The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1878-04-18
THE RESCUE.

In my peregrinations l recently fell in
with an old salt who could spin yarn
when fairly started, but the trouble was,
it seemed to me, to start him. We had
conversed on various subjects. in
vain trying to draw him out, and a. !
was about to give up getting q story ont
of him worthy of your columns, l hap.
pened to mention the name of Admiral
Fsrragut. He took off his hat and broke
out in voice that would have served to
hail ship ct . quarter OF miles dis
tance-it certainly startled tho ladies:
"What do You know about the cap.
tain? knew him whom he was COM
msnder, and it's lucky did, or you
wouldn't see me here to tell the story"
"Hullo! you have . story to tell,
then?"
"Not much of a story" said he, "but l
want you to understand that Captain
Farsagut was one of Gods greatest noble
men. He was demi-god. The last Of
the Vikings"
"What did he do for your" said /,
supposing should get IN incident from
tho great Adriral's history not hereto
fore related, and think the story which
followed justified the belief:
@What did no do? What didn't he
do? Among other things he saved my
life in the most gentlemanly way"
And then my old friend growled away
something about whipper-snappers who
main-b brace from the captains breeches,
and rather intimated that my room was
better than my company, seeming to
take it as personal insult that any ques-
ton should be raised about Captain
Farragut, as he persisted in calling him.
I did my best to calm him, and, having
given him o genuine Havana, which he
smoked furiously at first but l noticed
moro calmly after, he said:
"Well, I'll tell you"
ri set sail from Pensacola one fine
September day, year SO, in the Wabash,
and got along very we'll till the third
day; was bound to Havana with the
woodwork of the orphan asylum OF
Havana aboard"
Haven't you two Havanas in there"
said L.
"It's possible; and you may know
enough to hurt you, but don't believe
it."
And then came another season of low
growing, which at last terminated by
the old captains getting up and walking
up and down the piazza. tanning himself
furiously. Finally he sat down again,
and said /:
"However, as you've got me started,
Ill tell the story, such as it is, only you
keep that potato trap of yours shut till !
get through. Well, as was saying, we
were three days out of Pensacola when
l noticed IN the morning = big rise in
the barometer. knew what that meant.
and 90 watched it closely. Toward noon
it began to fall fast. went on deck
and looked around nothing to DO seen
in particular, perfect calm, but knew
the devil was after US. I want you to
understand that captain who don't
watch his barometer is Of no account,
and will be caught in q scrape first or
last, though l have heard self-sufficient
captains say that they would as soon
have q handsplke slung up in the cabin.
al took in all sail except close reefed
topsail, and spencer with bonnet vest,
as l wasn't Q young fool (this with ex-
cellent emphasis), the men meantime
having their jokes, as l could plainly
hear, about the 'old man having hur-
ricane Of his own. really think some
of them thought was crazy, but the
little glass tube in the cabin wasn't as
We all found out soon after.
"'Arn't sleep, are your said my old
friend, and can say safely l was not at.
ter his hail. Now, said he, tho cats
paws began to show then q steady
breeze, next fitful gale, with low,
moaning sound in the wind like . hu-
man groan. Then heavy:gale, which
kept on increasing till We had enough
to blow the devils horns off. Dams
Two Years Before the Mast gives the
best description of the blowing away of
sails that haze seen; first the canvas
will bulge out in spots, then eye holes,
and the next you know the air to lee
ward is full Of threads and bits of can
vas. Ours went that way, topsail 6rst,
then the spencer, but what every sailor |
breads, rolling to windward, didn't hap
pen to us. The barkey was wallowing
and straIning in the sea which had BY |
this time become huge. l have crossed
The ditch so many times that can't re-
but never saw its equal. Well,
about p. N. as near rs we could judge,
you see it was so dark We couldn't see
couldn't keep light in the
even. was in the cabin trying
10 get q light to read the barometer,
when heard the dist roar of wind
hat ever any man heard and lived.
salIsd to the second mate jump for his
ife, but unfortunately tor him he had
'ome money in his cbest which he stop
BED to get. As the cabin Vas washed
way in ten minutes, l never saw him
" his money after. The barley was
modest and laid down! As l got out OF
he cabin the water came in in fine
lyle. / managed to get to the weather
iii, though . harness cask, which had
etched away, went whizzing BY me
ike shot, scraping one Of my legs .
title, clambering along to the main rig
ing. swung myself outside, and in no
ims had . rope around myself and .
ham plate. Isuppose Jon can think Of
moro enviabIe situation I can nov,
ut didn't theo."
"Yes, said I; "lying on clover bank
odep Shadr trAaa eh 2"