Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-05-22

Ble 10 iilelE ICCj dI.lO5t INSTANTLY
'Is the vessel all right, Brian?" inquired
one of them.
Yes, German" replied Brian, who had
regained his hold on the wheel and lost
none of his presence of mind.
Then, addressing the third boy:
Hold fast, Donovan" he added, land
don't get discouraged Remember there
are others besides ourselves to think Of"
The conversation was in English, though
in Brian's case, the accent denoted French
origin.
"You are not hurt, Moko?" he continued,
turning to the young negro.
No, Master Brian; but we must keep
the yacht well up into the wind or we shall
have her capsized."
just then the door of the companion
way was suddenly thrown open. and two
childish faces appeared together with the
kindly face of dog, who barked yocifer-
ousIy.
"Brianl Brianp' cried the elder of the
boys, a lad about nine years Of age, what
Is the matter?"
Nothing, Iverson, nothing" replied
Brian. go baok-go back, | say-and be
quick about it."
but we're afraid" cried the second lad,
who was a trifie younger.
"How about the others?"
They're afraid, too"
"Never mind; run back, roll yourselves
up in the bed-clothes, and shut your eyes
You won't be afraid then. There's no
danger"
Look outl here comes another big onen'
cried Moko
Another huge wave broke against the
stern, but did not penetrate the cabin,
fortunately.
go back, | tell your cried Gordon, even
more energetically. GO back, or III know
the reason whyp'
"Yes, go down, boys" added Brian, but
In more friendly tone.
The two faces had scarcely vanished.
however, before another youthful form ap
pcared in the companionway, and clear
voice cried
Don't you need us, Brian"
mo, Baxter" was the prompt reply.
You and Cross, Webb, Service, and vii
cox had better remain with the little fel.
lows. Four of us is en- Ough up here"
Can it be that there were only children
aboard this schooner which was thus he.
ing driven madly on by the resistless fury
of the wind and waves? Yes, only chill
dren. And how manys Fifteen, includ-
ing German. Brian, Donovan, and the col,
ored Cabin-bOy.
But was there no man on the yacht? Nc
captain to command herr No sailor to
lend a hand in the management of the YES
sci? No steersman to guide her in the
midst of this tempest? No, not one!
Nor was there any person aboard who
could tell the exact position of the yacht
In this, the largest of all oceans, the Pa
citic.
But how had this happened? Had the
vessels crew been swept away by some
catastrophe? Had Malaysian pirates seized
them and left only these youthful passen.
gers, the eldest of whom was barely four
teen years of agef A vessel of one hun
dred tons burden requires at least a cap
tain, mate, and crew of five or six men;
but of this number there now remained
only the cabin-boy. And whence came
this schooner? From what Australasian
coast or Oceanic archipelago? How long
since it left port and for what destinations
To these questions, which would have been
wouderingly put by any captain who
CHANGED to meet the "Sloughin in these
distant seas, these lads could doubtless
have given satisfactory replies; but there
was no ship in sight-neither one of the
many steamships that traverse this ocean
nor one of those merchant vessels which
America and Europe send by the hundred
to Pacific ports
What shall we dor asked Donovan at
last
Everything in our power to save our
selves-God aiding u.s." replied Brian, not
uncheerfully; but though the boy said this,
even the most sanguine man could scarce
ly have seen a glimmer of hope.
The tempest was now raging with in
creased violence. The wind was blowing
hurricane. and the vessel was in immi-
nent danger of capszing at any moment.
The mainmast having been broken off
about four feet above the deck forty-eight
hours before. it was impossible to hoist
the sail. which would have enabled the
young crew to direct the vessels course
more surely. The mizzeu- mast was still
in place, but il seemed likely to be mo-
meutarily wrenChed from its fastenings,
as the lads had been unable to reef it on
account of the gale. If this happened it
would be impossible to keep the vessel
close up in the wind any longer, in which
case the waves would sweep across her
deck, sink her, and her youthful pasSen-
gers 80 down with her into the depths be-
low.
Up to this time no land had been visible
In the watery eNpanse, no signs of any
continent had appeared in the east, To
find ones self upon a strange coast is a
frightful thing; nevertheless these chill
dreu would infinitely have preferred its
dangers to the terrors of this boundless
sea, for even rock-bound coast, with its
shoals aud heetliug crags and laundering
surf would have seemed q blessing to them.
since it would have been solid ground. in
stead of this angry ocean yawuing beneath
their feet.
In vain they wildly strained their eyes
to see some light by which they could shape
their course; no friendly ray penetrated
the gloom
About one o'clock in the morning an
ominous sound was heard above the howl
ing of the wind.
The foremost has goner' cried Dono
van.
No" replied the cabin boy, sit is only
the SAIL
Then it must be cut away" replied
Brian. Gordon stay here at the wheel
with Donovan; YOU, Moko. had better
come and help me-
MoKo had acquired some nautical ex-
-sriepce while serving as csbin-bnv: and
Brian was not enureIy destitute or sucn
knowledge. having learned something
about the management of a ship while
crossing the Atlantic and Pacific on his
Journey from Europe to Oceanica: and il
was for this reason that the other boys
being absolutely ignorant on the subject
had intrusted the command of the schoon
er TO him and Moko
After making their way with no LITTLE
difficulty to the scene of this new disaster
BRAN ana aioNo gave proors or eousfdera-
BILE prudence and sagacity Anxious TO
preserve as much OF the sail as possible in
order that they might be able to keep the
schooner well up into the wind as long as
the gale lasted, they cut away the upper
mart OF the tattered canvas. leaving the