The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1895-11-14

when he saw that sand, and prepara-
tions were Immediately made for
shooting the trawl.
This business occupied some time
and while it was doing stood look
ing at the picture of the tempestuous
moonlit sea, and the threads of fire
veinlng its black activities, and at
| the smack that had shortened sail
about half g mile to the leeward of Us,
and was plunging and vanishing and
re appearing, amid haze of luminous
spray, like an object seen through a
white veil.
At last the trawl warp was shackled
on, and everything was ready.
"Away with him"
| The mass of netting went overheard
and seemed to dissolve in the dark
water; shoppers were put on, and the
warp Delayed forward and there were
the nets, seventy fathoms distant und-
er water on our quarter, drifting along
with the smack.
As soon as the trawl was shot. the
sidelights were taken in and riding
| light mast headed. So keen as now
blew-the cold of it made a real tor
ture by the flakes of foam by which it
| was loaded-was more than | could
| stand for any length of time; SO |
| went below into the cabin, where L
was presently joined by the skipper
and two Of the men. We sat talking
| for an hour, feeling by the increasing
heaviness of the boats leaps that the
wild was gathering weight. Such
pitching and tossing such breathless
upthrowals and sharp, giddy descents
no man can imagine who has not met
the stormy seas of the German Ocean
in vessel of twenty-five tons.
I'D reccomend you to turn in now,
sir" said Ratcliff to me; but obiecting
to coffin my living body in one o. the
black holes behind the bulkEeal, |
| lay down on a locker to leeward, rs
ing my right arm as pillow. The
skipper and two others followed my
example and were snoring loudly in
few minutes. For long time honr L
lay envying them, listening to the
| laundering of the wind and the hum
ming and kissing of the foam, stiffen-
ing myself at times to meet the fierce,
sharp fall of the little vessel from
some foaming pinnacle whose sicken
ing sweep, to my fancy, seemed to
have hurled her into the skies.
At last [ fell asleep, but my sleep
was short. A loud cry came ringing
down the companion. | rolled off the
locker, and, springing to my feet, was
flung against the skipper who was III
the act of mounting the companion
| steps. In a minute we were all on
deck, and l heard the fellow who
grasped the tiller roar out, There's
ship yonder heading dead for US" He
! had hardly said this when the skipper
grasping "hare tin," lighted it at the
| binnacle lamp. The torch was satur-
ated with turpentine, and the strong
| yellow light threw up the decks and
| sails and rigging OF tne smack, and
the faces Of the men with their CLEAN
ing eyes, like a magic-lantern picture.
A very heavy fall of snow was sweep
| ing in horizontal lines across the YES
sci at the moment. and the near fakes
sparkled like prisms in the wild strong
| glare
1t was, indeed, wonderful scene
tho erect form of the skipper, hold
ing high the flaming torch with the
burning turpentine blowing IN
stream of fiery particles into the sea
the saffron colored faces of the men
all looking one way; the yellow shine
upon the coiling waters alongside, and
the glittering of the flying snow.
The flare went out, and some moments
ones eyes were too dazzled to see
anything. By this time the snow
storm had passed, and the moon was
shining, and the ship having observed
our signal had ported her helm. She
pushed by us to leeward within a bis
cults throw, under single reefed top
sails, main-top gallant sail and fore
sail, and with the moonlight on her
she swept over the dark waters like a
column of mist. In a moment she
was astern, in another moment out of
sight, and the sea stretched all around
us, desOlate, troubled expanse, with
nothing to be seen but the smack to
leeward, lifting and falling in the
track of the moons reflection.
It was about half past eleven, and
the wind was breezing up more fierce
ly every minute, charged from time
to time with sharp charge of hail or
snow, which whitened our coats or
ratified upon the deck like round of
canister [ believe ve might get
within league Of the North Pole with
out finding much colder weather. An
other reef was tied in the mainsail,
and storm jib bent and hoisted; but
the gale presently taking a more un-
mlstakable note the skipper called all
hands ''to touch 'em up" as the phrase
is; in other words, to get the trawl in
board. This was a very long busi
ness-what with having to carry the
warps to the capstan, and casting off
the dandy bride and taking it to the
wink. and getting in the fore brid e
At all events, it is long job in gale
of wind, as smacksmen know. The
trawl beam was got alongside. aud
the nets dragged at last over the rail.
, By the light OF the deck lantern, [
noticed that there were was about a
score of fish-not more--in the trawl
, There was one great skate, with a
mouth like the inside of a sock, and
, three huge cod which plunged about
the deck like small sharks, and look
! ing like shapes of solid silver in the
, lantern-light. They were flung into
| the hold, the masthead lamp hauled
down, and the side lights shown; and
| at three O'Clock in the morning-be-
humhed with the cold. my oil-skins
} streaming with wet, and very hearti-
: ly wishing this North Sea experience
5 of mine over-I sought the shelter OF
the cabin, and sat hearkening to the