The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-12-31

A Romantic Episode Of a Mediterranean Storm.

thought lt:was all: over with them. The
lee +seLpper was under" water. and IN
another instant it was rushing over The
deck and. hntblng into the companions
through the creyices. 1t seemed as though
Davy Jones" himself had 'clapper-clawed
the ma st-heads. and: was. using them as
levers to capsiZe her. while the sails were
~tueging at: her as if they would have torn
the :spars out of herr SO that he was eX-
pectlng every second either that she would
turn over keel up, or that the masts would
snap off short by the deck But at length
the lively little craft came gayly 10 the
wind, shaking her plumage like wild
duck, and then rushed off in wild career
over the waste of Kissing waters.
Rather close shave, skipper" said
Mr.. Boyton, with a CULVER IN his voice.
Yes. indeed. sir was the reply
rather too close to be pleasant"
Bravely did the poor Acantha battle
with the storm. II was blowing little
short of hurricane, and over the low
bulwarkS the pillows rushed with almost
irresistible fury, but she rose from them
like a duck and then dived down defiantly
into the trough of the next one.
:. We must now descend 10 the cabin and
see how Bertha and her aunt had been
faring. For few moments after the gale
had struck her, and the yacht lay almost
on her beam-endS, Bertha and Miss BOy;on
had been seated on one of the lounges
aghaSt with terror. and then were sud-
denly thrown from 1t and found them
selves pitched over to leeward. For a
moment or two they sat in bewilderment.
struck with horror and dismav at the VIC
lence of she storm.
Poor Miss Boyton sat there pale, dumb
and inOtionless; she thought her last hour
was come. Even when the Yacht righted
Itself the incessant rushing ard washing of
the water as. it burst over the deck. the
ip-nr IF n n iOn do a
ropes. the sharp. clear voice Of the cap
tain. the believing OF the wind and the
hoarse cry Of the sailors were all 10 her
unintelligible. but at the same time
fraught with terror.
Come, -aunty," said Bertha, holding ont
her hands. ''the danger is all over, hope.
+. \ on see. the steward and. his mate are
clearing up the wreck"
Miss Boyton had hardly been seated and
had not yet recovered from her fright,
when the three gentlemen came i'm search
of what Mr.. Boyton called a refresher
ON, Robert p she exclaimed, now are
things on deck? Shall we be drowned ?''
II hope no" replied her brother,
:cheeriv. I'VE must hope for the best /:
the wind may go down as quickly as it
rose
= "Well, Miss Bertha" broke in Mr..
Buckley. what do you think of a le-
Vanter?''
THAT they are not things to be joked
about" she answered snapplshly. -.-~
Il have spoken to the skipper about the
cork: jackets and fe-belts, aud you can
have yours rs soon as you say the word, ."
ne continued.
That will do, that will do, Buckley, -
INTERRUPTED Mr.. BoytOn. ''ihis Is no
time for jokes and badinage, We none of
us make sure that we will see tie light Of
another day. Miles tells ME that the ccast
under our lee is very dangerous one. Let
minded"
=, But. papa" cried Bertha, "ean nothing
be done?"
THERE'S nothing to be done. child" re-
piled Mr.. Beytoh. "All We can do is 10
trust In heavens good providence
= so the night wore on, along and terrible
one. The gale continued; the wind
hOwled and ragged; the sky was nne entir
black pail, through which an occasion II
flash OF, blue lightning bn-st out like
.tongues.of flame. revealing for the time
the" huge and angry pillows that rolled
beneath
AS time advanced faint streaks of the
coming dawn began TO show themselves in
the east. Thea:SHddenly there was a Iull
in the gale. The horizon seemed 10 con-
tract, the SEA became black as ink, and the
wind fell &c a dead calm.
They were in the vortex, and the silence
was appalling.
During the death-like panse in the
tempest. infinitely more awful than the
roaring of the gale. every sound on board
was heard with startling distinctness
Ihs lasted for quarter Of an hour or
more. and then 10 the distance there cana
q low hut angry growl, and thick mist
came driving up asteTn. On and on came
the@gale, roaring angriy. while all around
the Acantha was still and calm.
stand by, Sta nd by! Hold 90 - roared
the skipper, as u. e gale, in an almost OPP
poslte direction, came laundering down
with stunning violence, tearing off the
heads Of the huge pillows and cruS hing
down their mountainous crests into a level
plain OF seeth'ng foam, while the Acantha
was swept before it like m eggshell
In the midst ot this furious conflict of
winds and waters there came several
sharp REPORTS like the fifing0f cannon :;
the. backstays ana shr0uds snapped off like
.packthreads and the mastS, deprived of
their supports, bent like wilnwS before
the gale. and then with crash broke off
snort by the deck and were blown clean
over the bows into the sea
The crash of the falling masts startled
the two occupants of the cabin and simul-
taneouS shreks escaped from both. That
some dreadful calamity had befallen them
was certain. but what was its nature they
could not conceive and they sat staring at
one another in blank terror
The tempest, meantime, continued with
una bated fury, but above it all came the
clear voice of the captain aud the re-
sponsive shouts of the crew.
A quarter of an hour or more elapsed.
.then-boOml went signal gun, followed
by the whirring of 4 rocket.
What is that?" asked Miss Bnyton.
"A signal of distress" replied Bertha.
Then we must be in great danger 81
T "Undoubtedly.
Clankl clank! went the pumps, and
boom. went another signal of distress
''Fnat's the pumps," said Miss BOyton :;
''we must have sprung a Leak
: Very probable" replied Bertha
'What shall we do, dear? It'sdreadful."
cried the poor lady. ''Why. we shall % to
the bottom! On. why was J. persuaded to
come on this dreadful crulse?" and she
buried her face IN her hands and wept,
Half.an hour had passed. The minute
gun continued and the clankIng Of the
prmps was incessant; but no one came TO
enlighlen them of the peril they were in or
the nature of the catastrophe which had
sused it.
at last Fred Roberts came slowly down
&c companion stairs. He was drenched,
fhite and grimy, and as Bertha sprang to
meet him She thought there was look of
despair on his countenance.
On, Fred. dear" she cried. anXiously.