The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-12-31
WOLFGANG;
THE WRECKER's BEACON.
CHAPTER !.
BEFORE THE GALE,

not over eli Lit Nd twenty, and his name was Man
ice Les err. b. stood by the taGfail, gazing of
upon tie Tor TO the eastward, ever and anon
raisiog his above bis head 10 feel II there was
any wild stirring, and as often casting his eye
aloft to see how the canvass hung. AS he stood
thus h. mate approached aud spoke to him:-
"What we think of this, capt'n?'
" ] think wire in for storm, sir,' the master re-
piled. "Aad tel you what it is Griffin he added
after sweep ring the horizon again vi Il is eve,
"when il com it will be an earnest one. None
OF youi broad ocean puiIs, with nothing but WAFER
to hatch wind FROM but wen have it right fresh
ftom some Of those places where they know how to
make tIihes blow
."Theu you think wen lave a hard onegr said
Griffin.
AYE, answered the captain, with almost o
ehudder, Il feei il in my bt nes'
'lu the meantime Captain Lester had bee watch.
ing the and shy as beitre, and he fame q that
tho signs q the ttrm were growing more end more
paipub!e every ment The sun was go x down
Id a tlick baak : wing the whole wes irn hoTi-
Zon q oull, purpih red, bloody hue, with here and
there SPOTS # darker tnge, lise ching through
IT, fery cloud. o1ing upon fearful bankness
behind.
do you zee how -transey it ooks of there
said the ca tain, raising his ii ger t3watds the
point where the sun wa ting
"Aye" returned Griffin, Il have been watching
those dark placesn
And cti-rs noticed the same thing, and 81 Ike of
it, too
Seven o'clock came and went Eight o'clock
came, and the first watch was set.
Don't 60 below said the captain, as the men
OF the last dog watch left their stations. This
Calm can't last a great while. You had better
batten down the matches now, while there is moth
ing else 10 90; for a0l there viii be need OF
having them close before the coming Q. another
day
FOR they could see and feel andthey not wholly
igno1as.t II what was coming: SO they went 1T
work and secured the matches with thick taypau-
Inns: apd Wien this was done those who had
particular station collected about the wheel.
Another hour passed away-and another. Ten
o'clock cane, aud stu not breath The ship lay
upon the wafer Like dead thing. with the ropes,
ard blocks, and sails, rafting and Tapping as she
was swayed TO and fro by tie lazy swells of the
sea.
"what does il mean" cried Griffin, as the boy
struck five bells.
"Hark!p said tie captain, almost instantly. II
and thatin
1t was a puff Of wind aud light flying Of spray;
or. perhaps II spit of rain. Al Bll events the
poh was telt; an. the drops Of water fell upon
other cheeks than Maurice Lesters aud other ears
Than Lis head the dull moaning which came over
the dark waters. SO other ears beard the foar
which follow "a, and other bodies quvered beneath
the shock of the storm giant When lie came il his
might.
Aye--the storm had come 1t came with wind
and rain, and with an angry heaving Of the sea /.
came with dal kness ike Erebns. and wta the
voice OF thunder. The gale continued 70 Increase
IL fury as tie long night passed away, When the
morning car e the scene was one OF awful gran.
deur. The ind Was bowling viii terrific fury;
and The broad sea was dashed into huge laouasains,
that ioamed, and iumbled, and ieaped along
tie bosom of the deep, see ming every moment
reaoy 10 whelm and engnf the trail bark that
struggled within the demon grasp.
When Captain Lester had observed the signs OF
the morning. he feared that the storm would
tDue through the day, and SO ne told his man. The
Eky wore hue Of horror, and rain waG now driving
down, mingng with the lashing sea. At noon il
was still worse.
OF the passiut away 4. the STORM The frightfnl
bowling of the .empcst seemed rather to have in
creased than ali ted. The men gathered upon the
quarter deck ciiugng for support 70 the racks and
rails--for the life lines swayed SO much that they
were afraid of them--gathered near to the light
OF the binnacl lamp as they could as though even
from such feeble beams they might ind some com.
fort. But not all were there. No--not all! Four
stout, true-hearted men had been SWEPT away by
the storm. Near a score were left; but how many
shall see the light OF another day!
At nine O'Clock Captain Lester went below. He
took down chart Of the North Sea, aud having
spread it upon the table, he sat down 10 examine
ii. He was thus engaged when Mr.. Griffin came
down; but he did not look up until he had finished
"How is III? the mate asked, as he saw his com
mander lay down the diyiders.
81 have been making reckoning, and find thai
we have bur little more sea room left. The course
we have made since we wore, has been, near q:
can calculate, nos eth westby-west SO that we must
have been driving towards the coast OF NoTthum
berland. think we have plenty of room to stand
on until midnight; but we cannot stand on much
longer. IF the gale does not abate by that time
know not what we shall 90.
The Captain started up from his chair, and would
probably have walked across the cabin, but at tina!
momenta heavy sea caught the ship, and gave hel
o pitch forward. which caused him to catch his seal
as quickly as possible. As soon as the Hood had
zone from the deck, and the vessel had struggled
MP from the shock he looked into his companions
face and said, In voice made tremuons BY deeper
emotion than he had before manifested
''Grifin, have something upon my mind more
than you know; and am anxious to communicate
1t, too. must tell it now, for | have a strange
foreboding of coming i'll. Something is 10 happen
that will bear great calamity to some of am
not croaking-l am only reading what the Unseen
hasiwritten in my SOUL However, you shall hear my
story. You have heard that my parents were both
lost at sea?r
eyes" said the mate.
this seal
IL have heard SO, sir''
"Aye-so it was. | was boy then. They were
On their way to Copenhagen, as we should be now.
Ny father commanded the shp-she was called the
Clara Jane. She was named for my mother; and
she was staunch, noble craft. was at school
then, in Troy; and when / knew that my parents
were dead was well nigh mad with grief. fan
cied then, in my first hours Of orphanage, that
my heart would break; and, think such would
have been the case if they had kept me at school.
But some Of those who cared for me came to see
me, and 1t was finally arranged that should go to
sea. And l prospered-prospered so well that,
when was twenty years old they gave me COM
mand Of ship.
The man who owned the ship which first
commanded was named Thornton. He had a
daughter named Carie-one Of the sweetest,
purest and oyeest creatures that ever graced this
poor life of earth. She was four years Younger
than myself; but even when first knew her-and
she was not then more than fourteen-she was a
woman In intellect and grace, though ch.d in
simplicity OF love and confidence Mr. Thornton
Gid not object to my suit, so loved her with ali
my soul, and was blessed to know that she loved
me in return 1t had been arranged that we should
zoe married wren she was twenty years Old that
Thornton having set the bounds himself II lacked
two months OF the time, and had arranged to re-
main at home until we were married Bd5-Thorn.
ton had heavy ship freighted for Copenhagen AID
her captain was dying. BE could indeS one TO
fake his place but lac, and he asked me 70 90. I
could MT rnfnsas hnt l nAknd thai | r,rht hn