Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-24

on deck when the change of watch came
round. There were six or seven of crew
at this distance of time forget the number,
but recolleet that they were very smart
fellows, hairy and tarry. nimble as monkeys
in the rigging, swift as bluejackets in reef
ing down or in furling, every finger fish
hook, every hair rope yarn"
THE LAUGHING CREOLE.
The brig was clipper of the old school,
sharp as a knife at the forefoot, with
sturdy round of bow over it, coppered high
and painted black with white line. She
needed but brass gun forward or the muz-
zles of few carronades projected through
her high bulwarks to give her genuine
piratical aspect. She carried skysail poles,
which topping masts usually lofty for q
craft of her dimensions, lifted her canvas to
the very stars, as would sometimes think
when looked on high on fine night, and
marked the dim spaces of her cloths sway
ing under the brilliance of the heavens, with
here and there an expiring scar of meteoric
dust, that seemed within reach of the arm
from her little skysail yard.
Nothing whatever noteworthy happened
until we were we'll within the tropics. The
northeast trade wind had swept us smartlv
along, and for several days and nights the
cheerful hunming in the rigging, the
seething and washing noises over the side
had gladdened me as an assurance of a
swift passage. But one morning when !
came on deck I found the wind gone. There
was troubled swell running, as though the
heaye of the waters were from two distinct
points of the compass. The sea was of the
color of lead; there was not the least
draught of air to freckle .or tarnish the
folds, and they swept along soundlessly,
polished as liquid glass, without break of
foam the wide sea over.
The sky had a strange, wild, ugly look;
there were layers OF clouds down IN the
west which made one think of mating
formed of twisted horsehair; then breaks of
sickly blue that merely sceentuated the
storm dark face of spread Of cloud bend
ing down into the north, where the rim OF it
turned into huddle OF sulphur colored
stuff which looked like volumes of smoke,
that having steamed out of a colossal dung
hill there, now hung motionless lin the stag
mated atmosphere.
The sailors were aloit reducing canvas
Old Wharrier paced the deck athwsrtship
to and fro, occasionally bawling an order.
The captain stood near the wheel with his
beaver hat pulled well down over mis- brow
and his hands clasped behind him, and the
energy with which he chewed the hunk of
tobacco that made a lump in his cheek un-
der his ear satisfied me that his mind was
not without excitement
SIGNS OF A STORM.
"What's going to happen?" said I.
"Looks like revolving storm a-brew-
Ing" said he. Captain Larkins was not q
highly educated man, and having made his
way from the forecastle TO the quarter deck
he had brought with him many Of the quail
ties and graces of Jacks sea parler.
'iThere is some theory about revolving
storms," said /, sending concerned eye
round the sea. ''They have center, and the
Job is to know how to head 80 as to keep
clear of lhe vortex"
"Here il is r. said he, with not of gruu-
bling in his voice. "Wortex. How Is q
plain ssilor man 70 deal with such mean
ings az lay locked up in words of that kind?
But. vortex or no vortex, it's going to
blow"
Even as he spoke the scowl Of fhe sky
darkened, the dim breaks of the heavens
grew yet more filmed, If may use the ex-
PRESTON, like to the blue eye Of dying
woman, and there was sharp, brassy glare
Of lightning down In the southwest, but no
note Of thunder - yet, save what came from
the lofty hoist Of maintopsail, that was still