The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1886-10-16

-" P"""PhoicsCcili llpHt
against the dark background of the sea.
Rising in quick succession, they made
running leaps up the smooth side of
the ship, falling back again with a mu-
steal murmur, down over the copper
sheathing.
The breeze was only fresh enough to
gently incline the deck of the ship, and
the officer of the watch leaned against
the ~taffrail. looking at the swelling
canvas towering above him in three
snowy pyramids crossed at inter walls
by the black yards, which stuck out
from the taut NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of the
sails, like spines in the dorsal fin of a
fish; or, dropping his eyes, he watched
the jelly-tish floating by, glowing with
phosphorescent light. red, blue, green
and yellow, in such numbers that he
amused himself by f%ancying the mer-
maids were having a dance by the light
OF Chinese lanters.
Presently a little rattle of the canvas
recalled him from his thoughts, and
raising his head with Il warning "No
higher" to the hclmsman, he noticed
the white haze on the weather horizon
was slowly spreading upward. The
low stars grew gradually paler. then
vanished; and the bottom of the haze.
instead of merging gradually into the
deep blue of the sea, had changed to a
distinct white line. which needed but
little watching to show it vas rapidly
coming nearer
The practlced eye Of the officer took
in the situation at a glance, and. run
ming to the break Of the quarterback,
he shouted: ''Clew up the royals"
Haul down the staysails and jib-top-
sail;' "Call the watch below"
The nan sprang to the clew-lines
and down-hauls. The tops of the three
pyramids of sail faded away, giving a
few indignant slaps, and the staysails
ran down with a hoarse rattle of the
iron hanks. Before the gear could be
hauled snugly home, the squall struck
the ship with . force that made her
reel; throwing her almost upon her
beam-ends. and half burying her amid
the swirling foam.
"Let 60 every thing!' yelled the
master, as he scrambled up from his
cabin, and rushed to the wheel to put
the ship before the wind.
Away went sheets and halliards.
The canvas bellied and collapsed.
caught full again, and jerked away
from the yards in streaming tatters
with a roar like a broadside of heavy
guns. The helm was useless; for the
ship was pressed down upon the wa
ter. and held motionlcss, except for a
culver like that seer in a frightened
horse, caused by the springing and
bending of her plant spars. Her lee
yard-arms we're buried in the water,
and the crew, finding it impossible to
stay upon the almost perpendicular
deck, had crawled over the weather
bulwarks to the outside of the ship.
where they chung to the channels.
Captain White worked his way along
to one of the cabin air-ports, and,
smashing it in with his boot, called to
his wife:
1--WE are knocked down. Mary!
Reach up your hands. You are small
enough to be pulled through the VIM
dow
"Never mind me. John. Look to
your ship!' she answered.
"But if the sea gets IN, we shall
founder"
''Look to your ship, John! l can
come when l get the log-book and
chronometer. Look to your ship!'
He turned, and, %motioning the crew
to follow. crawled forward to the fore
castle. By working half under water,
they succeeded in letting 60 the lee
anchor. and the chain, having no stop
per but \ spun-yarn lashing, ran out
to the bittcr-end; and hung from the
bows straight up and down in the
water. one hundred andtwenty fathoms
long. The effect was immediate.
Pressed by the squall, the ship swung
round; as if pivoted on the chain. and
when the under side of the spars and
remnants of the sails caught the gale,
righted slowly to an even keel;
and lay head to wind, the torn canvas
and broken spars, aloft. Stating and
banging.
1t was just in time, for the first vio-
lcnco of the sqnall. which had kept the
water Hat, was now abated, and the
waves began to rise rapidly. They