Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1883-11-29

despair and nervousness, guess.
'On the sixth of September-I'll
never forget tive were running
along under double reefed main-sail,
staysail and reefed topsail, wi NOR
sci O. jib to keep her head steady !;
the sky were black'n ink; little bit
of breeze were blowin'-just enough
to give US headway.
1t looks like heavy gale,' said
the captain.
"'Yes, SIR says 1; it looks for
all the world like a cyclone to me,
SIR
"'You may be right said he, and
he paced up and down the deck, TAX
in look at her sail and sky every
once in a while.
sit grew black'n midnight all
around us, and I see the water ruff1in'
up,
"'Here she comes, captalnr
shouted.
"'All hands on deck!' sung out
the first mate.
=" Take in that staysail!' was the
captains first order.
SIT were IN a jiffy, and the first
squall struck us; down she went, her
lee gunwale way under till she got
headway and recovered her bearings,
and she were away like race horse.
It blew hardin harder, n captain Or
dered the malnsail in, so we could
run before it under reefed topsail.
''I were up for ard wi three men,
and the rest were aft, and 1 heard an
awful crash, and the sailor we'd pick.
ed up came runnin' for'ard. 1 turned
and there were the boon and gaf
layin' in the water, both Of 'em bro.
ken, and the sail actin as q drag
keepin' her from steerin'.
"sCatch that mani I heard th'
captain cry.
| "But he were like a monkey. u
the foremast he went.
| "'Cut away the mainmast!' wer
! the order.
SIN minute mast and sail wer
fioatin' to leeward.
"'Where is that man? Damn him
shouted the captain. He cut bot
halliards. Bring him here!'
"sThere he is,' said I. And wa.
up on the topsail yard he sat, bran
, dishin' somethin' in his hand.
"'Get my revolvers, Chapman,
said the captain.
""Aye. aye, sir!'
; II brought out the captains tw
, big navy six-shooters.
, "sTake one and shoot at that ma
2 from the other side,' said he, and b
E fired.
ga howl Of pain and dropping o
! one arm that nearly threw the man o
8 the mast showed he was hit; but b
wound his legs convulsively arour
0 the yard and commenced to chop, #
, it were q hatchet he had in his hand
i he swung it reckless like, and choppe
y mast and yard.
gl /" Take good aim, Chapman
: sung out the captain, and / fired ju
}, as he made savage cut at the ri
e gin. He gave a yell and tumble
it headlong into the sea. The ms
II swayed to and fro for q moment, 81
= then went by the board, carrying ts
8 men with it, and five men were 10
e when the mainmast went over. The
It were now only ten men left outer
s that crew, and our vessel was q poe
e dismantled wreck, with a CYCLIC
e blowing around US. Lordl what
n sea that wasl It's curious-whe
d you have some headway on o YES
T. the sea never seems so big-but u
.s was awful; every minute . ses
1t strike us and she'd quiver like . B
h man being; the water was picked
Ie and thrown at as.
k "'We must rig something on he
4 shouted the captain. Get that sp'
,e topsail from the sail locker
"We got 1t on deck. and how
lg rugged it in that terrible sea the Il
70 only knows, there we're about hfts
ly feet of fcremast left, wi q piece
" the broken gatf that we made . y
y of, and we workin' with the sea da
te in over Us, and three OF us wasi
~ away right in front Of our eyes.
en- sssHurry. boys, hurryr ! about