The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-03-26

Half d dozen carpenters with sledge
hammers were knocking in wedges under
the keel forward, 90 rs to increase the
speed 1T which she would take the sea.
Every one followed the operation with
the greatest interest amid q general
81 ience.
At this moment from behind the point
to the south there suddenly glided mo
v.ew-;l yacht. She was - schooner OF
about three hundred and fifty tons. She
was keeping on past the point so rs to
open tae entrance into the harbor. AS
the breeze was from the northwest she
WAS close hauled on the port tack, so as
to take her straight to her anchorage.
In ten minutes after she had neon
sighted she had come up us rapidly ITS if
she had been looked ut through n tele-
scope with continually frightening tube.
Toenter the h;lrbor the schooner would
have to pass III front of the yard where
the trabacolo was ready for launching;
and as soon as she was sighted it Wis
thought best to suspend operations tor
n time, and wait until she had gone by.
A collision between the two vessels. one
broadside on, the other coming at great
speed, would have caused a catastrophe
OH board the Yacht.
The workmen then stopped driving in
the wedges and the men in char of the
key were then told to wait. 1t would
only be for minute OF two. On came
the schooner. she could be seen to be
getting ready to anchor. Two of the
ilbs were taken i'll and the foreslil hauled
up. But she went on ut Il good speed
under her fore, staysail and Spanish
recfed mainsail.
All eyes were turned on this graceful
vessel whose white sails were now gilded
Ivy the oblique rays of the sun. Her
sailors III Levant,ne uniform, with red
caps, were running about ut their vari-
Gus duties, while the captain. near the
man mt the helm. gave his orders in
quiet voice.
Very soon the schooner was abreast of
the building yard. Suddenly shout
arose. The trahacolo began to move
For some reason the key had given way
and she began tn slide at the moment
the yacht was passing with starboard
side towards her
A collision seemed inevitable. There
was neither the time nor the means to
prevent it. Nothing could be done. To
the cries of the spectators there had
come in reply shout of alarm from the
schooner's crew.
The captain put down his helm, but it
was impossible for his ship to get by in
time to avoid the shock.
The trabacolo was slipping down the
ways. A white smoke rose from the
friction forward and the stern had
already plunged into the waters of the
bay.
Suddenly q man jumped out from the
crowd. He seized rope which hung
from the fore part of the trabacolo.
Butin vain he tried to hold it back at the
risk of being dragged away. Close by
them was an iron cannon stuck into the
ground like a post. In an instant b,
slipped the rope over it and let it out
hand over hand at the risk of being
dragged round with it. He keptit back
and with superhuman strength he
checked it for ten seconds.
Then the rope broke. But the ten
seconds were enough. The trabacolo
had plunged into the waves and
recovered as from dive She shot
across the channel, grazing by hardly
foot the schooners stern. just as the
anchor dropped into the depths and
brought her sharply up by the tension
of the chain.
The schooner was saved.
The hero of this daring manoeuvre
was no other than Cape Matifou.
"Well done! Very we'll done !"
exclaimed Point Pescade, running up to
the giant, who lifted him in his arms
not to juggle with him, but to embrace
him as he always embraced-that is,
almost to the point of suffocation.
And then the applause resounded
from all sides. Five minutes later the
schooner had taken up her position in
the centre of the harbor; then an ele-
CANT whaleboat with six oars brought
the owner ashore.
He was tall man, about sixty, with
almost white hair, and gray beard cut
in the Oriental fashion. Large black
eyes lit up his face and curious vivac-
ity displayed itself in his healthy
brown face. The most striking thing
about Inn was the air of nobility which
distinguished him. AS soon us he set
foot on the shore he walked up to the
two acrobats, whom the crowd was
greeting and applauding.
The people stood back he advanced.