The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-11-19

hess called me to Martinique. Inc
Corsica staunch. full-rigged brig.
owned by Bartol OF Baltimore was
the only vessel which offered me
means OF transit at the time. and IN
her / took passage She was not
meant for passenger traffic. and had
no accommodation therefor; but had
known her commander Captain
Paine in other yeara and he well
coined me cordially and made me
comfortable.
Toward the night OF the Fourth OF
July we had got into the region Of
storms. and shortly after o'clock ON
the evening OF that day the wind
| came out from the northeast and
| very soon great drops OF rain came
pattering upon the deck.
There's thunder In this" said
Paine who had donned his storm
gear.
It was now as dark as dark could
be. Tho blackness was so utter that
there was relief in closing ones eyes.
Not a trace OF our tall spars could
I detect and the men who stood only
few feet Oft were hidden as by an
OPAQUE barrier. And the rain now
| came down in torrenta
The brig was heading upon her
course. very near south, with the
wind upon the larboard quarter. BY
and by binding fash q vivid CLEAN.
shot out from the ebon vault and a
broad blaze swept through the
heavens.
1t must have been very near
another half hour before the gloom
was again broken by the lightning. l
had gone forward and was leaning
over the bows watching the phos-
phorescent sparkle OF the broken
water. when sharply-uttered
"H-stm from the lookout aroused
me- and as / raised my head l dis
tinctly heard strange sound In the
distance-a sound us OF rushing
waters.
Captain Paine was In moment by
nv side. / did not know how long
he had been there. We stood by the
weather night head.
lis this you captainp' l asked.
.Yes," he answered. He spoke in
o whisper and his attention was else
where.
do you hear that strange soundp'
said /.
He listened an instant longer and |
heard him gasp
..Soundr' he cried; .its a ship!-
somethlng!-coming down upon us!'
The lookout was on the point OF
' crying out but the captain stopped
him.
I'VE must get the men to their
stations without alarming than. il
/, afI snUuJIng, as he went:
4 'All hands-all hands for lacking
To the braces every MANI
Captain Paine was again by my
side, and We peered off into the dark.
: ness. The dull roar was plainly heard.
/, out we could see nothing; we could
not even see the head of our own
bowsprit The old sailor groaned In
agony.
IF / could only see," he muttered.
AT that moment while yet the
words quivered upon his lips the
lightning blazed forth in the heavens
and the sea was illumined far and
near
Heaven save u.s." burst from
Paine's lips. and echoed the prayer.
Upon our weather bow and but a
few cables length distant doomed up
the spectral outlines OF the hull and
spars and the bellying canvas of a
heavy ship. She was heading direct
| ly across the line OF our course and
we were dashing toward each other
at fearful rate. During the brief
moment OF light the captain had been
as one paralyzed. but when the dark
ness had again shut in he started into
life isp.A
Ready about" he Numbered.
And from that instant his orders
were given so promptly and so plainly
that the men. who had come to real
lie that their lives were in the bal
ance made no blunder nor mistake.
lis she coming into staysp" ground
out the captain. with his hands
clenched and his teeth set like the
jaws of vise 6s
AS he spoke we heard the foretop-
sail flap and in a moment more the
staysail had taken the wind on the
other side. The order for swinging
the main-yards had just been given
when the heavens and the sea were
again illuminated by the lightning's
blaze and cry of horror went up
| from our deck. Aa...
The ship was now upon our star
board bow. hurting the spray from
her sides upon our cathead. and I
verify believe that man upon our
foreyard arm might have leaped upon
her deck, but she was not upon her
course--no no thank heaven! She
had snuffed the danger and. with her
helm hard down. was hauling away
from ua
1t was dark again-pitchy dark
and while we watched and waited
with hearts hushed to q painful still
mesa our vessel was caught as by
mighty grasp. There was a momen-
tary heaving and straining. a low
grating groaning sound. then followed
a snap and a crack and-nothinp
more Were we freep Tho answer
was at hand.
Another blaze OF electric light re-
Vaalod tn fId tho ohfr ~, o,~