Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1878-05-22

U
would not go below. The men
had become fear-stricken, for the
ship was now wrenched and lossen-
ed fearfully, and l found it was
necessary to keep the pumps going
all the time.
/ went back to my cabin at one
o'clock and sat down to my chart.
made as loose a reckoning as |
could of our sailing distance, and
| knew that l had the course true.
Then / placed my parallel upon
the chart, and at the first look my
lips started apart with an utterance
of horror, and my eyes glared
wildly. My rule struck the island
of st. Elmo, and If my mate was
correct in his estimate Of our veloc-
ity, we could not be over nifty miles
distant from that island and, what
added to the danger, was not fully
sure of our position even so far rs
the course was concerned, for l
knew there was q considerable cur
rent in this section of the Pacific,
setting to the westward, and hence
| knew not how to steer in order
to avoid the fatal island. ] called
Hunter down and showed him the
chart, and asked him to make out
where we were. He sat down, and
in less than two minutes he leaped
up again.
"Good Heaven, cap'n" he cried,
"St. Elmo is right head, and sure
ly not fifty miles off! We are
gone, as sure as fate -
"But may not the current have
set us to the westward of it Z" said
/ hopefully.
"No," was the quick response.
We went on deck, and after
few moments consultation order.
ed the helmsman TO keep the ships
head west-nor-west if possible
He tried it, but it was hard work,
for ever and anon the seas would
knock her off like a cork, and the
danger of being popped by the
huge water mountains was now
threatening US all the time. Yet |
made the man at the wheel give
her all the starhoard helm she
would possibly bear. I said moth
to the men of the new danger that
threatened us, but from the looks
of myself and mate they guessed
it; and when, at length, we were OBJ
liged to confess the whole, they were
perfectly horror stricken, yet they
were prompt to duty, and short
ly they seemed resigned to their
fate-that is, they were more calm
than they were before the new
danger was known to them, though
it may have been only the calm
ness Of despair.
Towards morning the nature of
the wind seemed to change-it was
change which l cannot describe
yet that indescribable something
was there which told US the gale
could not last much longer. 1t was
in the temperature, in the smell of
the wind. 1t seemed softer, and
bad not so much power of penetra-
ton. But as the joy of this discovery
was about to break, there came up
on our ears the sound of some
thing besides wind. At length the
light Of day came, and we saw the
scene we had been so fearfully
dreading. Right ahead, at the dis
lance of not more than ten miles,
was the shore of st. Elmo. 1t was
q mass of bold, sea-dashed rocks
which was presented to us, and a
cry of horror went up from my
men.
The wind was still powerful, and
we were being hurled on at fear
full rate toward the rocks. What
could be donel Instinctively /
cast my eyes toward my mate, and
| saw that he was very pale; ] knew
that my own face must be pale, too.
But could not sitstill. Invent to my
cabin and got my glass, and by the
time | returned it was light enough
to see the shore ahead, a CLEAN of
hope shot through my soul.
"Mr. Hunter" / said, "that is
the extreme western point of the
island. That point to the left is
westerly cape of st. Elmo. Clear
away beyond ! can see the top OF
the next island"
"Welll" said my mate, interro-
gatively.
81 am sure If we could clear that
point we should be safe," / added.