The Republican journal., 1881-08-04
his one. Pm going below for nap; Civ
ne a rouse at seven bells ef ! don't turn

AYE, aye, sir says the mate, and the
old man went down, but in less than a
half hour he came up again, and he says:
"'Mr. Morton,' (that were the mate,)
'Ive had the singlerest thing happen as
ever l know'd.'
"'What were that sir ? says the mate.
"'Well,' says the old man, I'D just
throwd off my dunnage and was goin' for
to roll into my bunk, when who should
see settin' bolt upright in the bunk but
my old friend Bill Jackson
"'l on mean, sir says the mate, laugh
in that you think you seen him; cause
OF course you didn't see no such thing
II was you Ia take good stiff horn of
grog this temperance lay of yourn Gap
tam Bob were teetOtaler) are all very
Well ashore, but it don do at sea nohow.
II you amt got none of your own, sir I've
got some rare old stuff, as would lay all
the ghosts this side of Jordan.'
81 not only seen him. says the old
man, but heerd him speak as plain as
hears YOU
What did he say ? says the mate.
"'lIe said,' says the old man, don't
turn in, Cap'n Bob; go up and wear her
round to the north'ard.'
"Ill go right down. says the mate,
'and fetch You a caulker; you needs it,
sir; bein' on deck all night has kind Of
unstringed You, and you won't sleep, not
unless you've s0methin to steady your
nerves."
"'All right, says the old man, I'll take
it as medicine, but I'm dead agin it us
Il beverage
"Well, sir, the mate went down, but he
,fN, To.
Robinson.
"'Capn Thompson,' he says, and his
face We're white as a sheet, let's call all
hands and wear her round: Capn Bills
in my room now: seen him as plain us
see you, sir.
"'ls that SO 2 says the old man.
"'Jist rs sure us you're born, sir. |
opened the room door, and there he sat
on my chist with the bottle of grog in his
hand you can't have none OF this says
he, IT'LL you get her head to the north'ard.
''Call all hands to wear ship, says the
old man, and let 'em put the reefcd fore
sail onto her fust, or I'm afeared she won't
go off, the old sou'wcst sea is 50 heavy
under her bow
'Well, sir arter we got her round it
were nigh hard onto four bells, but afore
were relieved from the wheel, where Ia
been since our side come on deck, heerd
the old man say i don't prctendto know
what this means, Mr.. Morton, but I'm so
sure it means somethin' that shall keep
her on this tack till dark. | think, too,
We'll hurry her Il bit: atOre the men 90
below let them give her the reeted main
sail and fore and mlZzen tOpSail: | guess
she'll carry 'em and it's sure to moderate
now the wind has got to the north'ard.'
"Well, sir, the man had no sooner got
onto the toretopsai yard for to loose the
sail than he sings out, Sail on the lee
| bow
"'What do you make OF her?' says the
mate.
"'Can't make her out at ALL says the
man, she's too far Off
''WclI, sir, under the increased canvas
we began to forge ahead probably three
OF four knots an hour. The weather was
beautifully fine. \ clear blue sky over
head and bright sunshine the suns glare
beln' directly in our wake, maxim our
track as bright as silver. The wind,
however. still blew gale from the nor
west, and the sea, bcginnin to git up
from that direction, meetin' the swell
made 10y the souwest gale, made an ugly
bubble. from the top of which blindin'
clouds of spray was bloWed aboard of us,
drenchin the ship fore and aft. The sun
astern of us shinin' through this spray
formed a perpetual rainbow ahead OF US,
which we seemed ever approachin' and
never quite reachin'.
''ln about a half hour the mate took Il
glass and went alott onto the toretopsail
yard. He soon came down agin his face
Wearin' very grave expression. Its a
wrack said he to the old man, 'and arter
what me and you has seen of course we
know what ship it are
"'Poor BILL says the old man, He
were the best match at backgammon
ever fell in with. He's gone, doubt not
but there's others there that he wants us
to save, and we'll do it, Mr.. Morton, if
it's in the power Of the pins. Let 'em
haul taut the top sail rggin' and turn a
reef out to each topsail and give her
the .iib and spanker. We must hurry up
for It's to save life
''Then we turned to Il gittin a boat
ready for to put ovcrboard-no fool of a
job can tell you, in that nasty bubble
of a sea. We didn't have no davits, our
bodlo pOlll DloICO lllbOttlb' DoltollI up,
one end resting on a gallows frame and
the after ends on the fOr'ard part of the
poop. We turned the starboard boat
over onto her keel, and secured her so
temporarily. Then we passed IL strong
sling right round her with backin' to the
ringbolts torard and aft, and the carpen-
ter fitted some stout spreaderS from gun
mel to gunnel so us to take the strain off
the sling when her weight come on it,
and into the blight Of the sling we passed
a selvage straw. Then we got a prevent
er tackle on the crochick yard, and a
heavy up and down tackle for to lower
the boat into the water. We fitted the
oars with trail lines and rugged beckett
aft for steerin' oar that being much
better than rudder to steer with in a
sea. Then we put into her life lines and
a couple of life buoys, and then all were
complete. On call for volunteers all
hands come tor'ard, and were one of the
fust choosed.
''By this time the warck were plain in
sight from the deck, and we seen she
were a dismasted vessel, nothin' standin'
above the deck except part OF the fore
mast, which had gone above the fOreyaPd
the yard bein' in its place. She were head
ed to the south'ard and West'ard, and lay
in the trough of the sea, a rollin' fearful
ly, and nearly every sea comm aboard of
her and as she rolled toward us we could
see that her decks was fullo people. We
stood down across her bow, and then
haulin' up the courses snug, and takin in
her jib we laid the headyards square and
hove well to wind dard of her, this here be-
in the proper thing for to do, cause then
our ship would make a lee for the boat
goin' and comm and as she'd drift faster
than the wrack she'd keep gettin' nearer
to her instead of furder off, as woud be
the case if we'd hove to leeward of her.
Then come the gittin' out of the boat.
The crochick yard was braced about, the
tackle hooked on; the mate and the men
H. NIL 1alnn ..,4n Il.