Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-12-19

so high as 10 afford upuch protection 10
those on deckl the gale ws~ terrible
The sheer force Of the wind battered e.
10 the rigging as We ascended, and eve
cry hand seemed congealed to the sey
shroud BY which We h4ld.
"Up. up. my brave hearties g. shout-
ed Mad Jack; and up we got, some
way or other. all Of us. and gr0ped cue
way out on the yard-arms.
"HoId on. every mothers son - cried
an cd qaaFier-guaner Al nv side; he
was bawiing a the top Of his colugssss
bot. il the gale, be seemed % be vhis-
periug, and I only heard ham from ~
hS4na fs4tl u wan6M1 saI mns n8
his hint was unnecessary. I dug me
nails into the iack-stays, and swore that
nothing but death should part me end
them, until was able TO turn aro0Ha
and look TO windward. As yet this
was impossible; could scarcely hear
the man 10 leewaFd at our elbow; The
wind seemed 10 snatch the words from
his mouth and fly away with them TO
the South Pole.
All this time the sail itself was flying
about, sometimes catching over our head,
and threatening to tear Us from the yard
in spite ofall our hugging. For about
three quarters Of an hour we thus hung.
suspended over the rampant billows,
which eurled their VERT cteSts under
the feet Of some four or FIVE Of us cling
ing 10 the lee yard-arm, as if 10 float us
from our place. Presently the word
passed along the yard from winward
that we were ordered TO come down
and leave the sale to blow, since IL
could not be furled. A midshipman.
il seemed had been sent up by an Off
Ger OF the deck TO give the order, as no
trumpet could be heard where we
were. Those on the weather yard-aFm
managed TO crawl upon the spar and
scramble down the rigging; but with us;
on the extreme leeward side, this feat
was out Of the question; IL was, LITERAL
", like climbing a preciPice 10 get To
the windward, in eniiTe 10 reach the
shrouds; besides, the order yard wos
now Incased in ice, and off hands and
feet was 20 numb that we dared not
trust oqr lives 10 them. NeyeTtheleSs.
by assisting each other, we contriVed to
throw ourselves PROSTATE along the
ward, and embrace IL with our arms and
legs. In this position, stun-sail booths
greatly assisted in securing our hold.
Strange as II may appear, do not
suppose that, at this moment, the slight.
est sensation Of fear was felt by one man
on that yard. We clung TO IL with
might and nam; but this vas instinct.
The truth Is: that in circumstances like
these, the sense Of fear is aDDihIlated ia
the unutterable sights that fll all the
eve, and the sounds that Gll The ear
You become identified with The tenn
pest: your rnsIgniicencc is lost in the
riot Of the stormy universe around. Be-
low us our noble irigate seemed thrice
its real Iengih-a vast black wedge. OPP
posing its widest end to the combined
fury OF the sea and wind.
AT length the first fury Of the gale
began 10 abate, and we at once fell 10
pounding our hands, as a preliminary
operation TO going 10 work, for q gang
oi men had now ascended TO help secure
what was lett OF The sail. We some
how packed il away at last, and came
down.
About noon The next day the gale so
moderated that we shook two reefs out
of the top-saiIs, set new courses and
stood due east, with the wind asiern.