Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-06-15

well job, | said, perhaps II would
be as well. There are lots of blankets
there, only be careful to keep ont of the
moon, or 1t may turn your head or blind
you.
Lord, sir! | don't think it would much
matter /, it did; it is that turned already
with the sight of these blackamoors and
their filthy, thieving ways. They are only
fit for muck, they are; and they smell bad
enough for il already"
job it will be perceived, was not at
lached TO the manners and customs OF our
dark skinned brothers
Accordingly we hauled up the boat by
he tow.rope till il was right under the
stern of the dhow, and job bundled into
her about as gracefully as "A sack of pota
toes. Then we returned and sat down on
the deck again and smoked and talked in
little gusts and jerks. The night was so
lovely and our brains were SO full of sup
pressed excitement Of one sort and another,
that we did not feel inclined to turn IN.
For nearly an hour we sat thus, and then,
| think, we both dozed off At least have
a faint recollection of Leo sleepily explain
ing that the head was not a bad place TO
hit buffalo, if you could catch him ex-
actly between the horns, or send your
bullet down his throat, or some nonsense
of the sort.
Then remember no more, till suddenly
"a frightful roar of wind, a shrek OF
terror from the awakening crew and
whip-like sting of water in our faces.
Some of the men ran to let go the halyards
and lower the sails. but the parrel jammed,
and the yard would not come down.
sprung to my feet and hung on to rope
The sky aft was dark as pitch, but the
moon still shone brightly ahead Of us and
lighted up the blackness. Beneath It's
sheen huge white.topped breaker, twenty
feet high or more, was rushing on 10 US.
1t was on the break-the moon shone on
its crest, and tipped its foam with light
On it rushed beneath.th the inKy shy, driven
by the awful squat behind it. Suddenly,
in the twlnklng of an eye, saw the black
shape of the whale-boat cast high INTO the
air on the breaking wave. Then-a shock
of water, a wild rush of boiling foam, and
l was clnging for my life to the shroud-
ay, swept straight out from it like flag in
gale,
We were popped.
The wave passed 1t seemed to me that
| was under water for enthusiastically it
was seconds. | looked forward The blast
had torn out the great sail, and high In the
air it was fluttering away to leeward like
huge wounded bird Then fora moment
there was comparative calm, and in 1t
heard Jobs voice yelling wildly;
Come here to the boat.
Bewildered and half drowned as | was,
had the sense 10 rush aft. felt the dhow
sinking under me-she was full of water.
Under her counter the whale-boat was
tossing furiously and l saw the Arab
Mahomed, who had been steering leap in
to her. | gave one desperate pull at the
tow.rope to bring the boat alongside.
Wildly sprung also, and Job caught me
with one arm, and rolled into the bottom
OF the boat. Down went the dhow bodily,
and as she did so Mahomed drew his
curved knife and served the fiber roap by
which we were fast TO her, and in another
second we were driving before the storm
over the place where the dhow had been.
81 | ell .b.v Il
Leo? Leoi Leoi'
Hes gone. sir, God help him" reared
Job into my ear, and such was the fury of
the squall that his voice sounded like
whisper.
wrung my hands in agony Leo was
drowned, and | was left aliye to mourn
HIM.
Look outl" yelled Job; "here comes
another
| turned a second huge wave was over
taking us. hoped it would drown me.
With curious fascination | watched its
awful advent The moon was nearly
hidden now 10y the wreaths of the rushing
storm, but little light still caught the
crest of the devouring breaker There was
something dark in it-a piece of wreckage.
1t was on us now, and the boat was nearly
full of water. But she was built in air
tight compartments-IIeav bless the
man who invented them and lifted up
through it like swan. Through the foam
and turmoil saw the black thing on the
wave hurrying right at me- put out my
right arm to ward it from me, and my
hand closed on another arm, the wrist of
which my fingers gripped like wise.
am very strong man, and had something
to hold TO, but my arm was nearly torn
from its socket by the strain and weight of
the floating body. Had the rush lasted |
another two seconds must either have
let 60 or gone with it. But it passed, leav
ing US up to our knees in water.
Bail OUT bail OUT" shouted Job, suit.
ing the action to the word
Il 4