Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-04-07

clearing, cutting away, pounding, making the ice fly in storms; others sweated the cap- stans till they claslked: others fell to the pumps, working wl1n manners and kettles of boiling water. The wondrons old schooner was never busier-no. not in tba hey day of her flag. when her guns were blazing and her people yelling. . As half-past three in the afternoon tbe breeze began to sit in dark curls unon tho water, and there was evidence enough in tbe haziness in the west, and in the loom of tha shoulders of vapor in the dark blue obscure there to warrant sackful for this canful presently.
 q reckon" says the captain to me. after looking into the west, ''that we'd best knock off now. There's snow and wind wonder and we'd better see all snug while there's time"
 He called to one of the men to tell the sec ond mate to come up from below and get the matches on, and bringing me to the rail he pointed to boat, and asked if that would doa said yes, and thanked him heartily for the gift, which was handsome, I must say the boat being very good one. though, to be sure, he had got many times its value out of the schooner; and a party of men were forthwith told off to get the boat hoisted and slowed.
 The captain then shook me by the hand, and, calling farewell to Wilkinson and the negroes, scrambled into the chains and dropped into his boat, very highly satisfied, I make no doubt, with the business he had done that day.
 A boats crew were left behind to help us to make sail. But the weather looking some what wild in the west, with the red light of the sun among the clouds there, and the dark heave of the swell running into sickly cri ha dusky again, I got them to treble reef the mainsail and hoist it, and then thanking them, advised them to be off. We gave them a cheer when they started, which they re- turned, and then, putting Cromwell to the tiller, went forward with the others and set the topsail and forestaysail the spritsail lying furled), which would be show enough of canvas till I saw what the weather was like. kept the topsail aback, waiting for a boat to arrive with my chart, and in few minutes the boat we had cheered returned with what wanted.
 Meanwhile they were shortening sail on the whaler; and, though she was no beauty, yet tell you I found her as picturesque as any ship had ever beheld as she lay with her maintopgallantsail clewed up, her top sail yards on the caps, and the heads of men knotting the reef points showing black over
 
 the hollow and finging wet orange gleam to the west, a tumble of creamy foam about her to her rolling-shadows like the passage of phantom hands hurrying over her sails to the swaying of her masts, and the swelling sea darkling from her into the east.
 Ihollowed my hands, and hailing the cap tain, who was on the quarter deck, asked him for the time by his chronometer. He f1ourished his arm and disappeared, and presently returning shouted to know if was ready. I put the key in my watch and an- swered yes, and then he gave me the time. My watch, though antique, was a noble piece of mechanism, and, have little doubt, as trustworthy as his chronometer. But was careful to let it lie snug in my hand. l did not want the negro at the tiller nor the others to see it. They would wonder that so fine 8 jeweled piece as this should be in the possession of the second mate of little brig, and it was my business to manage that they never should have cause to wonder at any thing in that way.
 The dusk of the evening came quick out of the east, and the wind freshened with @ long cry in our rigging, as if the eastern darkness was foe it was rushing out of the west to meet. brought the schooner north northeast by my compass, and watched her behavior anxiously. The swell was on the quarter, and the wind and sea a trife abaft the larboard beam; she leaned a little to the weight of her clothes, but was surprisingly stiff considering how light she was. Wilkin- son and the negro came and stood by my side. The sea broke heavily from the weather bow, and the water roared white under the lee bends and spread astern in broad wake of foam. The whaler did not brace his yards up till after we had started, and now hung a e.:. l,,, quarter. A tincture of rusty red hovered, like smoke colored by the furnace that pro- duces it, in the west, but the night had drawn down quick and dark; the washing noise of the water sharp, the wind piercingly cold; each sweep of the schooner's masts to windward was followed by dull roaring of the blast rushing out of the hollows of the canvas, and she swung to the seas with wild yaws, but with regularity sufficient to prove the strict government of the helm.
 But it was being at sea, homeward bound, too! There was no wish of mine, engendered by my hideous loneliness on the ice, by my abhorred association with the Frenchman, that could not refer to as, down to this mol ment, gratifed. My heart bounded; my spirits could not have been higher had this ocean been the Thames, and wonder dark flowing hills of water the banks of Erith and the Gravesend shore.
 turned to the three men. "My lads," said I, "you prove yourselves fine bold fellows by thus volunteering. Do not fear; if God guides us home-to my home, mean-you shall find a handsome account in this busi- | ness"
 "Six more chaps would have jined had tn ole man bin willin'," said Wilkinson. "But best as it is, master, though she's a triae | short handed"
 "Why, yes," said I, ''but being fore and aft, you know! It isn't as if we'd got courses 1 to hand and topsails to reef" "Ay ay, dat's de troof," cried Billy Pitt. tort O dar Fore ap' aft makes de differ ence. Don't guess should hab volunteer 1 had she been a brig"
 "There are four of us," said I. "You're | my chief mate, Wilkinson. Choose your watch"
 "I choose Cromwell" said he; Che was in my watch aboard the whaler."
 "Very well" exclaimed; and this being settled, and both negroes declaring them- selves good cooks, ue arranged that they should alternately have the dressing of our victuals; that Wilkinson should have the cabin next mine, and the negroes the one in which the Frenchman had slept, one taking the others place as he was relieved. l asked Wilkinson what he thought of the I IL. kI4k 1,1,