The Red Cloud chief., 1892-09-02
EMBARkATlON OF COLUMBUS.
Tho Great Mariner aud Ills crew on the
Historic Eve.

On August >, lip2. everything was
ready. and the crew were notified to
embark, to await tho uncertain moment
when n favorable wind should permit
the little fleet to set sail. Nothing No
bcfittcd that solemn hour as a votivc
procession from the caravcls 70 tho
monastery. to which the eyes Of the
mariners turned MS to n spiritual
beacon, brighter than any that fiarcd
along the hcudlands, This pious duty
performed, the crew returned on bonrd
the caravels, where they patiently
awaited the order To sail, while Column.
bus retired To the monastery eagerly to
watch for IA favoring wind.
Columbus kept all sail on his c~aravcls
during the night of August .. The old
salts OF the crew looked for a favoring
wind at starting and Columbus's eager
watchfulncss was not To pass unrc-
wardcd. From the height ON which La
Rabida stood, he scam ell sea and sky
with stcadfast gaze, like one of those
sca-birds, presagcrs Of changes Of wind
and weather, clinging To the SCARED
and storm-bcatcn cliff. About three In
the morning, while the stars vet
twinkled in the skies and all earth
slumbcred, the awaited breeze sprang
up, bringing new life to the d~iscovercr's
veins and q%uickening the throbbing Of
his heart. The pines murmured as
though %hymning the dawn. and the
waters ripplcd as though hcaving with
the breath Of love and hope. Columbus
awakened Padre Juan, and nc In turn
the child Diego, and the three
repaired to the chapel in quest Of
heavenly aid and religious solacc
for the approaching pangs Of
separation and for the Hateful voy-
age. As In the boundlcss ether shine
the stars, so the lamps flickcrcd In the
little church, lighting with their rays
alike the courses of the ocean and the
pathways OF the soul. The monk put
on his priestly vestmc nts md celebrated
the holy sacrament mt the high altar,
before the tapcr-lighted virgin. The
hour was come, and Columbus ~resolutc.
ly descended to the shore, plucking
himself away from embraces that held
him to the land like some deep. rooted
oak, for the sail-wings were ready to
bear him 70 the realm Of sea and shy.
He soon reached the wharf, and rs the
dawn broke In the east the flagship
majestically n In shore To take the
new argonaut on board. The fiuttcring
sails, the hurried maneuvcrs OF the
crew, the boatswain's whistle. and tho
cries of the sailors as the ships got
under way, announced n speedy depart
urc and attracted the early risen viii
layers To the shore in their natural
desire to witness the scene and to bid
farewell to departing friends and loved
ones. When Columbus sprang from
the skiif on board the ~caravel, and the
anchors were weighed, u shudder ran
alike through the departing sailors and
the leave-takers on the strand. Where
they were going they knew, but as
their westward course after leaving
Cadiz and the Canarics was to take
them far beyond those lately won
islands, none knew whittier they were
bound or the duration OF the voyage.
The cross floated above the flagship.
which bore seward toward the un-
known, seeking mysteries pcrchancc
impcnetrable and inaccessible to the
human mind and unconquerable by
human will.-Emilia CASTELAR,, In Cen.
tury,