The National tribune., 1893-11-09

"I thought heard queer noise" one Of the
| fishermen said.
1T was only the Sea-" responded the other
THE wind is rising with the tide and there'll
be 3 rough time before morning"
| Yea, this sOughing of the wind is threaten
| ing. We ought to be of in half au hour. The
schooner will be sfoat in an hour. and / cale'-
late it will take half an hour to get out to her"
Yes; We better go down to the boats now.
| Well call the boys together"
| The door closed. and the scene was once more
plunged in darkness. There was no time TO DO
lost The wreckers would be in the boats in
short time
| Wendell carefully pulled up his anchor and
| with one oar he showed his boat ont into deep
water. Then seating himself in the middle Of
the skif he piled the two oars vigorously
| When he reached the surf he found that
heavy sea was sweeping in from the ocean. and
his small boat plunged threateningly over the
crests of the waves.
The boy could follow the course Of the chan
mel even in darkness. and he avoided the rough
est part OF the surf; but occasionally q ground
swell would seize the small skiff and throw it
up violently. But there was no fear in the boy
when upon the water. He had braved many
| rough sea along the shoals before, and his skill
had always brought him ont safely.
Noises could bo heard long distance over
| the water, and in a few minutes he could hear
the mufied oars of other rowers upon the ocean.
The wreckers had already lanched their boats.
| Wendell bent 20 his oars with more vigor, and
his light skIf cut swiftly through the water.
| But outside of the beach the full sweep OF the
wind and waves was caught. and in spite OF his
| courage the scene alarmed the rover. The dis
| mai sound of the sea, and the terrible darkness
! around, saddencd and depressed his spirits.
| The flying spray had chilled him through, and
| the lights of the ship seemed as far of ever.
He listened to the mufled oars of the wreck
ar9 10 laff
seemed to be gaining upon him. He rested
| upon his oars for minute and took his bear
| ings.
He had been rowing off to one side too much,
| and the lights of the distant vessel were shin
ing like stars right over the bows of the pursu-
| ing boats. With a moan of despair Wendell
changed his course and directed hisskif in the
same direction. He tugged manfully at the
| oars. hoping yet to outstrip the men and to
reach the schooner in time to prevent the raid.
They were nearly in the line Of Snake ShOal
when the sea grew tremendously rough. 1t
| rolled and roared about on every side. Even
the cbannsl-way seemed to be seethiDg with
white, foamy breakers.
'Pull to the right" voice shouted out Of
the darkness "Quick. or we'll be swamped.
Weli be swamred. We're running on the
sboal"
The wreckers were in danger, and the boy
felt the peril of his own position. His skif
was QrlILlDS D6tOTe the nS2Vy sWcllS. DO MS
best, and the boat would not ride the waves.
The roar of breakers on every side startled and
alarmed him.
down there, down therei" be heard the
voice of his uncle shouting above the noise of
the sea. "Give her more leeway! Look out
for this one !"
There was heavy roll of a wave, and then
gurgling sound as if somebody had been swept
overheard. Immediately . voics walled
loudly:
"We've sprung aleak! We're losti"
Wendel's heart stood still. He saw dark
object float past him on the crest of wave.
He peered shudderingly at it, but in another
moment it had disappeared.
Then the huge wave struck his little skif.
The first blow unbalanced the boy. and he
clutched the sides of the boat in despair. But
the ountainous billow carried everything be-
fore it. The light boat was hurled over like
a cockle-sheIl, and in an instant it was lost to
sight in the darkness There was wild, des-
perate cry; it might have been the wall of a
sea foul or the mournful shrek of the wind.
The lights on board the stranded Sea Sprite
shone bright and clear. but they could not
throw enough radiance around TO raise the cur
tain of darkness from the scene of the tragedy.
Capt. Dougherty walked impatiently up and
down the deck. He heard the oars and the
cries of men, but nothing else. The sea grew
rougher, and he was anxious to get away from
"We must leave Immediately, or we'll be
stranded for good" he said when the schooner
was afoat "Our cabin boy can't reach US to-
night If he ventured out on the sea he's been
forced TO return."-
Still he waited He hated to give the final
orders to get under way. Then the heavy
wave swept inland. 1t decided his course of
action Immediately; but before the schooner
could turn around he heard the despairing cry
out of tho darkness. He leaned over the side
of the vessel and listened, but no further human
sound reached his ears.
The schooner cleared the shoals successfully
and reached the open before the storm
broke upon the beach. In the course Of few
days she reached New York. The storm along
the coast lasted nearly a week, and the beaches
were strewn with wreekage.
One day a letter was handed TO Capt.
Dougherty, addressed to the Captain of the Sea
Sprite. 1t was water-soaked, aud the ink
botted almost out of all recognition. The
friend explained: 4" 1t was picked up on the
Jersey coast. Near by it was drowned lad
one of the fishermen along the coast. Strange
coincidence, isn't t?"
Capt. Dougherty said nothing. He took the
letter and placed it upon the walls of his cabin
along with other mementoes of important
events. He sailed on his South American
journey without cabin boy. but the recovered
letter hung prominently before his eyes