Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-12-08

ombanemcnt OF cioud, ana irs glorious
rays, tho orb itself being invisible, pro-
iectod in thousand lines of silver be-
yond tho margin Of tho bank to tho
right and overhead, jutting out in visi-
bic threads, each as defined as q sun
beam in a dark room.
Looking far away on the weather.
beam, and where tho shadow on the
sea was deepest, fancied' that l dis
cerned n black object, which might well
be ship with hersails darkened by her
distance from the sun.
pointed II out TO Cornish, who saw
it too, and l then fetched the tole'
scope.
Judge Of my surprise and constern@
ton when tho outline OF boat with
her sail low down on tho mast entered
the. field Of tho glassl cried outs "Iti
tho long-boatl"
Cornish turned hastily.
"My God!" he cried, They're doomed
menI'
gazod at her In jn.ly. but could not
be dccelved, for recognized tho cut Of
the stun'-sail, lowerc, g. II was In an
ticipation Of tho breaking II the storm,
and | could also make out the minute
dark figures Of the men In her.
The boatswain came along and re-
! ported cry thing safe below Come
here" cried, here is the long-boat
yonder Ho auglt the glass and took
long .ook throug 1t.
81 is O. b at, o., enough. She Is
heading ,hi a and we may have to
make G.osi.r figh O.. g"
-. . X" l answered. They're
not or lQ. tin They on t like the
| .~ck ii weather bosom, and would
board as HF their lives, not to take
ours.
"Tha'sit r. :,o.aim 'ornlsh.
nccring among en-. now S5ovens is
gone. d lay M IL hoy tn
and o q wor ut as havo YOU'D
lay by for EN- ani take 'om IN
Mel her he boat3vain nor / m ade
any rcp.y y his
FIR my own part houVh | .ad boon
perishmg Ter \ an. hands | would
not have truG.ed tho wilkins. Fo
aftel tho storm was over | hal no
doub II they found thoms Ives n
board tho CIR svcnor once m re they
would ~ yiolon, hands upon ne and
the bcatswain and treat us u tho had
done Coxon and DucLling
Ju then he eward came wi h
big so!iec-yot. lie SO on he SIX
ligh, and fe T. he'd from tho pan "
some good pr .erycd meat biscuit aud
butter, d w fell the repas. with
great re-. an burger.
Be. ths rs to fish, took the
VIII O. s,'i.c Cornish brcakfasted, and
then ord ID % stcwar 90 and
maa some fresh coilc an k op I
hot J the g1lley, and prepare n good
brc kfag TO the Robertsons, ready t.
sery when tho young lady should leave
her cabin.
"Boson," said I, as he came slowly
toward mo, filling his pipe, 81 don't
like tho look Of that mainsail. It'll
blow iut a. kick NJ n deuce of
shindy. You and C~rnlsh had better
lay aloft with some spare line and
serve the sail with IL.
"Tha's soon DONE" h answered,
cheerfully. And Cornish left his break
fast, and they bot went aloft.
Tho two men remained for n short
time on tho mai yard, and then came
down, Gavin" the sal much more Sc
euro han they had found It. Cornish
dispatches is breakfast, and the boat
swain anne to me.
"Do you Sc the long-boat now, sir?n
"No." / replied; "she' shidden in the
rain yonder. BY Heaven 1t is COM
ing DOWN.
did not exaggcrate; the horizon
was gray with rain; it looked like
steam rising from tho boiling sea
eth keep EN- busy bailing," said
the boatswain.
Hold here" l cried, "till got
my oil-skins."
was back In q few moments, and
downfall, and 10 advise Cornish TO do
the scmo.
/ Z whcelfor second or two 10
los s''1 of tho skylights, and as did
o q flash Of lightning seemed to set the
ship on fire, and Immediately came q
deaf M rash of thunder.
s3arcoJ knew which was the more
terrifying to SEQ and hear-the rain, OF
the thunder and lightning.
IL was cataract OF water falling
from a prodigious elevation. Il was a
dense, impervious Liquid vail, shutting
out all sight of sea or ky. 1t tore the
water into foam In striking It.
Then, booml down 1t came upon us.
held on by the wheel, and the boat
swain jammed himself under the graf.
ing ! was not rain only-it was hail
rs big as eggs, and the rain-drops were
Us hlg US eggs, too.
There was not II breath OF air; this
terrific fall came down in perfectly
perpendicular lines; and as the light
ming ri he'd through II. II Illuminated
with its ghastlJ eilulgenco broad
sheet Of water.
II was so dark that / could not sec
the card In the pinnacle. The water
rushed or ur decks just as 1t would
had pped u sea- and for tho space
OF 3 onty minutes l stood stunned,
deaf, blind, in tho midst OF horrible
and ovorpowerlng concert Of pealing
thun.or = rushing rain, the awful
gloom being rendered yet more dread.
ful by tho dazzling flashes which passed
through IT,
1t passed as suddenly as II had come,
and left us still in breathless calm,
dronched. terrified and motionless.
1t grew lighter TO windward, and
felt small air blowing on my stream.
Ing face; llghtcrsti though to Toward
the storm was raging and roaring, and
passing with Its darkness like some un.
earthly night,
/ squeezed the water out of my eyes,
and saw tho wind como rushing toward
us upon tho sea, while all overhead
the sky was O broad, lead-oolored