Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-03-24
slble to trim the ballast. We dared not yeer

below for a mouthful of spirits and bite of supper, the hour being eight bells in the second dog watch, as we say-that is, eight o'clock in the evening. The captain and car penter were in the cabin Upon the swing tray over the table were piece of corned beef, some biscuit, and a bottle of hollands
 "We're in an ugly part of the globe" says Capt. Rosy. "When bad sailors die they're sent here, reckon. The worst nau- tical sinner can't be hove to long off the Horn without coming out of it with purged soul He must start afresh to deserve further pun ishment"
 ssWell, here's breeze that can't go on blowing much longer" cries the carpenter "The place it comes from must give out soon, onless a new trade winds got fixed into a whole gale for this here ocean,"
 "What southing do you allow our drift will be giving us captain?' I asked, munch- ing piece of beef
 s'All of four mile an hour, , he answered. eff this goes on shall look to make some discov- cries. The antarctic circle won't be far off presently, and since you're a scholar, Rod ney, I'll leave you to describe what's inside of it-though boil me if I don't have the naming of the tallest land; for, dye see, I've a mind to be known after I'm dead, and there's nothing like your signature on mountain to be remembered by."
 At this instant we were startled by 0 wild and fearful shout on deck. It sounded high above the sweeping and seething of the wind and the hissing of the lashed waters, and it penetrated the blanks with a note that gave it an inexpressible character of anguish.
 "A man washed overboardr' bawled the carpenter, springing to his feet
 Mop cried l, for my younger and shrewder ear had caught note in the cry that per suaded me it was not as the carpenter said; and in an instant the three of us jumped up the ladder and gained the deck
 The moment I was in the gale the same afrighted cry rang down along the wind from some man forward: ''For Gods sake, tumble up before we are upon ftp
 "What do you seeg roared sending my voice, trumpet fashion, through my hands; for as to my own and the sight of Capt Rosy and the carpenter, why, it was like being struck blind to come on a sudden out of the lighted cabin into the black night
 Any reply that might have been attempted was choled out by the dive of the brig's head into the sea, which furiously flooded her forecastle, and came washing aft like milk in the darkness, till it was up to our knees.
 s'See there!" suddenly roared the carpenter,
 ''Where, man-where?' bawled the captain,
 But in this brief time my sight had grown used to the night, and saw the object before the carpenter could answer. It lay on our lee beam, but how far off no man could have told in that black thickness. It stood against the darkness and hung out dim complexion of light, rather of pallidness, that was not ight-not to be described by the pen. It was like small hill of snow, end looked as snow does, or the foam of the sea in darkness, and it came and went with our soaring and sinking
 r Tcbo to5 tot tbo toir
 'sI see it," he answered. ''We must drive her clear at all risks'
 There need to call the men. To the second cry that had been raised by one among them, who had come out of the fore- castle and seen the berg, they had tumbled up as sailors will when they jump for their lives; and now they came staggering, splash ing, crawling aft to us, for the lamp in the cabin made a sheen in the companion hatch, and they could see us as we stood there.
 'Men," cried Capt. Rosy, ''yonder's a gravestone for our carcasses if we are not lively! Cast the helm adriftI" i've steered by tiller). "Two hands stand by it. For ward, some of ye, and loose the forestaysail, and show the head of it"
 The fellows hung in the wind could not wonder. The bowsprit had been sprung when the jibboom was wrenched from the cap by the fall of the topgallantmast; it still had to bear the weight of the heavy spritsail yard, and tho drag of the staysail might carry the spar overheard with the men upon it. Yet it was our best chance; the one sail most speedily released and hoisted-the one that would pay the brig's head off quickest and the only fragment that promised to stand.
 s'Jumpr" roared the captain, in a passion of hurry. ''Great thunderl 'tis close aboardl You'll leave me no sea room for veering if you delay instant"
 'Follow me who will!'' I cried out; "and others stand by ready to hoist away"
 Thus speaking-for there seemed to my mind surer promise of death in hesitation at this supreme moment, than in twenty such risks as laying out on the bowsprit sig nified-I made for the lee of the weather bulwarks and blindly hauled myself forward by such pins and gear as came to my hands A man might spend his life on the ocean and never have to deal with such a passage as | this.
 got on to the bowsprit, nearly stif1ed by the showering of the seas holding an open knife between my teeth, half dazed by the | prodigious motion of the light brig, which at this extreme end of her was to be felt to the l full height of it's extravaganza. At every 1 plunge expected to be buried, and every l moment was prepared to be torn from my hold.
 l Commenting myself to God, for Twas now 1 to let go with my hands, pulled the knife from my teeth, and, feeling for the gaslzets 1 or lines which bound the sail to the spar, cut and hacked as fast as could ply my arms. In flash the gale, whipping into liberated fold of the canvas, blew the whole sail out; the bowsprit reeled and quivered under me; danced off it with incredible dispatch, shouting to the men to hoist away. The head of the staysail mounted in thunder, and the slatting of it's folds and the thrashing of it's sheet was like the rattling of heavy field pieces whisked at full gallop over stony road.
 "High enough!" bawled, guessing enough was shown, for could not see. 'Get drag upon the sheet, lads, and then aft with you l for your ivesl''
 Scarce had let forth my breath in this l cry when heard the blast as of a gun, and knew by that the sail was gone; an instant l after wash came a mountainous sea sheer l over the weather bulwarks fair betwixt the fore and main rigging; but happily, standing near the fore shrouds, was holding on with both hands to the topsail halyards while call. l ing to the men, so that, being under the rail,
 which broke the blow of the sea, and holdina