New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-24

all round. The sea lost its brskness and ripple it
took on dull steely; oily look and glided and slid
We seemed at the bottom Of pit of darkness and
deyiltry; and the bottom we rested ON was the
ing haze, and rising behind and above it dense,
dark wall of cloud, touched in the west at its lofty
broken edges with the dim glory of the setting sun
and in the east and south appearing like an mac.
cessble gray cliff. From tho depths of this cliff
which gradually became wilder and prolonged
themselves into walls of distress aud pain. We
Between 8 and 10 tucked my little Maggie safe
into her berth, and turned i in myself Though
knew 1T would be only for a little WHILE That cat
did not anywhere about.
was walked suddenly by my head being bumped
ike e b s goO Oa n of TWENTY mscts c
sudden spasln as of choking; caught at my berth
ana $prans to my feet I"n have meyer r been III
down, it to shut You and the ship up with too
much breath. In another minute was on deck;
men were shortening sail you could Just hear the
and that wretched cat was hid some whcre about,
meawng ITS very worst. 1t was 2 in the morning
We, lay,to with the lee clew of the lower maintop-
sail. All on till dawn and through the day 1t blew
ana shrlekod ITS 3udest. Two men were at; at thG
that we were driving rapidly back on our track.
The drift i'll the air was so dense that we could not
see five yards beyond the ship; and by O'Clock it
dark. About o'clock great sea struck our
bows. carried away our head. and let rush of
water like mirace over our decks We rccoied
great distance, and settled heavl y in the trough
of the sea- But we rose again Win shndder
abated, though it still blew stif gale. But We
able to slacken ching of the grim tcnacity
of our vigilance and to look al each other again /
liked not the looks met We had passed with
comparatively little damage through II terrible
danger; and that would have been enough YOU
would have thought, to lead the sailors to think
that 10th weather and ship were under atog, thor
different and better guidance than the wichery of
| could SEE from the way they eyed the creature,
and drew Oft from it aud its dismal meawings that
hrng upon them. | must confess that myself
disked the eat, though it seemed moved to wander
up and down the dec k and INTO the cabin, and to
Lament as it did more 10y some kind of distress than
from spite. Maggie the only who took any
norce of it; and she fed it and followed it about
with an unwearicd devotion to which the creature
did not at all respond.
Next day though the gale continued to abatc,
our plight was little improved. The Scamcw
Ted herself heavily. though We could not discover
she was making water. The wind was still north
kept losing way. | was, therefore, not surprised
when Jack came to me in the cabin and said
There's something going on for'ard -no end o
talk and tobucco-juice.'
We went on deck.
Look at them, continued Jack, there by the
chains See how they shove thciI shoulders into
each other. " hen sailor does that and pulls hIs
own as Dick Sandys is doing there's something
come
There We're three of thcm, headed by Dicl, sandys
shyly shouldering their way att Dick came petty
straight, pulling at his ear with his eyes cast
down, but with his round, ruddy face shining
steadily forward; his comrades urchcd about
looking from side to side, and touching things as
they passed.
Well, Dick said |, you want to speak to me, |
suppose, yon and your mates?
Ay, ny, sir; if YOU Will kindly give word
Me and them, sir Jerking ms thumb over his
khouidcr-' come rs dcppytajion from the ioC'>lc
we amt got no notion . debating to the c@ptIug
but we want To pnt We IN possession, sir, OF What
were a-thnking about. Eli, matosT
Ay ay.'
We see how It's agoing 10 be: This here wage
III never como To no good end. The ScutncW II
never again get INTO 40 harhor; and some day one
on them big steamers II come across ncr aii a-rut-
striped cat in the rigging. lis bound to live some
how ;-ch, matcsR We'll, sir, amt albumin
nobody. It's our lack. and the damned tric, a. thnt
LAZY. That's bouud 10 bc our luck vi that there
cat aboard but IT'S not to he expected n how we'll
take 1t meek and mild. Well, yc S-e sir, they say
"WorScr luck If yc throw her ONtrboarl' jest ~.
But nov this is what a-thiuking: Suppose
we set her adiift in old tub.
This dark suggestion he conveyed in n low voice,
with his hand to the side of his mouth after a
hearing. Then he Looked At ma Sith "a steady wist-
mi eye: his mates hdCctcd and looked over the
ShlpS sides, though they felt hali~h banned of the
plot to " winch they had given their adherence.
considered a moment. had of course, no real
belief that getting rid of the cat thus Womb give Us
Il fair wind; yet ttIil IL worth trying: It in
VOWED only Tie sacrifice of tlr cat. and II il dIi
not change the wind, II would at least change the
looks of my crew. But what would my little
Maggie say However, ! turned at once To Dick
on can try it, said |. Il give You full leave
though, mark You, don't believe IN the Nonsense
But get hold of 1t without my little eIl seeing YOU
Ay, ay, sir.'