Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-09-29

low voice, with his eyes hked on inc
card.
Presently he exclaimed, in his grun-
est voice: "Call the carpenter TO sound
the WE'LL
This WINS soon dispatched, and re-
turned and reported dry bottom"
"lIeaye the log, sir"
called couple Of hands aft and
went through the tircsome and tedious
| job 81 asccrtaining the speed by the
measured line and sand-glass.
"What do you mako itP' demanded
Coxon.
Thirteen knots. sir
lie looked over the side ns though 90
/ assure himself that tho computation
was correct, then called out:
"Clew up the mnin-royal, and furl
H."
/ This was tho beginning. and II was
about time that n beginning was made.
The breeze had freshcnod into n strong
wind, this had grown into half gale,
and the look OF the sky promised n
whole gale before morning. The main
royal halliards were let go, and a cou-
pie Of hands went up to stow the bit Of
canvas that was humping among the
clouds.
Presently; "Furl tho four and miz-
zen top-gallant sails"
This gave occupation TO the watch;
aud now the decks began to grow live
~ with tho figures OF men running
about, with songs and choruscs, with
cries Of "Belay. thcrc!" Up with II
smartly, my ladsl" and with tho heavy
Mapping OF canvas.
All this, however, was no very great
reduction Of sail. The Grosvenor car
ricd the Old-fashionGd single top-sails,
and these immense spaces Of canvas
were holding n power Of wind. Over
head tho scud flew fast and furious,
and all to windward the horizon was
very thick. We took in tho main-top-
gallant sail and then ! stood waiting
for an order ] was sure must come.
II Is one thing to "cnrry on, " but 1t Is
another thing TO rip the masls out Of u
ship. The wind wa, not only incrcas-
ing, but increasing with squalls.
AT last tho ca tain gave the order ]
awaited;
"All hands reef top-sails."
In u merchantmen the crow il al
ways less in number than 1t ought to
be. The work Of taking In sail with q
gale blowing Is therefore very difficult,
and the noise and confusion are always
great. IL was so in this instance. Tho
din Of the pcaling canvas, furiously
shaken by the bowling wind, the cries
Of the men getting the sail over to
windwnrd, the booming Of the seas
against the ships bows, the grooming
Of her timbcrs, the excited grunting Of
terrified pigs, and tho rumbling OF an
empty wntcr-cask, which had broken
from its lashings and was rolling to
and fro tho main-dcck, constituted an
uprOnr OF which no description, how
ever elaborate, could even family ox-
press tho overwhelming character.
When the dawn broke ~ found tho
Grosvcnor under rerfrd tOp-sais, fore
tOp-mnst, staysuil, furcsuil, main-trl-
sail and spankcr, snug enough, but
with streaming decks, for the gallo had
raised heavy beam sea, and tho deep
laden ship was sluggish, and took the
water repeatedly oy,r herw cathcr-bul-
warks.
The watch below had turned In
again, but IL wns already seven bells,
and Mt four O'Clock my turn would
come 30 go To bed. had charge OF tho
ship, for the captain, having passed
tho night In observing his vessels sail
ing powers under all canvas, had gone
below, and was not sorry to get rid
Of him, for his continued presence aft
had become nuisance to my eyes.
had now leisure 10 recall tho fatal
accident | have related. and tue IN.
humanity 81 Captain CuNon's comment
upon it. Rugged myself in my thick
coat m ! looked asirrn ut the cold aud
rushing waters, and thought Of the bit
ter, sudden deaths Of the unfortunatcs
we had run down. But for the men
ON tho lookout, never soul among ua
would have known that living beings
had been hurled into sudden and
dreadful death; that the ship in which
we sailed had pcrchance made widows
of sleeping wives, had made children
fathcrless, and that ruin aud bcggary
aud sorrow had been churncd up out
Of the deep 10y our unspnring bows.
Our voyage had begun inuuspicious-
ly enough, God knows; and as looked
toward the east where the morning
light was kindling over the livid,
rugged horizon, n strange depression
fell upon my spirits, and the PRESENT.
mcnt then entered my mind, and never
aftcrward quilted Il, that pcrils and
suffering and death were in store for
us. and that when ! had looked on the
English coast last night | was uncon-
sciOusly bidding farewell TO scenes
should never behold again.