by this time, NUT.
tered IIairourt, sorrowflly.
'Pace beto him nowlP said the
sailor, Us he crossed himself, and went
over a prayer ..,. ..s..ff
The wind now ragged icarlully
clups, ike inc report Ol cannon
struck the fiail boat at intervals, and
laid her nearly keel uppermost
while tile mast bent Ikea whip, and
every rope crealSed and strained e
It's last endurance. The deafonine
noise close at hand, told whore :hC
waves were beating on the rock bound
coast, or surging with the deep grow
OF thunder through many a cavern
They rarely spoke, save when some
emergency called for u word, Each
sat wrapped up in his own dark
rcvcrics, and unwilling to brcal,
thom. Hours passed thus--long
dreary hours OF darkness, that seemed
like years Of suffering, so often In
this interval did life hing IN the bal.
anco, H Haa ftih s'i ~ ''
As morning began to break with
Ia grayish blue light 20 tho westward