The morning call., 1893-08-20
PRICE FIVE CENTS.

|
stars and stripes were spread over a desk
In the dining saloon, large Bible was
\ opened and an Episcop pal clergyman began
| the service. The beautiful words were
repeated and then the divine came to that
solemn prayer For those at sea-" just as
/ IL was begun Curtis noticed a quarter
master beckon to Captain Griffin. The
young man. who was seated near the COM
panlon-way. also arose and went out
FIRST otheer wishes you on the bridge,
| Sir" said the sailor.
The commander hastened there, then
went TO his room. where Curtis followed
| him.
AS feared. it's coming. The glass is
falling rapidly. We will catch il soon. l
wlsn you would go down below and as
soon as the services are over tell the PEOPLE
not TO De alarmed if they hear noises on
deck, for the wind is freshening and We
| may have TO take in SAIL"
curtis did so and in ten minutes re-
turned. Miss Campbell, clad in water
proof, accompanied him upon the bridge.
Captain" she said, "we are going to
have storm and L want to stay up here.
See, L am not bit afraid. ] won't be in
your way, and | don't want to be cooped
| up IN that close ToOm"
Ihe captain hesitated. "But your
"Oh, auntie is lying in stupor. She
hardly KNOWS what is going on
for her," Then: ''Around with thoIs
yards; haul in the starboard sheets; hurry.
men," ''A''
These words were shouted. for the wind
HOlh 'he south had suddenly ceased. the
canvas was Tapping to and fro. and in the
northwest low bank of cloud was NOV.
ing toward them with inaudibIe rapiditv
NO., not cloud; it was water--water caught
up from waYetops by the rushing wind.
=. Let go everything! Clew up!" yelled
RxT
twenty men was REINFORCED bv officer.
nremen, engineers and few passengers.
| Gurus lett the bridge and helped In a few
moments all the canvas save the first to'gal
!antsall was so fastened as to be protected
Tor the time being. As Curtis came ou
| the bridge again a binding rush of
| spray swept over the steamer. He caugbt
the little woman, who seemed to bend with
the winds fury. and helped her resist it's
| power. over, over to starbOard reeled the
| Colon until the water was level with the
scuppers, and even the heavy steamer
under the strain of the one sail scudded
along at frightful rate The foremast
! bent like flagstaff; then there was o re-
port like the discharge of a cannon, and
the ship righted little. That one sail
| had been blown from the boIt-ropes
Come. YOU had better go below, this is
no place for you," said Curtis, and she
allowed him to help her along the lee side
TO the companlonway. In spite of their
cloaks bo'h were drenched. for the air was
| fuii OF salt water and the decks were COW
cred with foam. In the meantime the saiI-
| Ors bad got the mainsail closely reefed and
| set and also the fOresal. This canvas
steadied the Colon somewhat and kept her
| head toward the seas.
| In the saloon there was a deathltke
silence save for sob heard now and then.
I The passengers were hudded together
/ waiting. There is nothing more dreadful
/ than this inactivity, this waiting during n
storm al sea. All the afternoon the gale
kept up, and soon the steamer began to
| pitch and toss as the sea rose. Waves
| swept over the port side, and the water
daShlng against the deckhouae oozefi
! Through the creviees and trickIed down.
the cnmpani0nway, About ) o'clock Cap
I tain Griffin came below for few moments
/ for cup OF coffee. He Whispered to
Curtis, we are ali rght If the canvas
holds.
/ MISS Campbell noticed this, and wnen ne
| had gone asked him what had been said
| He told her. She was showing great
bravery, this girl barely out of her teens.
And if the sails give way. Oh, [ know.
[ have read and heard people talk about
! the trough OF the sea-"
But she did not seem afraid, and with
Curtis assistance did her best to reassure
the others, laughing at the efforts of the
stewards to pass around few edibes at
! the dinner hour, for it was Impossible to
| set the tables The first part of the night
was like the day. Wildly the wind whis-
tied through the rigging and the weird
| screech was blended with the creaking of
| the woodwork and the splash of water,
then Interrupted by the dull, heavy sound
| of blow as waVo struck the steamer,
| bringing her for an instant almost 20
| standstill. One by one the passengers fell
into slpmber, some lying on the floor. some
on the sofas. A few crouched in corners.
| At mldnight there was another sharp re-
ri " hot orf
| glaneing at his companion, saw that she
did also. No one else seemed 10 pay any
attention TO this one among SO many hide
Gus sounds. Come, let's go to the head
of the stairs" said Curtis.
She went with him. A deckhouse shell
| tered the compani0nway. 1t was strong
| and well projected. Through the win
dows in front they could see the deck and
| the heaving SnOwcapped sea. The moon
| light had broken through the scurryfng
clouds and revealed the truth-the main
| sail had gone. Men, clingng TO lifelines,
! often kpee-deep in water, almost hauled
! themselves along the deck toward the fore
mast. Captain Griffin on the bridge,
trumpet in hand, was issuing orders, but
| his words could not be heard where thew
stood. AS the Colon pitched, he was at cne
moment below. the next above them The
! spray gltstened in the moonlight as it blew
! from his oil suit, andthe looked like a
| specter.
! 1noy are LTYlHR 10 SeI tH6 IOE6Sall,
| said Curtis.
! Slowly the canvas unrolled, was caught
in the wind and bulged out like balloon.
| The ropes frightened and stretched. Inch
by inch they were hauled in, and none too
soon, for the steamers head was falling
into that grave, the trough of the sea,
But, aided bv this new force, the Colon
| answered TO her helm once moIe.
"Will it hold, Raymond"
81 don't know. Nobody knows. II it
does rOt there is nothing else. We are
near death and it may come at any mo-
ment. Minnie, Minnie Fay, want to tell
you that l love you, dear heart. And if
this means life or death my love is the
same" In answer she put her hand in
his and nestled close to him.
/ For an hour they stood watching through
the spray-dashPd window, watching the
ropes that held the sail. the ropes the
breaking OF which meant death. The sail
tugced at its restraint and at times seemed
ready to burst its bonds, but it held. At 2
o'clock the moon that had been shining
occasionally through the angry mass of
vapor cast q soft light over all and the
clouds seemed TO melt away.
In half an hour the captain came into