The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-02
The Story Of a Wreck.
Thrilling and Romantic Account Of
q Mutiny at Sea.
BY w. CLARK RUSSELL.
CHAPTER VI.-CoSTINUEo.

Thu l. DtcH Oh ITlCuull IcTHlS Win
Coxon or Duckling, i should have made
no delay in going to one or the other
of them and communicating my mis-
givings, for | really apprehended that
there was something serious in the at
titude of the men. But knew both of
them disliked me so thoroughly that
they were likely to convert my warn
ing into direct charge against me,
and if the mutiny which l foreboded
broke out / would be treated as the
ring-lcader. Besides, there was another
consideration that influenced me; my
misgiyings might be unfounded. |
might make 4 report which would not
only impcril my own position, but pro-
woke him into assuming an attitude
toward the men which would produce
in reality the mutiny that might, as
things went, never come to pass. This
consideration more than any thing else
decided me 10 hold my tongue. 10 let
matters take their course, and 10 leave
the captain and his chief mate to use
their own eyesight, instead of obtrud-
ing mine upon them.
When | left the deck at four o'clock
on the Wednesday afternoon. there
was pleasant breeze blowing directly
from astern, and the ship was carving
all the canvas that would draw. The
sky was clear, but pale, like winters
sky, and there was very heavy swell
rolling up from the southwark. The
weather, on the whole, looked promis-
ing, and, despite the northeasterlv
wind, the temperature was so mild
that | could have very well dispensed
with my pilot jacket.
Through the dog-watches the
weather still held fair; but the glass
had fallen and the wind was dropping.
Captain COXOn had very little to say TO
me now, and l to him. / was Just
civil, and he was barely so; but when
was taking a glass in the cuddy pre-
paratory to turning in for three hours
he asked me what L thought of the
weather.
Its difficult to know what this
swell means, sir" | answered. Either
1t comes in advance of gale or it fol-
lows a gale"
''In advance" he said. 'If YOU are
going to turn in, keep your clothes on.
There was Il laundering gale in the sun
thiS afternoon, and if you clap your
nose over the ships side you'll smell it
coming
The captain went on deck and laid
down to get little sleep before the
storm, which felt was approaching,
should arrive. Twas awakened by one
of the hands striking eight bells, and
at once tumDled up and got on deck
The night was darker than it was
when | had gone to my cabin; no star
was now visible; an inky blackness
overspread the confines of the deep,
and inspired a sense of calm that was
breathless, sulocating. insupportable
The heavy swell still rose ana sunk the
vessel, washing her sides to the height
OF the bulwarks, and making the u
der kick fCriouSly.
The moment Coxon saw me he told
me to 60 forward and set all hands to
ciose-reef the fOrc-top-sail. | did his
bidding, calling ont the order as went
stumbling and sprawling along the
main-deck, and letting 90 the halliards
TO wake up the men, after
CROPPING for them. Indeed, it was
been stopc-blind for any thing could
see, barring the thin rays OF the fore
castle lamp glimmering family upon
few objects amidships.
Owing to tins darkness. it was a
worse job to reef the top-Sails than had
it been blowing a hurricane in day
light. 1t was quarter TO one before
both sails were reefed, and then the
watch that had been on deck since
eight O clocE turned in.
Here were we now under almost bare
poles, in dead calm; and vet, had the
skipper ordered both the fore and miz-
zen top-Sails to be fLrled. he would
not have been doing more than was
justified by the extraordinary charac-
ter of the ni%ht-the strange and mon
strous sub-Swell of the ocean, the
opacity of the heavens, the sinister and
phenomenal breathlessneSS and heat of
the atmosphere.
The captain. who was on the star
Board side of the wheel, called me over
to him.
care the decks clear?"
"All clear. sir. -
"Foretop-Sail sheets?'
hSdtlN lOI IunHlHS, SlI.
SLOWS her head, now?" to the man
at the helm.
Nor west half north.
Keep brisk lookout to the south |
ard, sir, he said to me; land sing out
# you see the sky clearing"
saw him, by the bnnacle-light, put |
his finger in his mouth and hold it up. |
But there was no other air to be felt |!
than the short rush first one way, then |
another, as the ship rolled.
Stand by the starboard bracesr'
suddenly roared the skipper; and the !
men, awake to a sense OF great and |
perhaps perilouS change close al hand,
came stumbling and stumbling along
the deck.
A wonderful panorama was now be-
ing rapidly unfolded in the south
All down there the sky was clearing
as if by magic, and the stars shining: |
but as L watched, great flying wreaths, |
like mighty volumes of smoke pouring
out of gigantic factory chimneys, came
rushing over and obScuring them, |
though always leaving few brightly
burning in a foreground which adj
vanced with astonishing rapidity to-
ward the ship. TO right and left of this
point of the horizon the sky cleared
only to be obscured afresh by the flying
clouds. Soon, amid the solemn pauses
falling upon the ship between the in
tervals of her pitching, for she had now
swung right before the swell, we
could hear the coming whirlwind
screeching along the surface of the
water. The contrast of its approach
with the oily, breathless, heaving sur
face of the sea around us and all