The mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1863-1943, 1865-03-25
THE WHITE HAND.

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until eight bells in the first night watch
eight O'Clock, when it seemed to have
reached its climax, and blew great guns
from the northwest.
There was also tremendous sea, which
made everything crack in the old'craft, as
she reeled and plunged in the stormy sea.
The fore and nizen topsaii had been
taken in, and nothing now remained, with
the exception of the cosereefed topsail,
the topmast staysail, and the foresail, the
last mentioned Of which was already Civ.
ing ominous warnings of an intention
to part company with the old ship, and
fly off in tatters to leeward.
But, as we have seen, the mate was
determined not to permit catastrophe oI
this nature. In obedience to his orders
the men sprang to the clewlines, buntlnes
and sheets. Then,as the ship gave side
lurch to windward, the sheets we're let 60,
and BY quick, vigorous work, the Tapping
sail was clewed up ere it began to fill.
In less time than is occupied in relating
the fact, the men were skipping out upon
both yard arms, and presently they were
engaged pulling up the sail. Suddenly,
however, the ship made furious plunge,
the sail few up, and Tom Leawa ard, the
best seamen and most jovial shipmate
that ever handled a marlinspike, was
knocked from the weather yard.arm into
the tempestuous sea.
Man overheard! Man overheard -
Tom Leaward is overheard = came from
the fore-yard in wild, ringing tones.
\ rope! a ropen was Shrieked from
the jaws of the rcmorseleSs waves.
Srringins to the main rigging, the mate
snatched coil from pin, and hurled it
toward the white face, which he could
just distinguish through the gloom that
shroud>d the wild waters.
Then he dartcd of and threw himself
into the miZen chains
Tom had succeeded in graSping the
rope thrown to him, as the mate perceiv-
cd upon gaining the position to which We
have alluded. Peering into the dark
waves beneath him, he beheld the drown
ing seamcn c!inging to the piece of rigging
with tenacious grasp.
suddenly the ship rolled over to wind
ward, bringing Tom so near the mate that
the latter might have touched him. The
next moment huge wave broke over the
head Of the struggling man, and he threw
up Que Of his hands. That hand the mate
might easily have graSped, and thus saved
TIC liz. Of Toin Lcawari. But instead Of
doing so, he drew back. muttering some.
thing between his teeth, while the phos.
phorcscent CLEAN of the water lighting his
features, rcy.ale1 a dark and icnlish cx-
preston in ais>eycs.
An Instant af:erw&rd, the ship rolled
back to lccaasd-and Tom was seen no
more.
Why lad the mate refused to grasp
the extended hand? Surely some demon
must have been near 70 suggest the dqi X
thought to his brain which had prompted
him to act in this manner; to remind him
that he might thus avcnge himself upon
the man for whom Lucy Manton had re.
jected him, confeSsing at the time that
Tom Leaward was her ACKNOWLEDGED
lover.
But now Tie mate stood glaring upon
the dark waters that rolled under him
and terrible feeling of remorse came
over his spirit, causing big drops of per-
spiration to start upon his forehcad. while
lie felt as though vu,ture was gnawing
at his heart.
Oh, were it possible for Tom to make
lis appearance again, to raise his hand
once more above the contending waves,
how gladly, how eagerly would the mate
have graspcd the quiyering fingers and
saved the young mans life!
But, alas! that would never happen
and the mate turned his face from the
dark sea, with goan and shudder-
He felt that conscience would destroy the
peace of his life time; that he could never
again look fellow.creature in the eye
with steady glance.
As he grasped the shrouds for the pur-
pose Of returning to the deck, he beheld
white boyish face pcering at him over
the rail. An exclamation of horror cs-
capped the lips of the mate, for he believed
that this person had been witness to
the event that had recently taken place.
'Who is therey' he asked, in hollow
voice..
'IIa! ha ha!' laughed the other toss
ing his arms above his head it's only
Lucius, you know; only Lucius, who
couldn't sleep and so came up to see the
man drown. Didn't you see his hand
thrown out Of the water? 1t was indeed
right royal sight to see the way his
hand went up! But why didn't you catch
it and pull him ont? Lucius would have
done so! LuciuS, in fact, would not have
let him gone down.!
'Hush hush = whispered the mate, as
be sprang to the deck. Go down below,
and never, say that again!'
The lunatic, for such he was, shrank
away, muttering, The hand the hand /!
A right royal sight was the hand raised
up over the water!'
Go below, tell you'll cried the mate,
ficrcely, as he snatched Delaying pin
from the rail.
At this .sight the boy disappeared
through the companion-way with a wild
cry, and with both hands claspcd over
the top of his head For there. on the
crown, had he been struck, few weeks
previously, by block which had fallen
from aloft, injuring him so badly that
reason deserted him.
Scarcely had he disappeared when the
men, who had completed their work upon
the foreyard, came tumbling' aft in q
body to hear about their shipmate.
Its no use!' said the mate, not daring
to lift his eyes; you'll never see poor
Tom again! He let go the rope the mo.
ment was about to seize him! think
when the ship lurched it must have struck
him on the head
This explanation satisfied the men, who
returned to the forecastle 10 hold mourn
ful discussion upon the fate Of their ship
mate.
Shortly afterwGrd, the other watch was
called; and when the men composing it
we're made acquainted with the fate Of