The herald., 1896-08-31
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SAVED FROM THE SEA
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"Well, Jenny, it will be hard to part on
the morrow"
Jenny turned away her head, looking
out to sea with wistful, sorrowful glance.
The next moment my arm was about her
waist.
Jenny" cried, "why should We part
at alp If you will take me for d skipper,
we'll sail through life together" "
We were on board the bark Petrol of
Greenock, with miscellaneous cargo from
the Mediterranean, and we We're anchored
in the roadstead of Hayre. Jenny was tho
shippers daughter and I only passenger.
An official reorganization had set me az
liberty, with a moderate pension. In the
prime of life, with all the world before me.
and ere making fresh start, had deter
mined to have my wander year" So,
after having wandered over half Of Europe,
found myself standing on the quay at
Naples one tranquil evening.
was suddenly accosted by name with
friendly accents in my native tongue. 1t
was some time before I recognized my in
terlocutor or could bring to mind under
what circumstances l had previously met
with Captain Macfarlane of the Petrel.
All Of a sudden l got the clew
Up to the last 18 months had been en-
ployed in the transport and victualing Of
flee in Whitehall. The Petrel had been
chartered as a transport, and to Macfar-
lane, much bothered with official forms
and circumlocutions, had been Of some
little service, putting him in the way of
getting his accounts passed
"Why not take passage with me to old
England" urged the hospitable Scot. "It
avail -
your traps and come on board with me. -
Before well knew what was about
found myself and my portmanteau slowed
away in the captains gig. Next, I was
swinging myself up the side of the Petrel
and then I saw q pair of great soft brown
eyes looking down upon Inc.
''Hoot, it's just Jenny!'' cried Macfar-
lane. Jenny, this is Master Willie Thorn
ley, to whom 'm under great obligations.
If it hadn't been for those battling winds,
we should have been safe enough We did
not get to be real right down friends, Jen-
ny and I, for whole fortnight by which
time we ought to have been in sight Of the
white cliffs of old England. But we had
three weeks more of it--a happy halcyon
time-that eliminated in the scene with
which l began this narrative.
We had called at Havre to dispose of
part of our cargo and the captain and
mate having gone ashore LETT Jenny and
me on board in charge.
What Jenny's feelings might have been
after that decisive moment cannot tell.
All the difficulties and disadvantages at
tached to the step had taken now showed
themselves to my minds eye in the strong
est colors, and life of straitened means
nj nj toJ
selves in CHASTITY array. Jenny had not
noticed the sudden chill that came over
me. She was too much agitated and oc-
cupied with her own feelings, and as her
head rested on my shoulder 1 began to
realize the truth that l had succeeded in
winning for myself charming, affection
ate companion.
A loud crash from the awning above
made us both look up. The sun was still
shining, but to seaward a vast wall OF
vapor shut out everything. A shrill blast
of wind trumpeted loudly in tho rigging.
Jenny sprang to her feet and with ad-
mirable calmness began to lower the avn
ing, but in moment the wind was upor
us in full force The canvas tapped wild
ly, and then, torn away from its fasten
ings, flew away to leeward, visible for {
and then lost in the gloom.
She took up the binocular and peeret
aniouxsly through the mist. But no boat
was to be seen. The sea seemed of a sud
den deserted except for one or two fishing
smacks to the southward that, with great
brown sails half lowered, were scudding
rapidly for the harbor.
Jenny left the poop and ran forward to
tho fore mart Of thn vpeSn1 7 fo1lOvvpr bar
holding on by this and that, for our ship
was now pitching heavily upon the swell.
The great black chain that as the vessel
fell would be invisible in the waves as
she rose stretched itself tight as bow
string, with clank and groan that made
ane shudder. Our lives hung upon that
chain, that the waves seemed to sport with
as a toy.
As we stood there wave larger than the
others rose upon US without warming and
swept the deck with irresistible force, bear
ing everything movable with it. l chung
desperately to a Delaying pin, and Jenny
clung to me, and after awhile the Petrol
rose gallantly to the shock, the water
streaming from her sides.
Drenched and cowed by the violence oi
the shock, we made our way back to the
poop and found we had parted our anchor
and were adrift.
The steward stood at the door of his
eaboose, having iammed himself into Sc
cure position; pipe was in his mouth and
black bottle in his hand. He looked al
me with lackluster eyes. "Come along
man," shouted in his ear; ''come ant
help me to get UP Sail
Whats the odds?" he replied in a sui
len voice. Whats the odds? Let's bt
happy while we mayl'
Jenny was at the wheel, shading hel
eyes with her hand, looking anxiously for
ward. All, what could l do among all tht
bewildering maze of cordage and rigging
all shaking and rattling in the wind-I
who hardly knew one rope from another!
But l made my way to the foremas5 ant
clambered up the rigging. Loose rope
and flying blocks threatened me- every mo
ment with destruction, but held on *
the ropes like grim death, and, inspired b.
the courage of despair, essayed that whicl
at another time l should have never dream
ed of. 1 crawled out on the yard, with m.
knife i'll my teeth, and cut, o'ne by one
the lashings that boulad the sail to it.
The sail flew out with tremendous re
port and threatened every moment to tea
itself to tatters; but, seizlng q rcpo, [ slit
down to the deck with u rapidity that tool
every morsel Of skin off my ankles, and
getting hold of the rope that saw con
trolJa1 +I,, Of tI,o cai1 T bn,,laf