The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-06-29
TWO BOYS ADVENTURE AT SEA.

"Fine day we've got for Itch, Bob?'
''First-rate, old fellow; and the wind
an in our favor, too. l say, let's stand
out to sea a bit; it's no fun dodging
about the coast this way"
They were young sailors who spoke
thus. Neither could have been above
fourteen; and in 1743 the eastern coast
of England was very different from
what it is now in 1888. Lighthouses
were few and far between. Sunken
rocks and shoals, not yet set down on
any chart, abounded all along the coast.
Worse still, the savage fellows that
haunted the shore, and lived upon the
plumber of wrecked vessels, thought
nothing of showing false lights to lure
storm-beaten ship to her doom, or OF
qtlieting with a timely knock on the
head any one who might have survived
to dispute their right to her cargo.
But all this did not trouble Bob and
Jim in the least. They were out for a
days sport, and days sport they
meant to have, come what might.
Young rs they were, it was not the first
time they had taken a boat out to sea
in rough weather; and when Jim, TAX
ing the tiller, shouted to Bob to ..let
go the Sheet" and they felt themselves
flying over the water like sea-birds,
both boys shouted with delight.
"When I'm man." cried Bob, 'and
have money enough, I'll be pilot, and
have craft of my own, and cruise
about all day on the lookout for jobs. -
'.And I'll be Captain of a fri gate"
added Jim, land sail all around the
world, into all sorts of places where no.
bOdy's ever been"
For two or three hours the young sail
ors were perfectly happy; but at length
Jim said, rather seriously:
Hadn't we better put her about? l
can hardly see the shore, and you know
we promised Sam to bring the boat back
before dark
"Just one half-hour more" pleaded
Bob; "we don't have cruise like this
every day.
Away they went again; but mean
while the breeze had freshened to a
strong wind, which was fast rising into
gale. The dancing ripples had turned
into white. leaping waves. one of the
hugest of which burst suddenly over the.
gunwale, drenching both lads to the
skin.
Jim's clear gray eyes were bright and
fearless as ever, but his firm lips We're
set, while even the reckless Bob began
to look serious.
IL think we'd better put about"
faltered he.
..Too late" replied Jim, decisively:
call we can do now is to keep her be-
fore the wind. If this wind don't change,
the next land we shall see (provided we
see land again) will be the coast of
Holland"
PLEASANT sputtered Bob, ruefully,
as another wave filed his eyes and
mouth with brine. Il wish I'd let you
turn when you wanted to-"
Never mind, old boy; it can't be
helped now. Catch hold of this bit of
bread and red herring; we shall want all
our strength before long"
They did so, indeed. A few minutes
later a furious squall burst upon the de-
voted boat. Before Bob's numbed fin
gers Gould obey Jim's shout of Down
with the sailr' the gale struck her with
all its force. The light mast snapped
like stick of sealing-wax, down came
yard and sail with run, and the hamp-
cred boat careened till the sea poured
into her like cataract.
How Jim managed to get forward
and cut away the wreck he never knew.
But the boat righted at last, and they
began to bale her out, having first dashed
the helm amidships to keep her steady.
Afternoon waned into evening, and
evening deepened into night-a night
that seemed endless to the forlorn BOYS,
now wholly at the mercy of the wind
and wave. About an hour after mid
night deluge of rain broke upon them,
showing that the storm was near its
end, and they hailed the favorable sign
with CHEEKY hurrah. But the next
moment Bob shouted frantically,
"Port your helm! here's
Before he could finish huge black
shadow seemed to start up over them
right out of the sea. There was q
tremendous shock and deafening
crash, and their shattered boat went
down like stone into the depths of the
sea, leaving them clinging convulsively
to tangled mass of cordage.
Il say!' cried Jim, who was the
first one to reach the deck of the vessel
against which they had been dashed,
g this is 'out of the frying pan into the
fire. The old tubs half full of water,
and there's not soul on board ~
.'Lsn't there ~ shouted Bob, bending
his head eagerly forward. Listen ="
Sure enough, at that very moment
faint knocking was heard right under
their feet, and 4 feeble cry of 'Help ~
There's some one shut in here, cried
Jim, pointing down the after hatchway,
which was quite choked with broken
spars and fragments of wreck. "Bear a
hand, Bob, and We'll soon have him out
of that"
The hatchway was speedily cleared of
rubbish, door at its foot flung open,
and man, gasping and gurgling as if
strangled, fell forward into their arms
They dragged him up into the fresh air,
and he began to revive at once, although
it was some time before he could speak.
While Bob was attending to him Jim
examined the condition of the vessel.
The foremost was still standing, but the
main and mizzen masts had gone by the
beard, and the planking on the star
board-quarter was completely stove in,
while the hold was nearly full of water.
The only comforting facts Were that the
wind had fallen, and that the sea was
evidently going down likewise.
Hell do now" said Bob. coming
up. 1--we propped him against aspare
sail, and he says he II be all right pres
emily. He tells me his name is Crossley,
and that he's rich merchant home
ward-bound to London from the Baltic.
When they took to the boats he ran
down to get some money or something,