Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-09-16
.Its onmistekeable Cheese sai


question now Is what's our dutyp
Does she expect US to beat M to her.
or amt it more likely that knowing
we re here she'll put her helm up
and run down to us?'
why. yes" said Cheese. no
doubt ITS more likely she'll put her
helm up. but we ought to make her
know where VIC are.
'Why. certainly" said old Muffin.
and on that he ordered us to make
flare. which wo kept burning for
nearly a quarter of an hour. the Susan
meantime being brought nearly to
standstil.
But though the spark grew bigger
1t was evidently because the fire was
increasing and not because the brig
was coming down to US. and seeing
this our old man made up his mind to
beat up to the vessel and see what he
could do in the way OF saving life
The moon came up in the east as
red as blood, but before long she
turned white and gave a dim light
just enough perhaps to let the people
in the brig see us sailing TO them or
for us to have seen them had they
taken to their boats and been knock
ing about on the lookout for us The
fire was too good a sign for old Mut-
fms keen eye to go wrong.
He said to Cheese: II shall sail
close under hor stern and find out
what they mean 10 do. II they have
boats we'll go round and heave to to
leeward. and pick them up as they
come. II they've got no boats we
fashion; but anyhow let's hear what
they have to say"
We were now fast nearing the blaz-
ing ship on our last tack. 1t was easy
to see why she had not run down to
us. for she so lay as TO show that she
was unmanageable. She had come
up in the wind and was all on fire
forward. the rigging catching the
flames and everything cracking and
sparkling and Kissing that way as
high as the foremost
The blaze drove aft and smoke blew
along in smother full OF fiery stars
The water all around was lighted up.
and so was the sky for the matter OF
that; but don't think | should have
found her the awful picture that my
recolections make her If it had not
been for the crowd of heads we saw
watching us over the tatfrail The
fire showed thcm as plainly as the
daylight would. and one OF our crew
sang out: Good GOD. there's two
women among them"
Old Muffin sprang out on the rail-
He wanted no trumpet His lungs
were cast-iron. and us he used TO
say. trumpets only weakened his
voice. He waited till the time came;
then he yelled Brig ahoy" There
was waving of hands and shrieks
and cries.
Great thunder" roared Muffin.
'they re all,foreigners. Anyone aboard
speak English?' he sang out.
There were more yells and brandish-
ing OF hands. but no further time was
allowed. The Susan had slipped out
of earshot
Anybody see anything like boat
aboard of herr" bawls Cheese.
We all said no. for had there been
anything of that kind hanging at the
davits we should have seen it, and as
for n longboat the burning vessel
rolled so as to show her decks plainly
and where her chocks ought to have
stood there has nothing to be seen. 1t
was clear her decks had been swept
by the sea, and through bad weather
and other causes she had lost all her
boats
Muffin turned to Cheese and said:
whats to be done now is this: we
must get our big boat over and you
ard two hands must jump into her.
We'll tow you as close to the burning
vessel as we can. and then I'll heave-
to the Susan while you bring Off them
wretched people,.
Right sir. said Cheese; and we
turned to and rugged a tackle and got
the boat over-the big one. l mean
for fruiters usually carried two boats,
small one slowed within large one.
But that launching was Job. It's
easy to write about it. but to under
stand the care which was required YOU
needed to behold with your own eyes
the waves which were running and
the manner in which our schooner
tumbled about in them. | and anoth-
er man and Mr. Cheese got into the
boat and dropped astern. The schoon-
er's helm was then shifted, and under
very easy sail she ran down TO the
burning brig. lufiing hard up as she
came under her stern when we slip.
ping our oars rowed as hard as pos
sible to the briggs stern whore we
hooked on taking care to keep clear
OF her as she rolled. We sang out to
her men to hand the women over first
and they seemed to understand what
we sa d. but it was awful work. Such
hanging back. such crying out such
screaming such showing. | feared
they would swamp the boat As it
was two of them made a Jump and
tumbled in the water and one was
drowned. getting under the vessel
somehow
We pushed off with one load and
then came back for the other. We
got all the rest OF the people safe. and
such was their excitement that they
came very near TO capsizing the boat
and drowning us all by striving some
OF them to take us in their arms and
kiss us. We men belonging to the
schooner remained in the boat till all
the rest of the people. who turned out
to be Frenchmen. were on board; but
scarce had the last one OF them climbed
over the side wien Muffin roared out:
Quick. Mr.. Cheese; up with yel up
with We all for dear life. Bear hand
before were blown into RAGS Quick
with We! Never mind about tho boat