The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1890-04-22

one, and its momentum increased az II
! plunged downward. In less time than
| it mas taken ID tell il. the chain vas
/ fairly flying around the windlasS, the
newly-arrangs bights on the range be-
ing whirled up with lightning rapid,ty,
! and the rattle growing into a roar under
which the ship trembled.
with such range OF cable and such
depth of water, it was on the cards
! that the bows might he torn out Of her
if the rush could not be stopped, and
the danger grew every instant At first
Z all hands were little confused by what
| had happened. / was at the bows look
ing over and saw tho ..chOr plunge out
! of sight. jumped for the lurch of the
topgallant forecastle instantly. and sung
out 10 get swabs and throw them on
the windlasS, in the hope that the tough
yarns would get entangied in the links
4, Of the cable and so check, perhaps stop,
the run. But the cable had got too much
Roadway by the time the swabS were
brought, and, when thrown, they were
either torn to rags instantly or flung
violently off again. by this time every
body on deck had run forward, and,
while it was impossible to approach the
windlass, round which the cable was
flying so rapidly that the links could
not be distinguished, it was equally i'm
practicable to do any thing with the
chain OF the range, for the bights OF it
would have either knocked the brains
out of any one getting near them, or
have caught and carried him to certain
and instant death upon the windlass.
March had at once occupied himself
in throwing swabs. coils of rope, and
every thing he could snatch, down upon
the windlass. but so far nothing had held
for a moment, and the situation was be-
coming very serious. Fortunately, the
weather was perfectly fine, and the sea
smooth. The top-sails had been loosed,
but were not sheeted home, and the ship
drifted slowly without steerageway.
The second mate, who had been aft,
looking after the men who were aloft,
making sail, now came running forward,
looking half-scared, and, at first, / and
others thought hs was going TO jump on
the cable on the range, with the desper-
dozen voices, however, shouted warnings
at him, and he stopped short, just in
time. Then an idea seemed TO strike
HIM, and he ran up the ladder leading
on to the top-gallant forecastle, and go
ing TO the break of the fOrecastle, right
over the windlass, stopped down, and
began TO tumble with roll of mating
which was dashed there Tor occasional
use in protecting the forestays, evident
" thinking to throw il upon the running
cable. 1t is. perhaps, necessary to re-
mind you that all this, and what fol-
lowed, occupied a very short space Of
time. At such critical moments one secs
more in thirty seconds t'..n can aft -
wards be described in half an hour. The
whole scene | am now trying TO bring
before you did not really take more than
two or threat the mCSt-five minutes
in the acting of it: but N those few
minutes enough happened to give a man
food for thought during lifetime.
''As Norris crouched down on the
break Of the forecastle l glanced from
him to March, who was standing on the
forecastle within couple % yards, and
in that moment | saw murder como into
his mind. / shall never forget the sud
den darKening of his face, and the vim
dictive fash nat passed over il, giving
him a dreadful look OF malignity and
ferocious purpose. 1t said 10 me as
plain as words: Here is my opportuni-
ty. have only TO stumble against that
kneeling man and he Will lose his bal
ance, fail over the windlaSs, and the
cable will do the rest Sounmistakable
was his intention that / sprang forward
TO seize him; but al the same moment
the situation changed. March made one
step forward; Norris half rose and moved
backward, away from the break Of he
forecastle, at the same time looking up
into March's face. What he recognized
there he never said, but he started, gave
a low CRY, and moved to stand up. Sim
ultaneously, March strobe toward him,
appeared to trip over something, fell
forward with his arms extended, over
Norris back, and before any one person
could lift hand to help him, shot for
ward, fell abaft The windlass, his full
length on the Tying cable, and" the
captain paused, wiped his moist fore
head, and continued, with little nc sta
ton: swell, it was al over in two Sec
onds- The cable stopped running with
jar that / thought would have cut The
windlass in two, and we, with white
faces and trembling limbs, clapped the
compressor on, and went to work to IN
shackle the chain. 1t was an awful Job
getting it off the windlass. The poor
fellow hadn't whole bone left in him.
He had been carried three times around
the barrel of the windlass, between the
lower part of which and the deck there
was not six inches space"
"And So" we said, after some silence,
''your mates strange antipashy was
after all justified by the event"
eyes" said Captain Brundage. thought
fully, ''and there is even more than that
in IL 10 Won geo that he really had the