Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-01-04
aNoreester 1ailp spp.
WOLFGANG;
THE WRECK GR's BACON
CHAPTER l.
BEFORE THE GALE.

i
and bound to Copenhagen, had entered the
North Sea, having left the Straits OF Dover
two days behind.
The commander of the ship was young
man. not over eight and-twenty, and his name
was Maurice Lester. He stood by the tatirail,
gazing off upon the horizon to the eastward,
ever and anon raising his hand above his head,
to feel if there was any wind stirring, and as
often casting his eye aloft to see how the can
vas hung. AS he stood thus his mate ap
preached, and spoke to him
what dye think of this, Capt'n2"
81 think we're in for storm, sir" the mas
ter replied. Sand tell you what it is, Grit
fin" he added, after sweeping the horizon
again with his eye, ''when it comes it will be
an earnest one. None of your broad ocean
pnffs, with nothing but water to hatch wind
from, but well have it right fresh from some
of those places where they know how to make
things blow"
"Then you think well have hard one!"
said Griffin. Fl %|1
"Aye," answered the captain, with almost
shudder, 81 feel it in my bones.
In the meantime Captain Lester had been
watching the sea and sky as before, and he
fancied that the signs of the storm were grow
ing more and more papable every moment.
The sun was going down in a thick bank, Civ.
ing to the whole western horizon dull, pur-
plsh red, bloody hue. with here and there
spots of darker tnge, like openings, through
the fiery cloud, looking upon fearful black
ness behind.
"Do you see how strangely it looks off
there 2" said the captain, raising his finger
towards the point where the sun was setting.
"Aye," retured Griffin, az have been watch
ing these dark places"
And others noticed the same thing, and
spoke of it, too.
Seven O'Clock came and went. Eight o'clock
came, and the first watch was set.
Don't go below said the captain, as the
men of the last dog-watch left their stations.
"This calm can't last great while. You had
better batten down the matches now, while
there is nothing else 10 do; for | am sure there
will be need of having them close before the
coming of another day"
The men had no thoughts of going below,
for they could see and feel and they were not
wholly ignorant of what was coming; so they
went at work and secured the matches with
thick tarpaulins; and when this was done
those who had no particular station collected
about the wheel. Another hour slowly passed
away-and another. Ten o'clock came, and
still not breath. The ship lay in the water
like dead thing, with the ropes, and blocks,
and sails, rafting and tapping as she swayed
to and fro by the lazy swells of the sea.
boy struck five bells.
"HarkH said the captain, almost instantly,
81 guess you'll soon see. Didyou feel that =
Ha!-and that!"
1t was a puff of wind, and light flying of
spray; or, perhaps it was a spit of rain. AT
all events, the puff was felt; and the drops of
water fell upon other cheeks than Maurice
Testers; and other ears than his heard the
dull moaning which came over the dark waters
So other ears heard the roar which followed,
and other bodies quivered beneath the shock
of the storm-giant when he came in his might
Aye--.the storm had come. 1t came with
wind and rain, and with an angry heavng of
the sea. 1t came with darkness like Eiebus,
and with the voice of thunder. The gale con-
tinued to increase in fury as the long night
passed away. When the morning came the
scene was one of awful grandeur. The wind
was bowling with terrific fury; and the broad
sea was dashed into huge mountains, that
foamed, and tumbled, and leaped along over
the bosom OF the deep, seeming every moment
ready to whelm and engulf the frail bark that
struggled within the demon grasp.
When Captain Lester had observed the
signs of the morning, he feared that the storm
would continue through the day, and so he
told his men. The sky wore look Of horror,
and rain was now driving down, mingling
with the lashing sea. At noon it was still
worse.
At length night shut in again, and not a
sign yet of the passing away of the storm
The frightful bowling of the tempest seemed
rather to have increased than abated The
men gathered upon the quarterback, clinging
for support to the racks and rails--tor the life
lines swayed SO much that they were afraid
of them-gathered as near to the light of the
binnacle-lamp as they could, as though even
from such feeble beams they might find some
comfort. But not all We're there. No-not
all Four stout, true-hearted men had been
swept away by the storm. Near score were
left; but how many shall see the light of
another day9
AT nine o'clock, Captain Lester went below
He took down a chart of the North Sea, and
having spread it upon the table, he sat down
to examine it. He was thus engaged when
Mr.. Griffin came down; but he did not look
up until he had finished the calculation
Chow is it 2" the mate asked, as he saw his
commander lay down the diyiders.
81 have been making a reckoning, and
find that we have but little more searoom left
The course we have made since we wore, has
been, as near as | can calculate, north-west-by
west, so that we must have been driving to-
wards the coast of Northumberland. l think
we have plenty of room to stand on until mid
night; but we cannot stand on much longer
If the gale does not abate by that time | know
not what we shall do"
The captain started up from his chair, and
would probably have walked across the cabin,
but at that moment a heavy sea caught the
ship, and gave her a pitch forward, which
caused him to catch his seat as quickly as pos
sible. AS soon as the flood had gone from the
deck, and the vessel had struggled up from the
shock, he looked into his companions face,
and said, in a voice made tremuous by deeper
emotion than no had before manifested;
Griffin, have something upon my mind
more than you know and | am anxious to
communicate it. too. must tell it now, for
haye strange forebodng of coming ill. Some
thing is to happen that will bear great calami-
ty to some of us. l am not croaking-I am
only reading what the Unseen has written in
my soul However, you shall hear my story
You have heard that my parents were lost at
sea"
EYES," said the mate.
"And perhaps you knew they were lost in
this sea Z"
81 have heard so, sir"
"Aye-so it was. / was boy then. They
were on their way to Copenhagen,as we should
be now. My father commanded the ship
she was called the 'CIdrG Jane She was
named for my mother and she was a staunch,
noble craft. | was at school then, in Troy !;
and when knew that my parents were dead
/ was well nigh mad with grief. fancied
then, in my first hours OF orphanage, that my
heart would break ; and l 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 it was finally arranged
that should so to sea. And prospered-
prospered SO well that, when ! was twenty
years old they gave me command of ship.
"rhe man who owned the ship which first
commanded was named Thornton. He had q