Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-12-15
The Story Of a Wreck.
gAysliins and Romantic Account Of
Q Mutiny ct See
ny w CLARK RUSSELL.

In nv ear. ~ had Just tim. to sing
cut TO Cornish to slacken the leo braces
and put the helm hard over.
I'VE shall never be able 70 runp
beloved back. "She'll DO popped, as
sure az a gun, when tho sea comesl
We must hoave her TO while wo can.
No use thinking Of the foro-top sail-t
must gov'
But the boatswain could not control
the wheel alone; tho blows OF tho sea
against the rudder made 1t hard Tor
sven four pairs OF hands to hold tho
wheel steady. rushed to tho compan.
lon and bawled for tho steward, and
when. after long pause, no emerged.
no sooner did tho Wind bit him than he
rolled down the ladder.
I sprung below, hauled him up by
the collar Il his jacket. and drove him
with both hands to his stern up to tho
wheel
'.Hold on To these spokesl" I roared.
And then Cornish and ran staggering
Along the poop.
.Get the end Of the starboard main
brace TO the capstan' cried to him.
Look alivel ship ono OF tho bara
And then scrambled as best could
down on tho main-dock, and went iloun-
dering forward through the water, that
was now washing higher than my
ankle, 10 tho foretop-sal halyards,
which let 40.
Crack whlzl away went tho sail,
strips Of IL flying into the sea like
smoke.
struggled back again onto the poop,
but the violence Of tho wind was al
most moro than l could bear; II beat
the breath out of me; IL stung my face
lust as II II were filed with needles; II
rosred In my oar IL resembled a solid
wall; IL rolled me of my knees and
hands, and obliged me 10 drag myself
against II bit by bit, by whatever came
In my road n hold on TO.
Cornish lay upon the deck with the
end Of tho maln-braeo In his hand,
having taken no ecessary turns with
II around tho apstan.
laid my weigh against tho bar and
went 10 work, and, scramblln; and
painting, beaten half d ad Ly tn wind,
and no more able 10 lo. k astern wi h
out protecting my Dyes with my lands
than could survo any o .ect in O
room full Of binding yoke, ] gradu'
ally got the main ard ound, Int
found l had not x strength TO bring
10 close B. tho mY1
saw tho boatJwain speak 10 the
steward. who lot tho heel TO he'll mt
with his weigh =. ainst tho oapstan
bar.
Ito think Mt hat moment that tho
koaswain transformed himself int M
imm va 10 ilgurc -on. HEAVIER
knows from VIII measur less innel
sources no procured tho temporary
strength; no ,linchcd his teeth, ant
the muscles In his hands rose like bulbs
a. he hung TO the wheel and pi ted hi
strength against the blows OF tho s-al
upon the rudder.
Brave, honest fellow truo seaman
true Englishmanl Well would II b.
for sailors were there moro Of his kline
among them 10 set them examples o
honest labor, noble sclf-sacrilice anc
duty ungrudgingly performed
The seas struck the ship heavily a
she rounded TO. 1 feared that sh'
would have too much headsail to III
close, for tho foresail and forotop-sai
were In ribbins they might SHOW
enough roaring canvas when coupled
with the forctop-mast stays TO max
her pay of, wo having no af ersail 80
10 counterbalanco tn oilo i of them.
However, sho lay steady, that l., u
the compass goes, but role fearfully
walloving deep like u ship hal u q
water, and shipped such tremendou
seas that constantly expected TO hes
tho crash Of the galley stove In.
l now shaded my eyes and look
astern. The horizon was dull blanl
nothing was In sight but tho rugge
llno OF water and the nearer. deeI
dark, wider shadow Of the leaden pou
ing clouds
CHAPTER XXI.
In bringing the ship close to Il
wind IN this terrible gals, witho
springing SPAR wc had dono what
never should have believed practical
TO four men, taking into considerable
tho size Of the ship and tho prodlgio
force OF tho wind; and when look
aloft and considered that only f.
hours before, 81 to speak, tho ship W
carrying all tho sail that could DO p
upon her. aud that three men h
stripped her Of II and put hor under
olose-reefed maintop-sail fit to enoou
ter raging hurricane, could n
help thinking that we had right
feel proud Of our endurance AMI splr
There was no difficulty now IN no
Ing tho wheel, and, had no worse {
than was nowrunning been promised
the holm might havo been ashed a
the vessel lain as comfortably a.
smack with her foresall over TO wiz
ward.
The torn sails were making hidet
noise on tho yards forward. and
there was no earthly reason why I
clamor should DO suffered TO last
called TO Cornish to get his knife ret
aud help me TO cut tho canvas av
from tho jack-stays. Wo hauled
braces taut TO steady the yards, |
then went aloft, and in ton mimi
severed the fragments OF tho fore
and topsail, and they blew up into
air like paper. and were carried nel
half a milo before they tell into tho
The wind wns killing up aloit al
was heartily glad to get on deck ag'
not only to escape tho wind, but
account Of the foretop-mast and top-I
lant-mast, both Of which had b
heavily tried. and now rocked hea
as the ship rolled, and threatened
aome down with the weight Of
yards upon them.
But neither Cornish nor I
strength enough in US to stay
masts moro securely; our jour
aloft and our sojourn on the va
and aur 1uht with the wind ~ m,