The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-11-18
he bears her canvas well, sir"

have been clear of the Channel by
this"
She is fast vessel sir. We are
doing a good twelve, l should say"
He cast his eyes over the stern, then
looked up aloft, but made no answer.
was moving away when he ex-
claimed:
go forward and tell the men to
keep bright lookout And keep your
weather-eye hitting yourself. sir"
l did as he babe me, and got upon
the fore-castle. found the two men,
who were indistinguishable from the
poop, wrapped in oil-skins leaning
against the fore-castle rail. 1t blew
harder here than it did aft, for a power
of wind rushed slanting from the fore
top-mast staysail and whirled up from
under the foot of the foresail.
l had been on deck three-quarters of
an hour when, feeling the wind very
cold, dived into my cabin for shawl
to wrap round my neck.
had hardly left the cuddy door to
return, when heard a loud CRY from
the fore-castle. and both hands roared
ont simultaneously: "a sail right
abeadn'
Coxon walked quickly forward to
the poopraii to try to see the vessel to
windw ard; then he went over to the
other side and peered under the main
sail; after which he said: II see moth
ing. Where is she?'
shouted through my hands: ION
which bow is she?"
"RiOht aheadr' came the reply.
There was short pause, and then
one of the men roared out: Hard
over! we're upon her!" She's cutter
rugged. She's smack"
Hard a-port! hard a-portr' bawled
COxOn.
l saw the spokes of the wheel fly
round, but almost at the same moment
l felt sudden shock-an odd kind of
thud, the effect of which upon my
senses was to produce the impression
of sudden lull in the wind.
''Great Heavensr beloved a voice,
we've run her DOWN.
In a second | had bounded to the
weather-side of the poop and looked
over, and what l saw sliding rapidly
past was mast and dark-celored
sail, which in the daylight would prob
ably be red. stretched flat upon the
wilderness of foam which our ship was
sweeping off her sides. Upon this
CHASTITY white ground sail and mast
were distinctly outlined-for a brief
moment only; they vanished even as l
watched, swallowed up in the seething
water. And then overhead the sails OF
the ship began to thunder, and the
rigging quivered and jerked as though
it must snap.
Hard over, hard overt" beloved
CoYon.
l saw him rush to the wheel, thrust
away one of the men and pull the
spokes over with all his force. The
vessel answered splendidly, swerved
nObly round like a creature of instinct,
and was again rushing hcadlong with
full sail over the sea.
This was close shave. At the
speed at which she was travelling she
had obeyed the rudder in the first in
stance SO promptly as to come round
close to the wind. A few moments
more and she would have been taken
back; and this, taking into considera-
ton the amount of canvas she was
carrying, must infallibIy have meant
the loss of most, if not of all, her
spars.
Mortified by the thoughts of living
creatures drowning in our wake, !
cried out to the skipper:
won't you make an effort to save
them, sir?''
Save them be hangcdr' he an
swered, fercely. why didn't they
! get out of our rOad?"
was so much shocked by the coarse
inhumanity OF this reply that / turned
on my heel, but vet was constrained by
an ugly fascination to turn again and
cast shuddering chances at the spot
where | pictured the drowning
wretcheS battling with the waves.
Captain CoXon was too intent upon
the compass to notice my manner; he
was giving directions to the men in
low voice, with his eyes fixed on the
card.
Presently he exclaimed, in his gruff-
est voice: Call the carpenter to sound
the WE'LL
I This was soon dispatched, and 1 re-
turned aad reported dry bottom"
''Heave the log, sir"
called couple of hands aft and
went through the tiresome and tedious
! job of ascertaining the speed by the
measured line and sand-glaSS.
what do you make it?" demanded
Coxon.
Thirteen knots. sir"
He looked over the side as though to
assure himself that the computation
was correct, then called out:
''Clew up the main-royal, and furl
! itr'
This was the beginning, and it was
about time that a beginningw made.
| The breeze had frpshened into a strong
wind. this had grown into half 4 gale,
and the look of the sky promised 4
whole gale before morning. The main
royal halliards were let 90, and a cou-
pie of hands went up to stow the bit of
canvas that was humping among the
clouds.
Presently: ''Furl the four and miz-
zen top-gallant sails"
This gave occupation to the watch;
and now the decks began to grow live
ly with the figures of men running
| about, with songs and choruses, with
cries of Delay, therer' Up with it
snartly, my lads!'' and with the heavy
Tapping of canvas.
All this, however, was no very great
reduction of sail. The Grosvenor car
ried the old-fashioned single top-sails,
and these immense spaces of canvas
were holding power of wind. Over
head the scud flew fast and furious,
and all to windward the horizon was
very thick. We took in the main-top-
gallant sail and then / stood waiting