The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1860-01-06
Tatiu at'rekIp Tribaut.
WOhFGANG;
Or,
THE WRECKER'S BEACON.
CHAPTER /,
uvwopr ~. carn.
CHAPTER l,
BEFORE TIM GALA.


young man, not over cight-and-twenty,
and his nomo was MAURICE LESTER
lie stood by the taffail, gazing of upon
the horizon TO the eastward, ever and
anon raising his hand above his head TO
feolif there was any wind stirring, and
as oiton casting his eye aloft to SEQ how
the canvas hung. As he stood thus his
mate approached, aud spoke to him;
"Whot dye think of this, Captn %
81 think we're in for storm, sir,n tho
mootor roplod. "And toll you what il
Is, Griffin" he added aiter sweeping tho
horizon again with his eye, "when il
comes It will be an earnest one. None
of your broad Ocean puffs, with nothing
but water 60 hatch wind from but we'll
have il right fresh from somo OF those
places whore they know how to make
things blow"
"Then you think wen have a hard
ono 3" said Griffin.
"Aye," answered the Captain, with
almost shudder, 81 feel il in my
bones"
In tho meantime Captain Iostor had
been watching the sea and sky as before
and he lnncied that the signs of the storm
were growing more and more palpable
every moment. The sun was poinp
down in thick bank, giving to the whole
western horizon n dull, purplish-rcd
bloody hue, with here and there spots Of
& ..ls-lae- 49, ss, i'lea ePoningo, through the
frey cloud, looking upon fearful black
ness bohind.
"Do you see how strangely il looks Of
there % said the captain, raising his fin
ger towards the point where the sun was
setting.
"Ayc," returned Griffin, 81 have been
watching those dark places"
And others noticed tho same thing
and spoke of il, too.
Seven o'clock came and won't Eight
O'Clock cRme, and the first watch was
! set.
Don't 70 below" said the captain, as
. the men Of the last dog-watch left theii
stations. "This calm can't last great
while. You had better bHtten down the
matches now, while there is nothing else
TO do for am sure there will be neet
OF having them close before the coming
, Of another day"
! The mon had no thoughts Of going be
: low, for they could see aud feel ant
Z
was coming, so they went at work ant
secured the matches with thick t0rpnulins
81 and when this was done those who har
no particular station collected about thu
wheel. Another hour passed uway-an
another. Ten O'Clock came, and still
not breath. The ship lay upon tn
water like a dead thing, with the ropes
aud blocks, and sails, rattling and flap
ping as she was swayod to and fro by th
lazy swclls Of the sea.
+, "Whut DOES il mean o. cried Gr.fir
ID as the boy struck five bells.
"Hark % said the captain, almost in
ia stantiy. 81 guess you'll soon see. Di
you feel that Ha land that 90
II was a puff OF wind and light 1yin
of spray or, perhaps il was spit {
|. rain At all events, the puff was felt
NJ aud the ,lraps of water fell upon othC
checks than Maurice LCstur'sj and othe
ears than his heard the dull moanin
) which came over the dark waters. s
? other ears heard the roor which followe
/, aud other bodies quiyered beneath til
shock OF the storm-giant when he can
in his might.
; Aye--the storm had come. II can
with wind and rain, and with an angi
heaving of the sea. IL came with
N, darkness like Erebus, and with the vol,
III of thunder. Tho gale continued 10 Il
's 9s crease in fury as the long night pass,
away. When the morning came the sceI
8 was one Of awful grandeur. The win
'si was howling with terrific fury and Il
broad sea was lashed into huge mou
' tains, that iOamed, and tumblod, al
leaped along over the bosom Of the de,
seeming every moment ready TO whel
and engulf the frail bark that struggl
within the demon grasp.
- When Captain Lester had observ
~ the signs Of the morning, he feared tn
'' the storm would continue through d
day, and so he told his men. The 81
wore hue of horror, and ruin was dri
ing down, mingling with the lashng sc
At tnoon il was still worse.
- At length night shut in again, and n
% a sign yet Of the passing away of q
storm : The frightful bowling Of d
tempest seemed rather to have increas
than abated. The men gathered up,
u the quarterback, olinging for support
the racks and rails-for the life-lin
81 swayed so much that they were afraid
m. them--gathered as near to the light
IRA the pinnacle lamp as they could,
though even from such feeble beams tn
+, might end some comfort. But not
Ice, were there. No-not all -Four sto
,h, true-hearted men had been swept aw
and by the storm. Near a score were lei
oa,l but how many shall SEQ tho light Of q
other day
. At nine o'clock Captain Lester we
:, b if below. He took down chart of I
"" North Sea, and having spread It up
- the table, he sat down TO examine
N He was thus engaged when Mr.. Grit
"a came down; but he did not look up uu
me .es he had finished the calculation.
sted GLOW is il 2" the mate asked, as
saw his commander lay down the di
ders.
81 have boen making a reckoning, O
den | find that we have but little sea-ro
4 left. The course we have made siI
:, we wore, has been, as near as ! can Z
T. culate, north-west-by-west, SO that
7T' must have been driving towards the co
Of Northumberland. l think we h'
- plenty Of room 20 stand on until N
night but we cannot stand on mi
longer. If the gale does not abate
that time | know not what We 81
do"
The Captain started up from his el
and would probably have walked acr
the cabin, but at that moment q hei
sea caught the ship, and gave her a pi
forward, which caused him 20 catch
seat as quickly as possible. A. soon
the hood had gone from the deck, and
'H's' vessel had struggled up from the she
n he looked into his companion's face,