Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-03-05
BOATSWAIN BILL,
WON IN A TYPHCON.

BOATSWA1N BILL,
WON IN TYPMOON.
Captain Standard of the ship Nautilus
was in a furious rage. His boatswain,
Young man of twenty, had
disobeyed orders to fog the
Chinaman Yangsoo.
The whole trouble had arisen that morn
ing when Yangsoo had split some tar he
was carrying on the dress of Miss Manton,
the only lady passenger. She had made
light of the accident and begged the cap
tain to let the Chinaman off, but he vowed
that Yangsoo should be fogged, and that
Boatsyain Bill should administer the cor
rection.
The young man had refused and
Standard would have put him in irons at
once if a terrible storm had not broken
upon the ship at that moment. Every
hand would be required to work now, for
typhoon was sweeping over the ocean. The
ship plunged madly on before the gale,
enveloped in binding mist.
This suddenly rolled to one side and a
huge iron steamer, with an enormous red
pipe, was seen not seventy yards off, half
buried in the spray as she labored to cross
the ships bows.
The captain turned as white as a ghost
A collision seemed inevitable, and, in
that raging typhoon, collision meant
certain destruction and death.
To keep the ship off would apparently
hasten the catastrophe, while to help to
huff 10 that storm was impossible.
owe are lostp' said Bella, who stood
peering from the companion way.
Her father, who was there, too, put an
arm around her waist.
"God help US, childr' he cried. cap
tain, can you do nothing?"
"Nothngr' answered the captain.
"Will we &C down if we strike?''
fWhen we strike that great steamer we
will go to piecesw was the reply.
The men came rushing aft, and they
huddled, awaiting the dreadful moment.
Boatswain Bill bounded to the captain s
SIDE There was no look of fear on his
face.
'If you keep off, sir" he shouted, pick
ing up a broadax near the carpenters
chest, sand if few men will go out on
the iibboom with me, think we can save
the craft!'
sHave your way, Bill" said the cap
tain; shut think you will fail. No living
man can keep his hold on that boom now
Yon will be swept offp'
"Hard a port?" roared Bill to the man
at the wheel.
He was obeyed, but he could induce none
of the men, not even Yangsoo, to go out On
the boom with him.
This spar was buried with every plunge
of the ship-with every plunge an ava
lanche of water swept over it. As the
skipper had said, it seemed as if certain
death awaited the man who should venture
there. But there was no time to lose, and
Bill resolved, as he could get no one to go
with him, to make his attempt alone.
He bounded forward, hastily tied rope
the end of the! fore-sheet-about his
breast, and then, axe in hand, be creps out
On the perilous boom. By this time the
ship had fallen off as much as was possible
in that gale.
Straddling the furled jib, Bill first cut
away the foretop gallant stay; then, with
three more blows he half-seveIed the spar
and away went the flying jib-boom.
The ship gave mad plunge, and Bill,
who had thus far just managed to keep
himself from being washed off by clinging
to ore of the loosened turns Of the jib
gasget with his teeth, was buried IN the
enormous sea.
The huge wall of water whirled him like
raging ocean, but he had saved his ship!
Hurled toward the after part of the
steamer, now that she had no flying jb-
b ON to catch in that vessels rigging, and
thus, by entangling her, to insure the fatal
collision, the Nautilus just grazing the
huge iron stern, was swept past it with
lightning velocity.
''SavedP' shouted the captain.
"But where is Boatswain Bill?" asked
Bella anxiously.
"Lostr' cried many voices.
''Not yetI screamed Yangsoo, as he
darted forward.
He had caught glimpse OF Bill, who
had, fortunately, been. carried clear off the
bows when swept off. The rope he had
secured to his breast had lot quite parted;
so now Yangsoo, with the help of some of
his shipmates, hauled the young man
aboard.
AS the men, cheering, led him aft, the
captain came and shook hands with him,
as also did Bella and Mr.. Msnton.
f'Your words have come true" said the
skipper to the smiling girl. Il now have
reason to rejoice that did not confne my
boatswain below in irons, for, had l done
so, he could not have been on deck to save
us, and we should all have been lostn
"You will always End, said Bella, ''that
you will never have cause to regret being
kind to any living creature"
By this time the violence of the gale
had begun to subside.
just before reaching New York, a month
later, tie merchant informed Bella that
the captain liked her MUCH and had asked
him if he might pay his addresses to her.
'Papa," said Bella, hanging her head
and blushing, IL don't want him. In
truth, I-I-had rather Boatswin Bill had
asked that permission"
MIR. Manton was an indulgent father.-I
He invited Bill to come to see him occa-
sionaily in the cabin, and also when he
should arrive home. The young man did
SO, ard tie result was that he fell in love
with Bella, who then playfuly owned that
she believed it was his gallant conduct in |
the typhOOn that had won her heart.
The two are now married, and Bill is |
the prosperous captain of a fine steamer, |
aboard of which his wife sometimes ac- |
com panies him on his voyages.
Triumph of ScIence.
Chemistry never achieved more decided |
triumph than in the production of SOZO-
DON'T, which is a botanical preparation of
wonderous efficacy in preserving and beauti-
flying the teeth, rescuing them from decay,
and rendering them white rs alabaster. 1t
is toilet luxury of " hich al should avail
themselves. The unpleasant odor commu-
1icated to the breath by catarrh, bad teeth,
,tc., is entirely obviated by this fragrant
md salutary antiseptc Ct which one bottle
asts long TINA. Druggists and perfumers
ell it.
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