New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-02-10

u
tropical sun pouring full into It, Take my arm. will
Won | shan't let you rcmrn long enough 10 get
damp"
A Jog ashore is nothing; it comes down and stands
against the windows, white or brown or yellow,
and you might "a we'll sit with the blinds pulled
down for all the wonder that's TO lie found IN the
yapUry development. But. on the ocean. such log
rs this we were sailing through Il something that
comes very near 10 being phenomenon, owing 70
the strange picture 1t makes OF the snip ana tne
Florence to the break of the poop ana when she
looked behind her, Captain Jackson and Daniel ana
the man at the wheel were scarcely perccptlble out
lines in the folds OF steam which boiled along abaft
the mizzenmast. Forward we could inst make ont
the galley, and the shadow OF the forecastie front
melting into the soft cObwcb- like blaCkncSs. Be
tween was the great main-hatcl the manmast
cleaning against the grays pace of sail with few
'tween-deCk passengers moving about IN a KIND OF
blind way. aud staring aloi for sight OF the IA
miliar canvas, of which not fragment could be
seen above the foot of the tOpsils unless you ac-
ceptcd little darkcning in the fog mp there for
them. 800
is il not dangerous to be sailing through this
mist = said my darling. speaking low, as though
there was something IN this thick, steamy environ
ment that subdued her.
Not in this great ocean" said l. 1t would be
another matter IN the English Channel. But here
You have open sea for thousands of miles; beside,
Thompson told me that nothing in sight when
the fog came mp two or three hours since"
She drew me to the lee rail 20 watch the passing
water The CLEAN of IL had the appearance of Ice
with snowtakCs whIrlng along its slippery surface
The swell lifted ont OF the Darkness and seemed to
hcavc up the fog rs though il were tangible thing,
Il solid substance; but when the vessel lay down
again to the breeze after the weathcrrol tho vap0r
thickened down again into the hollow. and the con-
trast of its wilderness lying close against the gloom
of the trough made the water over the side look
thirty or forty feet beneath us.
We were bending together thus over the side,
watching the suOw-lille frOth scething and cddying
past and listening to the Kissing of the cutwater
ripping through the swell in the blankness ahead,
wnrn all on sudden. ard III a manner that made
the thing appear to like the coinage of fancy
Leaf folds
the lee fOre-rlggng. aud at distance OF about
fifteen icct IRON lhe sup Sir, All op'h podt WIN
two men seated on the thwarts. and the figure of
third man. apparently dead, lying in her bottom.
COnfounding to the senses as onch sudden ap,,
partition this was, could not have mastered
every point had had half m hours time given me
TO inspect hcr. She was apparently small vessels
auartcr-boat. painted bne with white stern sheets
aud thwarts Tho two living men IN her were
dressed In shirts and dungaree trousers, one III a
scotch cap the other bareheaded the fellow at the
bottom looked Just dark, streaming suit of clothes,
with the hair piastered over his ewes. Tho man IN
the Scotch cap, seeing Us, cried out For Code
sake. heaye TO and save rs! and the white passion
acy appealing faces of the poor fellows looking mp,
goamed fora breath bctwiXt the opening III the
Vapor rs we shot by. and then boat and men van
ished like a priclcd soap bubble.
Nobody had heard the dcsparful shout save Flor
cnce aud l. In an instant bounded aft 10 the BIN
nacle and took the bearings of the boat and then
at the top of my voice | shouted to thompson
We have just passed ships quarter boat adrlIt.
with three men in her. She'll bear north by west at
this moment" There was no occasion to say
more besides. the news came from Il man WHO,
Daniel would well know, was not likely to be mis-
taken in making such report. An order was
bawled along the deck, the helm was put down. the
watch came rushing aft apparently not knowing
what was the matter. and faucying, maybe. that
somebody had tumbed overheard, and AMID
stamping of feet and the chccPing of truss and par
raj and block the maintopSai was lald To the mast,
and the ship brought to a stand
There had been no loss of time over this Job and the
boat was therefore bound to be well within hall a
mile distant from Us. As to cropping for her, why,
If We did not sink her by running over her, there
were a thousand chances in favor of our missing
and losing her outright by searching; we cOnld
not do better than lie to and wait for the weather
20 clear Thompson sang out 10 an apprentice to
fetch his speakng-trumpet. and then, jumping on 70
the rail, he called to me; How do you say che IL
About north by west" answered very nearly
adding the regular routine slr so strong was the
old professional habit when directly challenged In
this way. He pointed his trumpet down INTO that
ouarter and roarcd through il, " Boat ahoy" We
strained orr ears against the white Darkness. The
sound of the wllterng OF the hidden waters came
ont of the fog dmly and strangely, along with the
gurgling. sobbng. sloppy wash alongside, and down
from aloft hoatcd the stralning noise of gear and
tLc ereak of spar aud the pattcring of rcefpOints
II was scarcely reasonable to hope that the hal
would he returned The boat would he too far of
and the wind in the teeth OF the fellow who an
swercd But 10 hail the right thing TO do. As an
experiments and not the faintest echo OF human
voice penetrating up to us through the dense vapor
Daniel raised his trumpet again and bawlcd: " Boat
ahoy, we're hove TO for yOu. Save your drift as
much rs possible Well pick You up when 1t
claimed " There If they've heard me it'll comfort
them. If not, they re- lao worse of. They can't he
very far distant, and were bound to have them
when this boiling is blown away.
They'll have heard y0u plain enough, sad |;
I'll warrant that they're not many SHIPS lengths
BY this time, as you may suppose. mates, every;
BODY, from the forecastlc to the stern cabins. had
bundled on deck to learn what the cOmmOton sgnl-
fed From where | stood right aft could just
make ont the lee poop,ladder ana Duiwarhs near
hlapl ncODlP.
of them being halfway up the main-riggng. If the
ship looked strange before, she made a wild sight
now with that crowd glOOmng upon the tog, and
he forward decks wholly Obscured that the YES
sci seemed to end at the mainmaSt, where the steer
and ana CrST in a gn
near the wheel the ladies firing of whole broad
sides OF questions, the greater portion oil whch
Captain Jackson took upon himself TO answer
Aunt Damaris, holding a OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES 10
her mouth removing it only to speak. instantly
sped me and hauled alongside; aud then Florence
What Is the matter Mr.. EgcrtOnT cried the
old lady.
Your niece and just sighted boat containing
three mem She is out there somewhere, said l,
pointing into the dense white cloud.
A boat containing three men !" she exclaimed
- How could yoq sight hers IT is impossible to see
glIdcd past-onc dead. you Think How terrible"
She cried. why, gracious goodness. what suifo-
eating part of the. ocean the captain appears TO
have steered us intoG never heard of such thing
as d fog in this part OF tho sea. DO yon think Mr.;
Egeron. we're actually in the place we're supposed
TO be in Rut how should yOu know Captain
with such a thing as a fog here ism { it We did
not encounter anything of this kind in coming to
England and never before either in coming or
going have been in Snch mist in the tropics
i'm be clearing off presently, Miss Hawke, said
Daniel.
"Thcy'rc common enough hereabouts. and every
where else trumpeted Captain Jackson, address
ing nobody in particular; there's nothing to be
afraid of-cspecnlly now that we've hove to-
Fire :" cried Daniel and perceived Mr.. Thorn !
ton aiminga rifle into the air: he had broughr it |
from below while | had been talking to Aunt Da- !
maris and when Daniel sung out fire.! the mate |
hy several squras from the adie, Aunt Damaris |
indeed who like most Of the others had not noticed |
the weapon in Mr.. Thorntons hands absolutely |
Hold .ft al