The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-25

light ana a Ghosdy Cry Was
Heard.
From al the Tear Round.
The fog hung so thick over the sea
that one could cut it with a knife. Never
before had / seen anything like it. There
was sway in it too. for felt it strike
my cheek like icicles. and then fall off
again until twas almost warm It came
suddenly. The wind had steadied down
since morning, till now it was paralyzed,
OF at most beat family on the bank
through which the ship was slowly push
ing her way. Above the sails doomed out
like huge shadows; they seemed but dark
er patches of the impalpable vapor which
clothed all things. 1 could hear them
flap loudly as the ship swayed her tail
hamper now this way, now that. recling
and tumbling about on the great crestless
seas which rolled up from the westward.
And the laundering Of the rudder under
the round stern, as it felt the weight Of the
seas, shook the ship to her center. and
combined with the music of the canvas to
form concert too utterly abominable for
a seaman to express.
Every minute the bell for'a'd rang out its
brazen warning. 1t was necessary pre-
caution, for any moment "a vessel might
have crashed into us through the dark
ness.
Il can't understand the look Of things"
said Capt. Hawkins. as he came up the
companion. "The glass is steady, yet /
don't like it, Mr.. Norris I don't like the
weather at ALL"
Nor 1; it's unnatural" l said and try
ing to ones nerves, too
II remember" said the skipper. steady
ing himself against the mizzen-mast.
when / was second of the Barney Ridge
we were caught in hurricane, and it com
menced just like this; but then the glass
spoke plain, and we had everything off
her"
well, the ships IN good trim."I re-
piled; 1T would be a change"
"Id like to take the extras off her"
he continued, without needing my re-
mark, and he cast his eyes aloft in
critical fashion.
But He never finished the SEN
tence
MAN overheard" came in a screech
from the foe Isle head.
There is no cry so instantly responded to
as this, nor one which at sea falls so
coldly on a seamans heart.
My first though was to back mainyard.
So / gave the order quick and sharp, as
if my lungs were made of steel. 1t was
good TO see how the men took the order
They sprang to braces and pulled as il
their lives were on it. The next instant
1 had run to the lee taffrail, for instinct
had told me he had fallen to that side
l found the captain throwing the cold
blight of the cross-jack clew-line far out
into the mist where black object was
visible Ii fell short. The captain gave
a groan and pulled in like mad for an
other fling.
/ saw it was useless and with a cut
let go one Of the after lfebuoys and sang
out to the man to make for H.
Away the port quarter-boat!' roared
the skipper. running aweather, with
face white as a table napkin, for he was
feeling man and took such an accident
to heart.
LAY, ayr 1 responded And in / hoped
with some of the old hands. stand byl-
let gor' and down dropped the boat as
the ship lurched heavily windward. A few
powerful strokes took us free of the ship
and the anxious faces hanging over the
side.
Away we sped over the great green
hills, trembling a. moment on their tops
and then gliding down, down into the
dark smother between them, till again
we reached the summit and had more
light for the mist hung low on the sea
and it was so chill that it stuck to the
bones.
1 had taken my bearings with consld-
cradle care before leaving the ship, for
although we had. been quick in throwing
the ship abac1, we had drawn far past
the man in doing so. After pulling thus
for some time it seemed to me that we
H.
ordered the men to lay on their oars.
Just then a hail came to us faint-like out
Of the mist on the starboard' bow. 1t
made the flesh creep. ] felt a little shiy-
er run down my back.
"Twas the cry of a molly" I said for I
could see the men were scared. And it
did sound uncommonly like ii when the
bird is frightened.
ma, Ma said an old Scotchman, twas
nathing o. the kind; twas jest like the
kelpie Jennie Maealister an me heerd
down T. the crook O. the Feugh January
come twalye year."
"Ay.'' said anther fellow ut be uncom-
mon speerit like, I'm thinkin', sir. wi all
respect. that Coclxney 10, poor chap, has
gone down all standing by now, and it 'ud
be better to bout ship, for I'm kind o.
men O. fortune"
And ay," piped in another, they do
say as 'ow there be an awful sight o dead
seamen in these here seas"
That was enough. Search farther they
would not. The fear of the seas was in
their hearts. and / might as well have
spoken to the oars; indeed, the oars in
their hands had more heart than they
But now new and more terrible dan
ger threatened us. We had lost our bear
ings The ship was nowhere to be seen;
nothing but the fog thick as the curtain
over hell" as one Of the sailors remarked
IN his horror at realizing our situation
To add TO our danger, darkness was COM