The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-04-04
OVERHEARD.

! 0taSOs 6Au bl0y Nd0 Euu Tile ASSyf1afl
BLACK Star clipper) till she could not
run any longer, because the big seas,
running faster than she did, caught her
and tried hard to swamp her.
They would have done it, too, only her
skipper brought her to the wind 800
miles TO the southland OF the Horn. She
lay hove to like . duck. and after the
first big smother, when the helm was put
up, as dry as q cork.
II Is NOT every ship that viii do this.
But the Assyrian was one of them.
She rode gently up one big watery
slope and down the next yawning val
ley-down. till her white t'gallant cross.
trees looked black in the shadow cast by
the green hin, then mp again into the
cold southern ocean sunlight.
The wind howled and shrilled through
the rigging, bare and stiff, and swept
along the yards In vain attempts to tear
the canvas from its gaskets, and failing
miserably swooped down with d wild
oar on to the tarpau1in stretched in the
mizzen rigging, which it fattened till
the ratlines showed through 1t like the
ribs of a skeleton.
It vas blowing Is ii only car blow
down there-fve or six gales dashed to-
gether with round sennit.
One watch, sea booted, oil skinned and
~rnittened. was hanging about for'ard and
under the break of the foc'sle.
The other one had turned in, all stand
ing and ready for call. In such weather
no man knows from minute to minute
what may happen.
1t was bitterly cold. The skipper and
the chief were below. The second mate
stamped the poop, squirting doubtfully
every time he turned aft at the great sea
mountains which curled bullying M.
overhung the taffrail for q minute and
then, as the ship rose, rolled away with
. deep, hoarse below OF disappointment.
To leeward, over the white. soapy
swirl of the breaking combers, swooped,
9uttered and screamed . flock or molly
hawks and cape pigeons. while d few al
batrosses sailed majestically around.
Presently the second mate, coming 10
the poop rail, sang ont, "Johnson!r
faye, aye" came back from the group
for'ard asa man lurched art.
There's an Irish pennant on the star
board fore t'gallant brace, Johnsor, = said
the second mate. up you go an ret 1t
Oh. Look slippy, nowT'
The mama tall, rawboned, powerful
''blnenose.n got onto the rail, and stand,
ing there, with his hand on the shear
pole. said di~sgustedly: Another work
up job! HAHN agen, is you, you greaser
hound, a-sendin a man on d boys er-
rand"
"N14ie o. yer Iipg' exclaimed the sec
ond mate savagely, for he was in an evil
temper, the steward having stopped his
grog. None o. yer lip, or TIL log yerr'
eff 'twasn't that I don't want D bad
discharge out Of her" retorted the other.
slowly beginning to climb under the gale
which pinned him to the rigging, .sTd
come over an kick yer head of. But
when I get ashore I'll hang for your
This In such o tone of deep conviction
as allowed of no doubt Whatever. And
so the ''greaser' appeared 20 think, for.
without arguing the point, he resumed
his walk, and the other his long, unnec-
essary journey.
And all hands for'ard, having nothing
else to do, watched the yellow figure ike
some great lizard blown fat into the
shrouds and crawling up them q ratline
at a time.
..Ughp exclaimed one .'It's a sneezer
up therei Wonder how Mi. Greaser
hisself nd fancy it2 Regular hazer, e iss
An 'e's allus 'ad o down ON Dan"
"A man as nd send another up there
when it's a-freezin ft to cut the top
hanks OF q observation-disclosures lib amt got
the feelin's of o cannibal savidgef' re-
marked another, ian all for the sake o. d
bit o. parcelin ~ wouldn't tie up a sore
finger"
Newer mind" put In q third sooth-
ingly Al he shivered. Another week or
two, an well be doin the toff around
Lime-us, dressed up TO the knocker an
a-smokin Of seegars, 'orty an hinde-
pendent, don't-care-a-damn. An no more
sea for this chicken. III go a-costerin,
with q barrer an d big lump o. hockey
pokey an . bushel D. rotten fruit fustsrs
my yortls said D stout little Dutch
man. 1T Is plowin a. the duyvel cor
sides. Janshun haf took his oilskin OF
mid in der top"
And then they all stood silently chew
ing and watching the spread eagle yel-
low figure as It slowly assembled the top
mast rigging, then Skinned up onto the
topgallant yard, and laying ont to lee
ward tried to reach and untwist the lit
tie bit of canvas blown from deck or
stay till caught around the standing part
or the brace.
Twice and thrice they saw him stretch
his full length. holding Cd. 60 the lift by
one hand. But the auttering rag was
Just ont of reach.
Drawing his sheathknife, he once
more stretched ont. AT that moment
the second mate, also watching, went
over, and without Il word or warning
lot 20 the brace on deck.
The yard swung round, and the yellow
bundle crouching at IT. farthest extrern-
lily darted down for 20 feet with arnas-
ing swiftness; then, seeming to expand
itself Id four times its natural siza. sailed
gently or to1esward.
ssAfan Overhoaxdfp