The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-08-02


steadily. and faint hopes of shift in
its direction began to overcome his de-
spair. At first he told Lieut. Garnett
of his hopes, for every moment tho
| wind crept nearer the land At half
past five he gave orders to weigh the
anchor. as he had hopes of being able
to beat out of the bay. He was first
rate sailor, and knew his boat
All was got ready. The soldiers
frightened up at the prospect of .
move, and, when everything was ready,
they were set to work to haul in the
hawser, while the sailors hoisted the
sail.
As the anchor was lifted from the
bottom, the waves drove the boat to-
ward the shore. The Chinese raised a
triumphant howl. thinking that the
boat was dragging her anchor, and that
their long-anticipated prey was about
to fall into their hands.
The sail was rapidly hoisted, the wind
caught it and the shoreward rush of the
boat was checked She stood still. The
waves forced her toward land, and the
wind was only just sufficient to coun-
teract the rush of the sea.
She hung as in balance. Which
would win the day? The slightest lull
in the wind. and the boat would be
whirled on shore with such force that
the sail would be unable to gain the
mastery. 1t was a trying moment.
Their lives hung by thread
The anchor was heavy, but the eager
hands of the men rapidly hauled it in.
Look sharp with that anchor. men, "
cried the mate, anxiously; its just a
bay or not"
The men were straining every nerve
to get the anchor in. as it was hoped
that as soon as it was ON board the bal
ance would be in favor of the wind. AT
last it came to the surface, and the
sailor leaned over to swing it on board,
while the other men leaned over to the
other side to trim the boat.
With heave he swung the anchor
over the gunwale, and fell backward
into the bottom OF the boat with the
ragged end of the hawserin his hand.
The cable had parted
On examination, il was found that
the rocks had chafed through the stout
hawser, leaving the anchor attached by
a single strand; and this, worn nearly
through, had parted at sthe slight jerk
given1by the sailor.
Had the mate dSayed but a few
minutes longer the cutter must have
been dashed ashore before they had
time to hoist the sail.
All now understood the anxiety
which the mate had been unable alto
gether to conceal in his looks, and his
eagerness to leave their meorings to
which they were held by so frail a
stay.
The boat, freed frcr1tthe dragging Of
the anchor, now began slowly to move
forward in the water.
The Hhinese, as they saw their prey
slowly but surely Creeping out of dam
ger, raised howl of execration. The
occupants of the boats, weary as they
were, gave a hooking cheer in answer,
and waved their dripping caps in fare
we'll.
After many tedious tack the cutter
succeeded in beating outof the bay. and
in making her way to the ship, which
they reached at ten p. m. Here they
were received almost as if they had
risen from the dead. They had been
seen from the ship, whose masthead
headlights alone they had been able to
distinguish over the headland. Those
on board the Swallow had seen the
crowd of Chinese, and had imagined
that they were waiting for the ship to
be driven on shore, and share the fate
which they concluded had befallen their
comrades in the cutter.
The exhausted party thankfully made
their way on board, where the relief of
moving their cramped limbs after sit
ting so long in small boat was pleas
ure to them, weary and worn as they
were.
They all turned in, and found deeper
pleasure in the warm hunks and ham,
mocks, to which they retired after being
provided with hot soup. About noon
next day they made their appearance,
none the worse for their long exposure
and anxiety, though the two officers
were observed to be more than usually
silent for several days afterward.
c. II. Ozanne, in Boys Own Paper.