The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1861-10-14
THE
SAILORS WoolNe
THE
A SEA STORY.

still, except the jerk Of he oars from the heav.
ing water at her bows, and the loud flap Of tn .
big topsails nov and then, ever, thins aloft
save them and the hrAiled fore sail ban al
ready close furled; the clpul' all tho wrlls ris.
ing away along our lasboiri beam nor ~o4t aud
north, over the gray bank on tho horizon,
till once more you could scarce say which
point the wind would come from, unless
~ the huge purple heap uf vappr ia tho
midst. The sun had got low, and he
shivered his dazzling spokes of light behind
one edge OF II, as If 'twere IN Jnttin you saw
over some coast or other; in 10 ii, you'd have
thought the ship Almost shut In by land on both
sides Of her, which was wha, seemed TO terrify
the passengers most, as they gathered about the
poop stairs and watched Il, -trhIci was tho true
land and which the clouds, ',wi' hard 70 say,
and the sea gloomed writhinS betEcen them
Hike huge lake in the mountains.
saw Dir Charles HYDE walk out OF the
round house and in again, slancing nnessily
about; his daughter was standing with another
young lady Cazng at ihs lani; and at sight OF
her sweot, curious face, Il have given worlds TO
be able TO do something that nigh, save II
from the chance, possibly OF being that
very night dashed amongst the break
srs on a loe-shorc in tho dark-Jr at best,
suppose the Almighty fiv rod any If Us 40 far,
perhaps landed In the ~ilds Of Africa Hal
there been aught man could do moro, why,
though i never should get q smile for IL, I'd
have composed II, mate ~ no mate but all
vas done that could be zone, anl ( hdl no hing
10 say. Westwool clms near her, too, sppa-
rently seeing our bal ctss a. l,ss 70 SOM ok
tent and bo.h trying t. break T. TO her and 60
assure her mind ~ foliei my arms again,
and Kept my eyes hard fixed upon tho bank of
cloud, as some nsw woa'her.m,rk stole out In
II, and the sea Stretched bra hlrss away below,
like new meltei lead. The air Wa ike " choke
you-or Z iher there was pone--is If water, sky
and everything else wanted If, and one would
lain have caught the frs rush Of the tornado
into his mouth---'he men cmpt wing tho dippar
on deck fom the ca-k, from -hsot loa'hing. As
Tor the land, IL seemed ~ draw nearer Of itself
TIL evory point and wrinkle in the hol1lind OF
our bow came out in red coppory CLEAN -ono
saw the white line Of .ud round IT, aud som
blue country beyond like indigo; then back It
darkenod again, and al llJft was getting liyid-
like Ovor tho b,ro royal mast heads.
Suddenly faint air was felt 10 nutter from
landward; II half lifted tue top sails, and
heavy oarthy swell cana into your sttils-
the hrst d the land .breezo, at last; but by
this time 1t was no more than sort Of mock
cry, while in minute aftsr you might catch
low, sullon, moaning SOUND far of n gu gh the
emptiness, from tho strong surf tho Atlantic
sends in upon the West Coast bofo squall.
IT ever landsmon found out what land 90 the
wrong side Is, the prsen s-rs OF tho Sorinsa
patam did, that mOmenl; the shud 'sr Of the top
ders, and few walked qui. belnw, as it they
were safe in their cabins ! saw Violet Hyde
look round aud round with q startled eNprus-
sion aud from enc face 10 another, Till her eve
lighted on me, and | f,nci'd for m imen, ii
wa, like putting soma question to mo. ]
coultnt boar it'-'twas the tiut Gms
Id felt pONefloss To offer anything; though
the thought ran thm1gh me again till
almo-t felt myself buie ing among the break
efs with hor in my arms. | lonkod IA the land
where tho smoke we al seen ihrrc.quarters Of
an hour ago rose again with tbs puff Of air, a
slight flicker Of fame IN II, ~ it wroathel sff
the low ground toward the ghs' p ,int-when
all a. once gave asa-t, TO something in the
shape Of the whole struck me- ~ # IA seen il
before. Next moment | was thinking of old
Bob Martin's particular landmarks AZ the river
mouth ho spoke Of, and tho no,io1 Of its posi-.
bly, being hsreabouts glanced on ne like goa.
sand. 10 the uusuto dasky sight ]
had Of it, certainly, il were som what
Of that look, AMI IT lay iait TO leewsrd
ct the weather; whl', ~ for tho dead
shut-in appearance Of II, old Bob had
specially said you'd never think IL was river;
but thcn again It WIS moa lika dssp rate
fancy owing e. our ha Il Gaze, aud to run the
chip s'raiR ut for it Won d bs the nick Il bet
lamite at any rate a quick cry from aft turned
ms rOuue, aud saw blue Il are Of lgh'nu,
stresk out betwixt ths bank Of grW haze an
the cloud that hung over then another, and
the clouds were beginning TO rise slowly in the
midst, leaving a white glars be woen a. if YOU
could SEQ throus h it towards what was coming
Tho mon could pull no longer hut ahead Of the
ship there was now only about eight or ton
fathOms water, with a soft bottom. Tho boats
were hOisted In, aud the mn hal begun 10
clue up snd hand tho tOpSiils, which wore low
cred on tho caps, when, just IN the midst Of the
huObub ard confusion, as | stood listening to
every Orlt the mate gave, tho steward camo
up hastily from below to tell hin that the cap
tain had woke mp, AMI, being much batter,
wanted 10 500 him in nedately. MIR. Finch
looked surprised, buj he turned at once, and
hurried down the hatchway.
The sight which all f us who weren't busy
gAzed upon, over the larboard bulwarks, was
terrible TO see; twas half dark though the sun,
dropping behind the haL> hauk, made II glim
mer and rodden. Tho dark heap Of cl 'udS hal
first len, thened out hlscker aud blACker, anl
was rising slowly in the sky like mighty
arch, till you saw their white edges below,
and gha,tly white space behind out OF
which the mist and scud began 10 fly.
Next minute long sigh came into
her jiO and toresail, then no black bow Of
cloud partly sank ,ain, ard a blaze Of Ii yht-
mig came ou. all round her, showing you
every face on deck, the inside Of tho round house
aft, with the lGdian Jndge standing in II, his
hand To bis eyes aud the land tar away. TO the
very swell rolling in 10 IT, Then the thunde,
broke overhead In the gloom, in one fearful
sudden crack that yOl seemed to bear through
eve corner OF the cabins and forecasts below -
AMI tie wet back fus Of twenty sharks
or 40, that had risen out Of the inky
surface, vanished as suddenly. The Indian N
lad sheered almost b'OIdSido on TO the
CLOUDS. her jib was still up, and inew the noxt
time tha clouds rose we should fairly have it
Flash sft,r fast came, aud clap "A tor clap Of
thunder, such as you hear bcfJfc a tOrnlto-
yet the chief officer wasn't to be seen, and the
every ono began to wonder and pass along ques-
tio5s whore he could be. Ia fact, lie had d.
appeared. For my pTt, | thought II vey
strange be staid 50 long but there wasn't Il
moment to lose. Jumps down of the p lop-
stairs, wslkod forward on the quarterback, and
said DOLLY 10 the men nearest ne Run aud
haul down that Ib yoIdr--set the spank
hero aft. You'll have her taken slap on her
beans quick, my lads ~ The men did 10 AT
once. Macleod was calling out anxiously for
Mr. Finch ''Stand by the anchors there ~ |
sang out, 'tO let 20 the II irbD ard ono, the mo-
nsst she swings head TO wini !" TIE Scotch
niRto IA -ned his head Ricketts, face, by thu
next fasb, showed he saw the good of il, AMI
there was no lei uIe for arguing, espe tally
as spoke in q way 10 he heard. | walked u
the wheel, and got hold Of tcobS to take the
weather helm. We were all standing ready, a.
the pitch OF expecting IT, Westwood too, hAy-
ing appeaTed again by this time beside me,
whispered to him 70 run forward and look after
the anchors when some one came hastily up
the after hatch way, with a glazed hat AMI
pilOt.c1at on, stepped straight TO the pinnacle,
looked in behind me, then at the black bank OF