The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-12-04
THE LAST PLANK.

! was first mate Of the ship Triumph,
bound from Boston to New Orleans, with
an assorted cargo Of great value The
captain, Rabbit by name, was an oddity
in every way, He always struck for new
courses, took all tracks but those pre-.
scribed by custom, and thought nobody
knew anything but himself
For instance, he insisted that counter
current ran southward inside the Gulf
stream, and that the only way to make a
quick voyage to New Orleans was to hug
close in on the shore side Of it all the way
ont, despite the danger of capes, rocks and
reefs, the whereabouts Of which he said he
knew too well not to avoid them,
Who could gainsay him' He was cap.
tain Of his own ship--monarch Of it md
ah aboard. So, sailing with a stiff nor.
wester on our quarter, we sped swiftly on,
passing all the dangers of the coast sue.
cesslvely, such as Barnegat, Elatteras, etc,
and found ourselves on morning sud
denly becalmed off Cape Florida, close in
with the land, but soon drifting northward
despite the captains 'southerly current"
II was very cIcar-not cloud In sight
warm and close, though it was September
and the time for an equinoctial gale to be
upon us.
'Heave the deep sea lead, Mr.. r." said
the captain TO me- 'and see il il is shoal
enough TO get an anchor to hold"
! sounded and forty tathoms were given.
Bend your hawsers together and drop
our heaviest kedge," was his next order.
Then close furl every sail but the fore
storm staysaiI and balance rcefed spanker,
send down all the light spars from aloft,
and get ready to house topmasts and Sc.
cure lower yards; get up preventer braces,
and see all secure below and aloft"
"Ay, ay, STRIP And it was done.
We were now ready for storm, but |,
old rs am in sea matters, could see no
token Of IL anywhere
We're going to have tough time Of 1t,
Mr., r., saAp Captain Babbit to me.
why, sirh said |, "the sky is us clear az
my loves dear eyes, and the water is as
smooth as mill pond. see no sigu OF
wind"
wait about two hours, and you'll sing
another tune he replied. "Ive been in
these latitudes before The worst of this
will be that it will come dead off shore,
and II we must send, Cuba and her reefs
will be under our lee If we bump our
heads there, ii will be the last Of the old
Triumph, and us too" ...
! made no reply, for | thought it only
one of his fancles, aud leaving the second
mate in charge of the deck, went below to
take nap, for I'd had the mid watch and
felt rather snoozish,. went to my state.
room and threw myself on my bunk, and
soon was dreaming of blue eyed angel
ashore, whom hoped to be spiced to at a
not far distant time. A heavy tramping
overhead and the shout of "all hands
AhoyH bfought me out of sleep and to my
feet in an instant. | hurried on deck.
Never can forget the change Of scene, OF
sky and sea, from the calm beauty in
which | had left 1t when | went below.
Now, black clouds were rolling up to the
northward, coming on in great blotchy
waves, like crags of ebon mountains over.
hanging and about to fall upon us The
sea was black under the shadowy wing of
the storm, and the roar Of the tempest,
like hoarse, angry voice, came to our
ears from distance,
up with the forestorm staysail-never
mind the spanker,p shouted the captain
You two mates take the helm; men, lash
yourselves to the rigging; ii will wash us
fore and aft before we get headway." And
seizing an aX from the beckett he bounded
forward and cut away the hawser which
held us at anchor,
As he did this looked off on our star.
board beam, and saw the water apparently
rollingin huge white breaker toward lis.
The next instant the wind struck us, and
for moment Thought all was over, for
the ship heeled until her lower yardarms
were in the water.
Hard up-hard up the helml" shouted
the captain in my ear.
could but just hear him, and pointing
to the wheel he saw that his order had been
anticipated
just then away went our miZzenmast
close by the deck, and that alone saved lis,
for now her head paid OIL before the wind
and the ship righted Then the staysail
filled and away the old craft shot, like an
arrow sped from u well strung bow, AS
we got out into the gulf the sea rose liter.
ally so hard tlot the foam was scattered In
cloudy mists through the air.
"How does she head" asked the captain,
who stood forward Of the wheel
SOU 'sou'west, sir, replied in shout,
for the gale drowned all common tones.
'If she goes al thsrate and holds that
course we will strike Cuban rock inside OF
ten hours!" he cried.
I "Why not try to heave her tor" asked.
In such sea aud gale we would be bot