Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-05-20
CHAPTER NNiN
THE LAniNH.


The day had been 50 iull o. business,
there had been 20 much 20 engage my mind,
that il was not until was seated AZ sup
per ia the old cook rom, N which | had
passed so many melancholy hours, that
found myself able to take 4 calm survey
Of nv situation, and to compare the va
riOus motions of my fortunes. | could
scarcely indeed helit"e that waH not in "a
dream, from which | should awaken pres.
emily, and discover myself still securely
imprisoned in She ice, and all those pas
ssgts OF he powder blasts, the liberation Of
the schooner, my lonely days in her atJat,
my encounter with the whaler, a. vision
arg and vanishing "a those du-ky forms OF
yapor which had swGrmei in giant shape
over my little open boat
But even If confirmation had been want
irg in the sable ylsage Of Billy Pitt who
sat near the furnace munchlDg away with
proIigious enjoyment Of his food, and
bringing his can OF hot spiCsd wine from
his vast b}u5ber lips With mighty sigh o.
deep q light, must have found 1t in each
hi1sjng leap and roaring plunge OF the old
piratical bucket, 20 full Of the vitality OF
the wind swollen canvas, 40 quick with all
the life instincts Of vessel stormlng
through the deep with buoyant keel and
under full control Ola heaven how diff
tereut from the dali ambiiug of the morn
iug, the sluggish pitching and rolling TO
the pulling OF the sprtsail
was up and down a good deal during
the night But for the treasure l should
have been less anxious, dare say. | had
come so successfully to this point that l
was resolved, It my hopes were TO mis-
carry. the misfortune should 0Ot be owing
to want of vigilance on my part; and there
happened an incident which inevitably
tended to sharpen my watchtulness,
though | was perfectly conscious 1t Was a
million TO one against its occurring sec
oud time.
came on deck to relieve Wilkinson at
midnight, after half hours nodding doe
bv the furnace below tie went to his
cabin. | stood under the lie OF a cloth
seized in the weather main rigging. Pitt
arrived. and | told MIN he could return u
the cook house and stay there till called
him. The helm being lashed and the
schooner dong very well, nothing wanted
watching in particular, yet | would not
have the deck abandoned, and meant to
keep a lookout turn and turn about with
Pit. o. wilkinson and Cromwell bad. The
snow had ceased, hut n was very dark
aud thick, tine ocean a roaring, weller
ing shadow, pa'pita,lng upon the eyes IN
rolling folds Of blacknesg, with the quick
expiring flash Of team to winiward. On a
sudden. looking over the weather quarter,
methOught | discovered a deeper shade III
the pirht there than was elsewhere per-
r.p.inle. Il WAS Ink" great blot of ink
upnr the darkness. Even while ! speCulg-
ted Il drew out IN the shape OF u ship run
ming before the gale She seemed to he
beading directly FOR rs. The roof OF my
mouth turned dry as desert sand. my
tongue and limbs refused their Of
nee, I could neither cry For STIR,
bsjng indeed paralyzsd by the tel
rible suddeuueSs OF that apparltiOu and the
imminence Of Cur peril. Il all happened
while Won could have told thirty. The
yreat black mass surged up with tho water
boiling about the bows she brought
Thunder along with her in Der rigging and
sails as she SCARED 20 the crowns OF the seas
she went sweeping before. | could not
tell what canvas shs was under. but her
speed was iull ten knots, s1i rs did not
see her iii she was close she looked 10
come upon ~ with q single bound She
passed Us % wiGiwari within q stones
throw, aud vanished like a DIRK
cIoud melting into the surrounding
blacS0e,7. Mt Alesm OF light broke
from her; ven head nothing hat the bell
ins at her bows sn2 tbs thuEderous peal
my OF the g4'r 10 Ter canvas. 4 quarter
turn at the whesl would have sent "a 70
the bottom, AID her, no doubt, On the top
of rs. Whether ,hn WIS the Susan Tucker
or some other whale. or big Sluth sea
man driven low and getting what casting
she could ont Of the gale, know not. she