San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-11-24
I'OUCh AND GU.
Tya NJ rqninis,a.

On a pleasant morning Of the last
dsy Of September, 1916, the brig Penn
sylvania, Capt. L., hoisted her jib, set
her topsails, and, wind and tide both
favorable, pointed her bowspirt down
the Delaware, bound for Mantanzas.
A few hours carried her to the bay,
thence to the capes, and with q fresh
breeze from the northwest, fine wealth
er, and an easy sea splashing in bright
drops OH the deck or breaking in soft
murmurs against the ancient craft, with
all sail fairly drawing. dipped her time
worn nose into The blue water and went
forth calamity to meet the elements
she had SO long defied. The land grad
ually faded into dimness, then was
lost to view; the lighthouse sank down
ss it we're into the sea, and when the
sun rose the next morning after leaving
the city nothing but "the blue above
and the blue below" was visible from
the deck.
The skipper" like the vessel he
commanded, bore the marks OF age.
The storms of life, both land and sea,
had long been buffeted, and now, when
his few scattered locks had turned
white as the foam 80 often thrown upon
them. and when he should have long
since rested his timeworn timbers in
some snug harbor, securely anchored
until Davy Jones should call him on
deck for the last time, necessity still
compelled him to Ego down to the sea"
in search of livelihood. Collins, the
mate. was a tall, bronze.faced, Brown
bearded specimen OF the Yankee sailor.
Young, quick, strong, fearless, you
could tell at a glance that he knew the
ropes" and how to handle them. -Four
men and boy. and six passengers,
made up ships company of thirteen
souls, all told.
Some of the passengers were related
to each other; all soon ecame acquain-
ted for in the narrow limits of small
briggs cabin at sea, people do not stand
on ceremony.
Nothing special occurred the first
few days out to vary the monotony OF
life at sea. The wind blew fair and
ste.dily, and as we neared the dark,
tepid water of the gulf stream, heavy
sea began to tell upon such of the pas
sengers as were subject to sea sickness.
Six days out brought us we'll down
toward Abaco, one of the Bahama is
lands, usually the first hand seen by
vessels bound for ports on the north
coast OF Cuba. Indications began to
show themselves Of change in the
weather, which SO far had been more
than usually favorable. The wind
became fitful and unsteady, veering to-
ward all points of tho compass, and
finally died away in calm-the. sun
blistering hot. the sea smooth, CLASSY,
with ripple. A calm at sea is always
an annoyance; hut down in these lati-
tudes, at this season of the year, it is a
warning to prepare for danger. Asthe
day wore on, q close, sitting atmos-
phere made the heat uncomfortable, and
the sun went down into the ocean en-
veloped in q seething mist, which
seemed to boil from the water as the
round, red globe disappeared from
view. Night closed around the brig
gloomy and oppressive; few stars
struggled dimly through the murky
darkness and then went out, and feel
ing of coming peril caused an ave.
struck silence among those on board.
The old craft creaked and groaned as
though suffering from present or ap-
prehensive pain, and at times strange
would come mp ont of the
gloom, passing through the rigging and
away again out seward, causing .
chill through those who
heard them, faint glimmerings OF Light
playing through the air, making the