Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-07-28

low VOICE, Win MS eyes HAeu on Tie
card.
Presently he exclaimed, in his gruff.
est voice: 'tCall the carpenter to sound
the we'll"
This was soon dispatched, and re-
turned and reported dry bottom. ?"
"Heave the log, sir"
/ called a couple of hands aft and
went through the tiresome and tedious
job of ascertaining the speed by the
measured line and sand-glass.
"What do you make itP" demanded
Coxon.
Thirteen knots, SIR"
He looked over the side as though to
assure himself that the computation
was>correet, then called out:
''Clew up the main-royal, and furl
itr'
This was the beginning, and it was
about time that beginning was made.
The breeze had freshened into strong
wind, this had grown into half gale,
and the look OF the sky promised
royal halliards were let go, and cou-
Pile of hands went up to stow the bit of
canvas that was humping among the
clouds. 49,.
Presently: "Furl the four and miz-
! zen top-ga1lant sails"
This gave occupation to the watch;
and now the decks began to grow live
ly with the figures of men running
about, with songs and choruses, with
cries of Delay, there!'-"Up with it
smartly, my lads!" and with the heavy
Tapping of canvas.
All this, however, was no very great
reduction of sail. The Grosvenor car
ried the old-fashioned single top-sails,
and these immense spaces of canvas
were holding a power of wind. Over
head the scud few fast and furious,
and all to windward the horizon was
very thick. We took in the main-top-
gallant sail and then l stood waiting
for an order / was sure must come.
1t is one thing to ''carry on, but it is
another thing to rip the masts out of a
ship. The wind was not only increas-
ing, but increasing with squalls.
At last the captain gave the order
awaited:
''All hands reef top-sails."
In a merchantmen the crew is al
ways less in number than it ought to
be, The work of taking in sail with a
gale blowing is therefore very difficult,
and the noise and confusion are always
; great, 1t was so in this instance, The
din of the pealing canvas, furiously
shaken by the bowling wind, the cries
] of the men getting the sail over tc
| windward, the booming of the seas
against the ships bows, the groanine
) of her timbers, the excited grunting Of
terrified pigs, and the rumbling OF ar
empty water-cask, which had broker
from it's lashings and was rolling tc
and fro the main-deck, constituted ar
} uproar of which no description, how
? ever elaborate, could even family ex
press the overwhelming character.
2 When the dawn broke it found the
Grosvenor under reefed top-sails, fore
top-mast, staysail, foresail, main-try
: sail and spanker, snug enough, bu
with streaming decks, for the gale hat
raised a heavy beam sea, and the deep
|, laden ship was sluggish, and took tn
water repeatedly over her weather-bul
warks,
The watch below had turned il
!, again, but it was already seven bells
. and at four o'clock my turn woul'
: come to go to bed. l had charge OF tn
" ship, for the captain, having passe'
+ the night in observing his vessels sail
. ing powers under all canvas, had gon
Il below, and l was not sorry to get ri
of him, for his continued presence al
u had become nuisance to my eyes.
J had now leisure to recall the fats
" accident I have related, and the in
humanity of Captain CoXon's common
% upon it. I Rugged myself In my THO
~ coat as looked asterA at the cold an
y rushing waters, and thought of the BIZ
IL ter, sudden deaths of the unfortunate
we had run down. But for the me
~ on the lookout, never a soul among L
W would have known that living being
le had been hurled into" sudden an
u dreadful death; that the ship in whic
IL we sailed had perchance made widow
!. of sleeping wives, had made childre
III fatherless, and that ruin and beggal
and sorrow had been churned up OF
- of the deep by our unsparing bows.
~ Our voyage had begun inauspiciou
II toward the cast where the mornin
light was kindling over the livi
0d rugged horizon, strange depressic
fell upon my spirits, and the present
ny ment then entered my mind, and new
NJ afterward quilted it, that perils al
ol suffering and death were in store f
ny us, and that when / had looked on t.
ia English coast last night was unco
sciously bidding farewell to scenes
~ should never behold again.
he CHAPTER V.
eo Twas on deck again at eight o cloc
ny 1t was still blowing gale, but t
0 Gu wind had drawn right aft, al
~ though the top-sails were kept reefe
.ne Duckling had thought fit to set t
Ia. h;s 1ain-top-gallant sail, and the ship W
n ming bravely.
as! I reokoned that we had made oy
le1 one hundred and thirty knots duri
8 ! the twelve hours, so that If the e;
ny lasted we might hope to be clear of
~ W Scilly Isles by next morning.
tne They were breakfasting in the cud
ign and in the forecastle, and 1 was wa
ing for the skipper to come on dc
'. that 1 might go below and get son
thing to eat But before he made
us appearance, the COMPOUNDED copp
I Sne co1ored cook, accompanied by cou
Ahs of men, came aft,
yea ''Sar," said this worthy, who loof
lcI, lovely in a pink-striped shirt and y