The Republican journal., 1884-05-08
Going Ashore.
BY W. CLARK RUSSELL

,.oi., ,.A
-7''
BY W. CLARK RUSSELL.
There she is. that's she Oft the pint
there She's coming stem on. and in arr
an hour If She amt on Bunk sands I'm a
Dutchman."
My companion was no native of dam
land, for there was Briton written on
every feature Of MS bronZe-red face as
he stood bv me on Bavthorpe shore. in
his canvas trousers. fishers boots. blue
Jersey shirt, and tarpauln hat. tied on
with a bit of oakum band. while the Hap
behind beat about in the tremendous
Wind that was raging in our faces
Bang - went the dull sm0thered re
port Of a heavy gun, and in the shade OF
the coming night Just caught sight of a
faint flash Of light Where We stood the
spray came rushing in like a heavy storm
OF rain. While the WhstlLg of the wind
and the laundering in of the huge rollers
as they curled over and over upon the
sands, tearing it out from among the
clays. and scraping it away bv tons.
made standing in the face of such a
storm extremely confusing: and vet
hundreds were out upon the shore close
under the great sand bank, drenched to
the skin with the spray, for the news had
spread throughout the village that a
three master was going ashore.
Going ashore simple words to a lands
mans ears: but what d. they mean !
The noble vessel tearing and punsmg
through the broken water-now down in
the trough of the waves. now rising like
q cork upon The white crests, and then a
shock as she strikes upon the sand and
seems immovabe: shuddering culver
through plank and beam. and then
crash, crash, crash-snapped like little
tWigs upon Il dead stem, While huge
ropes part like burned twine, then the
rising of the apparently immovable YES
sci, as she is lifted by the waves to fall
crashing again on the sands. parting in
the middle: rushing biilows pouring tons
upon tons Of water over her: wild,
wild cry for help, and then the shore
streNn with fragments, casks. bodies, as
the mercilesS waves sport with them,
tossing them onto the sands and then
curling over to drag them back. Going
ashore not safety from a wild storm, but
death.
"-Ah," said the old salt by my side.
shouting at me with his hands to his
mouth, did you hear that gun 2
| nodded.
"There goes another" he continued,
stretching out his hand and pointing to
where the flash could be seen, while
directly after came another dull, heavy
report. Cant yer see her now. sir ?"
Mine were no sea going ewes and it
was no easy task TO make ont a distant
object through the binding storm OF
spray which beat dead in nv face. but
just managed to make out IA dark mass
rising among the boiling waves. and
shuddered as | thought of the fate OF
those on board.
''She must come to it," said the man
''shel come in lust there" and he point
ed to Il spot among the waves where
they seemed roughest. "She'll be there
in less time than said and then. Lord
have mercy upon 'em. Amenr
As he said this. the old man reverent-
" took off his tarpaulin so'wester and
stood with the storm tearing throuoh the
remains of his grizzly hair bald. rngged
and weather-beaten, the coarseness OF
his features seemed for the moment sub
dued-softened by the feeling within his
breast-as he stood there. no inaDt rem
resentation of the seer of old.
'Is there no chance for them ~
shouted.
The old man shook his head anf
shrugged his shoulders. "precious lit.
down with the life-b boat; put who'd gc
out :"
1t did look a desperate venture. indeed
to attempt to launch a boat with such a
sea on, and having noraplv. stood shad.
ING nv ewes and gazing ont to sea
'Bang ~
There was another fash and anotha,
dull echoless report. and as the veil o
spray seemed to clear during a lull in the
storm, coud perceive a large. three
masted vessel about 800 wards from the
shore and once. as she beeled over anf
showed her deck, | could see that sh,
"God help them y muttered.
"Amenm y said the old man and ius,
then, away to our left, we saw the life
boat carriage coming down at a trOt
drawn by two stout horses, while lout
and prolonged hurrah welcomed it
arrival-as another flash and its follow
ing heavy report seemed to come from
the doomed vessel like a groan of pain il
its hour of distress.
''Theyll never 90 out to her." said tbt
old man shouting in nv ear. for after th,
| lull tho storm oop,o ,,,u,, ,,; IL, ,o1o,l,Io,
| fury--the wind shreking and howlins
past, cutting the crests of the waves of
as it came tearing over the hill of waters
and dashing the salt spray in my face til
it almost seemed to cut the flesh Will
at times the women who had come dowr
were completely held back against thu
steep sand bank.
"There look there " cried the ole
man. suddenly seizng my arm. "Catch
ing at straws. Why, there's boatloa'