The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1873-11-12
ON this tack" returned the captain

| Oh ILLS tach, tCtltfucu Lilc Cet 'tuAii
But Tn afraid the ship wont
hold up to her course" resumed the
pilot. "She must certainly hold up
to east by north to do it, for she
makes considerable lee-way."
30, III warrant her to do that,
said the captain very confidently,
and with the air of a man who does
not like to have his vessel thought
incapable of doing the right thing.
So the pilot, feeling assured that
thus far Ill would be right, went
below to get his supper. He had
been gone, perhaps, half an hour,
when there was q sudden shock, and
in a moment more the ship stood
still. Marco Miles hastened upon
deck, and was just in time to meet
the captain at the companion-way.
''What does this mean?" cried
Napton, in an angry tone.
The old pilot gazed for q mo-
ment upon the shore, which was yet
some five miles distant, and then
he calmly said:
Its your own fault, captain"
My fault, you lying lubber?"
':Certainly it is, calmly returned
the pilot.
Take that them" and in the
heat of his passion the captain
struck the old man blow that sent
him staggering half way across the
deck.
Without waiting to see the ef
fects of his hasty outburst, Napton.
sprang to the rail and ordered al
the yards to be squared. The ship
had struck upon q hard sand-bar:
but as she WAS not going very fast
at the time, and as the bar appear
ed to be somewhat abrupt, she was
easily got off, and as soon as she
had backed clear OF the danger she
was put upon the starboard tack:
and stood off to the northward.
The pilot turned very pale, and
though his frame shook with agita,
ton, yet he made no movement to,
ward the captain. We all knew
that he was not to blame, for the
ship had not been kept upon the
course which the captain had pro
missed, but the helmsman testified
that part OF the time her head had
been as far out OF the way as east.
half-south, instead of cast By north,
and upon looking at the chart we
found that we must have struck on
the extreme northern point of the
bar. Yet Captain Napton could
not be made to see his error, noE
could he abate one whit of his
wrath. He sent the old pilot below,
and told him not to show his face
on the deck again. Midas obeyed
without a word, though we could
see that his hands were clenched
nervously together, and could also
hear the low grating of his teeth.
The captain studied over his
chart for some time, and at length
made up his mind that he would
pass between the two Serphos, and
then run up through the Strait OF
Silota. The wind hauled a little tc
the southwark and blew fresher
At dark the little island Of Kalipol.
was upon the larboard beam, but IL
half an hour afterward the wind
died away to q dead calm. This
state of things lasted about half an
hour longer, and then the stars be-
gan to disappear from the southern
heavens, and the atmosphere began
to grow dull and oppressive.
II smell a blow" said the mate
walking aft to where the captain
and myself stood.
Ere long the heavens were blacl
as ink, save g little streak in the
south, where it seemed as if q Qul.
fire were mouLdering and dying, Il
was so dark that we could hardly
distinguish the outline Of mai
half the length of the ship. Al
haste was made to get the sail off
and the ship was sooA left under 9
close-reefed main-top sail, foro
storm-staysail and s.orm-mizzen
Harkly had this been done wher
we heard a low, rumbling sornc
from tbs seuthward, accompanied
at short intervals by sort Ct hiss
ing, screeching noise
In few moments the gale burst
upon Us. It came at first in low
pufs and spits Of spray, aad shea
the full armed monster leaped upor
us. For awhile the captain let the
ship dash on before it. He knew
exactly whore he was wAeR h h
started, but he dared not rua too
long, and at length he brought the
ship to on the larboard tack, with
her head nearly west. At ter
o'clock the sea rgaa ra 50 high that the
stay=sai1 aid mizzen became Of ae
use, and they were taken ia, and
the ship now lay to under nothing
but close-reefed main-topsail The
wind howled through the rigging