The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-11-13
An Old Sailors Yarn.

We were dismastsd of the Barba-
does, bound to port in the ives. Cf
Scotland, laden with sugar aud rum
and molasses
The forema.t's gone cries every
tongue out,
Ger the lee. twelve fe,t b0vs deck I.
4 leak beneath the chest trees sprung
Call ali hands to clear the wreck,
Quick the lanyari's cut to pieces.
Come. my hearties, be stou. and
bold.
Sound the pump the leak increases -
Four feet water in the hold ,
Jury masis were rugged, but We made
slow progress, and had to keep the
pumps almost continually going.
Drifting rather than sailing. we at last
struck soundings in the Chops of the
channel, having taken three months to
accomplish what under ordinary cir
cumstsnces ought only to have occu-
pied six weeks For fourteen days
previous we subsistcd on molasses
candy. Not speck of any other eat
able had we on board. This sacchar-
inc diet produced laxity Of the bowels,
with feverish thirst. weakening all
hands day by day. Jack declared it
was like the devil playing fellow
with his stray line, snd would be sure
to land US in fiddier's green at last.
at six p. NJ, on dark winters night
We were off Cape Gear. The wind,
strong and gusty. is southwest. The
sky-.thick, cloudy. with intermittent
drilling rain-is a southwest sky.
Long, rolling pillows, tossing their
crested heads la measured PAGES, like
,rained coursers. flowing from the
Atlantic into the st. Georges channel.
tell of long continued southwest gales.
Dur crippled argosy rolls heavily
| along with the harmonious movement
II wind, sea and sky. Reeking with
merry humors, the watch on deck. their
monkey jackets fitting their shrunken
forms like a pursers shirt on g hand
| spike. crack ;h-ir joke'.
Three days more. Bill, and then
eh = exclaimed long nosed jim.
And. then, round the corner, Sally
Brown answered Bill. Ard lord
love the llndlaiy, if she don't give a
| fel!ow q blow out lit for Lon'ou AL
! dermap. after his blamed candy lick
N speli.'
Why. we shall all bs such candy
sticks chimei in Tom, tho wag Of tho
crew, that we will have to hire lob
lolly boy 10 keep the flies and girls
from devouring us I'll tell you wha,
boys
Hard up-hard up your helm Let
go the taupsail- halyards; up foresaii--
cal! all hands, is rapidly shouted from
the quarter deck, and whyg
Away before the weather beam. to
the nor'west. the watchful officers ex-
periencei eye is arrested by a small.
clear. blue speck. like the eye of the
storm king penetrating through the
rolling mass of vaporous cloud. "A
shift OF wind, eh?' he mentally asks.
Ha! was that faint CLEAN not lightning?
II was No time to lose. Up with
the belmr The blue spot expands.
A thousand others quickly appear, dap
ping the sky midway above the hori-
zon to the zenith Stars seem to
rush as if in eager haste to witness the
conflict Of the elements. The cold
temperature of the approaching north
ern blast wreathe the misty vapor into
fantastic shapes. which impart seem
ic effect of weird-lIke beauty to the am.
phitheater of boiling ocean blow.
Nearer, still nearer, swoops the mighty
Titan force, grasping the southwest
blows by their snowy names and
Aingiug high the silvery spray in mad
confusion. Shrieking, bowling. his
ling it comes. Our bark is within
its grasp. A momentary lu!l; the can
vas flaps to the mast; then. with .
fierce o'ermastefins spring it isupon US.
Tne ship was paid oil before the wind.
bringing her lee broadside to the sea.
Down. down her lee eunwale is pressed
below the briny waves. which rushing g
over the deck. crashing bulwarks and
sweeping the longboat from her lash
ings. It was q moment of human help.
lessness. The crew are washed along
the deck or clinging convulsively to the
weather rigging. A sourd-a welcome
one--like to the roll Of musketry. Is
heard above the roaring din Of the
elements. 1t is the believing canvas
torn into shreds and swapping in the
wind. The struggling ship was reiev-
ed. She riga,s! she rights. boys :
Each eye is turned aloft. and o thank
God, the masts still stand, is felt If
not expressed Rallyins their sinking
energies the crew succeed in laying the
vessel to under her main spencer and
ior.tspmast staysail. Tired nature
could do no more. Utterly exhausted
they dragged themselves below, leav.
ing the first and seccrd officers, with
the darky cook and two apprentices
boys. TO bend aud make sail as best
they could, 4 sweet little cherub
sits up aloft who koeps lookout tor
poor Jack But. do the owners look
out for themselves. Let's see.
While our bark. the Gannet, Is ly-
ING at the mercy of the winds. Bailie
Brown tBailie-maeistratel. merchant
and shipowner in the western metsop-
oils of Scotland. reaches his country
house and enter,d his private room.
Disencumbering himself OF what the
Scotch. in their veruacnlar, call bis big
coat, aud unwiuding sundry folds OF an
old fashioned, home knit cravat from
his mouth, he placed himself before
the glowing coal fire with evident
satisfaction. Catching gimps
through the door Of his head book
kecpcr. Mr.. McQuili. he inquiries Are
Won sure, Mr.. McQuill, the policies on
| The Garnet are Alright