Middletown transcript., 1875-06-12
DUEL AT SEA.

1t was fearful night at sea, and tn
wild winds howled in fury, and the ma
waves lashed themselves into tumult
uous chaos, as if the tempest and th
ocean were rivals, each striving to prov
The greater power of destrnction
| Yet through the long anxious hour
of the stormy night the brave schoone
Idle Waif nobly breasted the fury o
the gale, her officers hoping agains
hope almost, that she would be able tt
survive the terrible dangers through
which she was struggling.
A month before, she had sailed upon
her voyage to New York from a South
American port, and among her passen-
gers was her owner. Robert Graham, Of
the wealthy firm of Graham Il Co., ac-
companied by his wife and daughter.
Corinne, lovely maiden of eighteen,
accomplished, pure in thought, and as
| innocent as a child
Mr.. and Mrs. Graham idolized their
only child, and when the father found
that he had to visit South America on
business for the firm, Corinne at once
begged to accompany him, and yielding
to her entreaty, few days after found
the mother and daughter comfortably
''at home" in the commodious cabin of
the Idle Waif, large three-masted
schooner. ably commanded and with an
efficient crew.
The captain Of the Idle Waif was a
man of thirty-6ve, and Of stern ma
ture. He had a man-of-war manner
with his crew, which he had acquired
when an officer in the English navy,
from which it had been said, he was
dismissed in disgrace, allowing SLAYER
to escape. when it was certain, had he
not been bribed, he could have captured
the craft trading in human flesh.
At any rate he was an able command
er. and the five years he had been in
the service of Graham & Co., Captain
Hart Woodruff had proved himself most
trustworthy in every respect.
The first mate Of the Idle Waif was
a young man of twenty-five, who had
become an officer of the schooner while
she was in South America. in the place
of the mate, who had resigned to accept
the captaincy Of a vessel offered him.
Gervaise Wilde had offered to take
the place Of the resigned officer, but he
frankly told Mr.. Graham he could offer
no testimonials as to his character and
ability that he was an American-a
Marylander been for seven years
in the United States Navy, from which
he had resigned in foreign port, for
reasons he did not care to mention
Mr.. Graham gazed into the strangely
handsome face of the man before him,
beheld the dark, fearful eyes for mo-
ment, and then glancing at the slight
but elegant figure, replied:
81 will trust you, Mr.. Wilde. Go
aboard the schooner az soon as possi-
ble."
The Idle Waif sailed upon her home
ward-bound voyage, and it was evident
to all on board that no better seaman
than Gervaise Wilde ever trod vessels
deck and yet between him and the
captain there was certain restraint.
From the first of the home trip Hart
Woodruff bad treated his first officer
with an overbearing manner noticeable
to all, and which the mate received with
cold and Indifferent politeness.
Corinne Graham narrowly watched
the two officers, and her womanly eye
soon read the secret cause of the cap
tain's feeling towards his mate 1t was
jealousy; for Hart Woodruff had from
the first loved the maiden, and seeing
that she accepted the polite and gentle
manly attentions of Gervaise Wilde
with feeling of pleasure, he deter
mined to rid himself of a man he be-
lieved his rival.
On sailed the noble vessel until when
nearing the waters of the gulf, terri
bic storm burst upon her, and increas-
ing towards night, threatened her with
destruction.
Bravely did the crew stand at their
posts, and twice during that long night
did Gervaise Wilde ascend the rigging,
when brave hearts hesitated, and Sc
curely furl some sail that the wind had
torn from its fastenings.
Mr.. Graham, with his wife and Co.
rinne, had ascended to the deck, and
we're grouped together anxiously watch
ing the black storm and raging ocean,
while at the same time they could but
admire the cool manner of Gervaise,
added to bis daring manner of spring
ing at once to every post of danger, and
the comparison drawn between the cap
tain and his mate redounded to the lat
ter's credit.
All that human skill and courage
could do to save the schooner proved
useless, for she was dismasted, became
a wreck, and leaking in many places,