Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-05-02
FLEEING IRON TIE TEMPEST.

The swallow by all odds was the
luckicst old craft for her inches that
ever sailed the seas. Sho was built of
the cleancst North Carolina pine, hailed
from EdentOn. and her skipper. ON
whom be peace. came from behind the
sand dunes of old Carrituck beach. I
sailed with him away back in tho iiities.
rousing times. too. when n chap might
md n berth along the shore. In those
days our coast linz swarmrd with craft.
mostly schoOncrs, 20 which class the
swallow belonged. With the exception
OF myself. officers aud crew were South
orn born. the mate, n stalwart, clean
limbcd CharlcstOnian, Anthony James
by name, and n splendid specimen of
the American sailor Of those days.
Generous and n free as water. he
would share his last dollar with n shin
mate. He was six feet two inches
broad-shOuldered, bearded aud bronzed.
and, w.thal. rs gentle as n woman
though rs brave a. n lion. lie was the
power behind the throne in the Swa low.
The skipper, too. was Jolly old soul.
regular walking cncy clopedia having
the depth of all the waters on all the
bars and ia all the inlcts along the
coast at thu ends OF his fingers. Roth
he and tho mate would boldly take
chances with the swallow through anv
inlet on to Virginia or Carolinas coast
from daylight 90 dark. But though
they took care of the Swallow the
schooner was able Co take care of herself
Tor she was one Of those crafts which
possess splendid weather qualities.
All ono summer she Piled between
Charleston and New York. and was
earning money hand over hand
Business was booming coastwise. One
pleasant summer evening she cleared
from Charleston pl 'kcd to the matches
with cotton. The wind blew iresb
from the Southland with slight dri<lle
OF rain. The skipper seemed To be i'm
hurry, Tor hc Kept cracking il To her
all tho night. By morning She was up
The coast an out Of sight OF the shore;
but there was stillish breeze which
was shifting about. IL came ON
suher and stiilcr. and i'm the
tcrnOon we rccfcd her down.
just before dark we made her
snug and laid her To. with head of
shore. Before daylight the swallow
was wrestling with the great September
gale In which the Central American
ioundercd, the like If which has not
been experienced ON tho coast Of the
CarOlinas since twCnty-sevcn wears npo
During the night the wind went clear
around the compass. hut after sunrise il
was steadily blowing from the eastward.
and In the top hamper IL sounded like
the roar of n huge organ.
The daylight revealed n sublime spcc-
tacle. lnovcry direction hurryinp s,lrU,s
were sweeping past on the wings of the
wind; immense us of waves piled nm
To wind ard in stately array. The little
craft, stripped To sto IN sails. gallantly
struggled amid the b lows. while over
her. low down, sped the rcccy rack Of
the tempest in fast flying 5 uadrons.
The crew clustered aft about the wheel
An oil-clad sailor stood beside tho
wheel. turning IL down few smokes
whenever she pitched hcavily-somc.
thing she took especial pride i'm. for She
was apparently trying To dive clean
through the waves. which were contin.
ually pounding her bows. Her skinner
also in an OIL suit. was crouchin., under
the weather railing. kecnly alive to the
actions Of the vessel. The mate stood
by the cOmpaniOn-way nagrino the
@'Nahff'hhthAAf NNh Atit NltN wore nltGntnW
ON to secure holding places. Every hing
was baltcncd down fast. the galley fire
was out, and the crew had breakfasted
ON an extra reef in their waist belts.
AS the day advanced without any
abatement in the fury If the tempest.
the skipper became any Gus. His crit
zeal eyes began To measure the on com
ing pillows, which, when the era 4 rolled
TO the wind ard. seemed from their base
like the steep de- of mountains. And il
became manifest to- him that If his craft
tripped and was caught i'm the clutch of
any of the huge waves she would toe
thrown OF into the tro gh aud be swal-
lowed up In the fearful CULTS between
the bil'ows.
Shortly after noon there came an ON
inous lull Its elect was sta tlinU.
Suddenly there was new motion. In
stead OF the regular ptch and roll. the
schooner would be- lifted up 10 the
crests OF the pillows. culver n moment
and then settle down into shelter. where
she was cncompasscd with hills of hur-
rying surgcs.
A scafaring life i oue which trains
the faculties To keen quality of no..
ceptiou II develops promptncss and a
resolute reliance which Lec1mcs n Soc
ond nature in the trained mariner. lilo
never viii he itatc in n great crisis. lilo
promptly singles out the best and safrst
line of action, aud boldly cxccutes n
IL was this tu1l ~ in the skipper which
caused him To spr nc to the wheel tale
the pokcs in his own hands and
thunder.
Spring forward into the weather
fore-rigging. all Of YOU, Mr.. James.
stand by To ease OF the main shot
Lively, men, vclyl 30. Now. Mr..
James, ease OF handsomcly; and the
skipper with n Keen glance to windward
sent the whirling wheel hard I'M. IA
her head tegan TO fall away. she
noun cd up ON the top OF n Great wave.
aud was greied with the s,yclling ro,r
OF the tempest. which came as suddenly
rs the lulL The main-sal gave one
vicious slat aud was Instantly torn in q
ribbons, and then she sank away under
the lee Of tremendous SCI. Every eve
IN the little craft was now tivct.d On its
towering crest. zach hand 81 nctiye-
N sought tor sec r. hold n anil Gu ched
~ last Tue mate sYraug tic main
rigging and thr ski per bracctl n msclf.
still eagcrl@ watctins the ; ,alIow.
Without break o. n url at its gwen
tinted top IL sctt G down an I iak NJ
the little vessel in It's r $ .t'css en-.
brace Il borr Tor n ut The ton Il.
Keeling anil utci n IN every NJ, or
she rapidly raj % uud ~ : e once
more went Gown niO the t,cp vale of
the surccs she was -tr n o. anil was
gat crn:vry
IS tlc swall " r''"l '-vt, rp..
the tempest. tn ssippr guiding trr
over the trou led waite :, lis voice