The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1894-11-08

q
than one. Here we were, left with
out cook at the beginning of the
voyage, and there was something in
his taking off which aroused the super
stition of the hands forward. | think
the captain felt it as much as we did.
but of course he concealed it az much
as possible All that day we lay roast
ing and mOtiOnIess, and as the sun
went down and hglt breeze sprang
up every man uttered a heartfelt
THANK Heaven" We cTOwed too
soon, however. The breeze did not
push Us over five miles before it tired
out. and we were left as before. the
sky full of stars and the sea like a
mirror. | was in the mates watch and
came on duty at midnight. Indeed,
we were all on duty for that matter,
as there was nothing whatever to do
and we were sleeping on deck. | was
aroused, however, to take the lookout,
and | took my seat on the heel of the
bOwsprit as matter of form. As we
were not moving, no other sailing
craft could move, and the few steam
ers crossing our line could see our
lights and avoid US Something hap
pened, however, before / had been on
duty an hour The Josephine was
rising and falling on the CLASSY swell5,
and swinging her head to every point
Of the compass by turns, and / was
scanning the sea and the heavens in
the most perfunctory way, when an
object suddenly came into view. 1t
was black spot against the darkness,
and after rising to my feet and watch
ing it for a few minutes L made out,
as [ thought, the dismasted hull Of
small vessel 1t was coming down
toward us, and when sure Of this l
hailed the mate. He came forward
with the glass, and after long look
he said:
We'll, that beats my time 1t is
the hull of dismasted schooner, and
stands up high and dry. There's a
lot Of rattle around her bows, and [
believe a whale is tangled up in it
and towing the wreck"
He sent me to call the captain, and
in few minutes all hands had caught
the excitement The wreck stopped
for a while on our starbCard bow, and
not over quarter of mile away.
Then it crossed our bows and came
down on our port side to the quarter,
where it lay SO close that every man
could see what it was. IT was then.
at the suggestion of the captain, that
we raised our voices in the shout to
see If anybody was aboard the strange
craft We were answered almost i'm
mediately by the barking Of a dog,
and the captain said;
There are meu there. end they may
be starving and suffering, Well, low
el boat and pull out to her"
Heavens. sir, but you wouldn't
think of itr' whispered the mate
She's being towed by who knows
what? See. There she moves again,
And Just listen to that bowling.
1t was true that the hulk was NOV
ing. She moved across our stern at
slow speed and ranged up on the
other quarter, and the dog ceased his
barking and sent forth such mournful
hOWls that every man was upset.
What do yoH make out under her
bows?" asked the captain Of the mate
as he handed him the glass after long
look.
why sir, there's the bowsprit, the
fore topmast and a big tangle of
ropes" was the reply. 1T looks to
me as if all the foremast rattle had
Slowed around under her bows, and
I'm certain that a whale is tangled up
therein | can see fiecks of foam as
he churns away, and you can hear a
ripple along our side from the sea he
kicks up.
The dog barked and howled by
turns, but we got no other answer TO
our repeated shouts.
Men," said the captain, as the
wreck began moving slowly away,
its our plain duty to board that hulk
| could never forgive myself if [ left
any one to die Of starvation. [ won't
order any one to go, but I'll call for
volunteers.
Not a sailor responded for a minute
| waited to give the men chance, and
as they hesitated [ volunteered. Two
others then came forward, and their
action shamed the mate into saying:
Very we'll sir. I'll take Jones and
Harris and pull off and investigate"
Why he left me out | do not know,
but I was quietly ignored, and the two
middle aged men whose names [ have
given had the oars as the boat pulled
away. The captain called after the
mate to be sure to board the hulk, and
if he found her in good condition to
cut the rattle loose and report The
wreck had been moving away from Us
pretty steadily for ten minutes, and
as the yawl left Us l could hardly
make her out The mate was to show