The National tribune., 1881-09-17

and disclose the water for about a cables length
from the side of the vessel, lying as white as
though it were full of chalk sediment, and not a
blur upon it, though there was small ground
swell, upon which the schooner rose and sank
sluggishly, but quite noiselessly, as everything
had been hauled taut aloft, and the sheets flat
tened-in to prevent the canvas from shaking
For the most part, however, the fog hung around
and over us in curtain sometimes so dense that
the men forward could not be seen, while the
masts shot up and disappeared in it if they had
been sawn short off at the point where they van
ished. Thehelmsman mere looming shadow:
although there was a brilliant sun shining over
head it produced no other effect upon the extraor
dinary thick mist than to whiten it the swell
was fast subsding and the lines of fog like trail
ing smoke, were barely driven by the languid
draught Of air that moving from the north
Hark what was that? l exclaimed.
"What did you hear" whispered Corney, look
ing into the fog right and left.
Hush" | muttered there is a vessel near
us" l went to ShelvOcke. Did You hear a
noise like the creak of Il block just this minute,
sir?"
Like the creak of a block? Where away" he
exclaimed, jumping up.
Il cannot say where the sound came from, sir,
but we may hear something more by listening
/ got upon gun to give my ear good hoist
above the bulwarks, and hardened with rapt at
tentiOn whilst ShelvOcke. with his head inclined,
stood like war-hOrse with cooked ears, waiting.
The men. observing our posture watched us to
know what the matter was. There was perfect
silence throughout the whole length Of the YES
sci that was not a little impressive when
thought Of the crowd of living beings that filled
her. Now and again the water gurgled along
side, or the rudder family Jared or a timber
grOaned; but these last sounds were barely audi
BILE, whilst aloft the canvass was as quiet as a
churchyard.
On sudden cock crowed out in the fog.
The noise as | fancied, came from the starboard
quarter but Shelvocke bent his ears toward the
starboard bow. Every man Oh deck had heard
the crow and halfsuppressed litter ran along.
1t was funny enough to hear the birds voice
sounding from the sea, amid the dense fog, but
the humOr was made somewhat grim by the pos
sibility that the enemy was close to us.
The moment Shelvocke heard the cock he whis-
pered to me to see all clear and to have the men
stationed; but they We're strictly ordered not to
speak above their breath, and they went TO quar-
ters in their bare feet. This was one of the
strangest, and certainly one OF the most exciting
experiences | had encountered since had been
to sea. Here were at quarters, and lying all
breathless, to speak, in an imperyious fog that
hung in dense vapOrOus masses all around us, in
close company with ship that was not only utter
ly invisible, but whose very neighbsrhood could
mot ba bar I,bo
imagined.
Shelvocke stood cropping along the fog with his
eyes. | went softly from one side Of the deck to
the other, frequently imagining / saw dark
outline looming amid the vaporous folds. Pres
entity we heard a sound like that of coil of rope
flung upon deck, and the rattle of shot or chain
''Where does it come from, Mr. Madison think
yOu?" whispered ShelyOcke. " / never knew
anything more deceptive"
:" / think | see sort Of darkness out yonder,
sir said |, pointing to the quarter in which all
along l believed the vessel lying. Look little
away to the left Of the stern of the cutter
But as / said this, fog closed all around again
and ShelvOcke shook his head.
see nothing he answered, and went to the
side and looked over; then returned to me- "She
has not an inch of way on her!" he exclaimed,
and mOtiOned with his hand to the Ieadsman
The fellow dropped the lead softly; the soundings
made twenty-five tathoms.
Four bells were struck in the fog. The tone
was marvelously clear, and so close as to make
me start, and a moment later we heard a mans
voice hailing some one aloft or forward on the
vessel.
What lingo was that ?" exclaimed Shelvocke, /
eagerly.
q only caught two words, 'laisse9! laisse2!' /
which | take to be French for drop it," |
" Hush!" cried Shelvocle; and at that instant
another voice called out loudly. This evidently /
came from alOft; it seemed to be up in the air. 7
over our heads.
ShelvOcke made no remark, but walked aft |
and stood looking the tatfrail. For some |
minutes stood staring and listening and !
were beginning TO think that it would end in |
the vessels drifting apart, and in our getting |
no sight Of our neghbor if the fog did not lift .
before the night came, when all at once the
fog thinned right abeam, as though a lane was
opened in it by passage Of wind, and dis
closed about a quarter of a mile Of white wa
ter with just IA faint spangle Of sunlight touch |
ing the further extremity of it. The folds of .
the fog rolling to the southwark this lane
went with them, and when it reached the quar-
there St9ndinp in the cIe9r of If