The Van Buren press., 1896-02-08

execution, ana as Il Dalufal sec ueuec lit
met their demands. And their de,
mands grew larger as his duplicity in
creased, until finally it was too late fol
him to make his book OF conscience ever
balance.
After that Capt. Young and his
mates did not trust him. lie could not
go anywhere without watchful eyes
upon him, for he had been tried and
found wanting. But he could count
upon one friend and comforter, after
all. Henrietta knew him when he was
good boy, and she would not desert
him when he had fallen from grace.
"Oh," she exclaimed one afternoon,
as sort of exhaust to her wounded
feelings, why did you do anything
like that, Harry; why did you do any.
thing like that? 1t was dreadful for
you to steal for those bad, wicked men.
Now we must all suffer for it. The ship
has been making such bad weather OF
it that papa says the passage will last
more than six months, and because OF
your helping yourself to everything
We uIuTl uil bllOi Vi llON DtiOi :
we arrive. 1t was dreadful of you to
do
There was no mistaking the fact that
the craft was making bad weather OF
it. Fifteen days had been consumed
in an endeayor to round the cape in
binding snowstorms and gales that
were dead ahead and as sharp as the
point of a needle. Twice Capt. Young
had conference with his mates on the
advisability of wearing ship and put
ting before it so as 30 finish the pas
sage by way of the Cape of Good Hope.
When it was not blowing great guns ii
was a series of calms with the ship
tanning along, as sailormen say when
the canvas eollapses every other min
ute. II these light airs she was as
slow as a blind man cropping his way.
The topsawers of the crew said they
never saw such weather before, and
they were about right. The gales had
played sad havoc with the sails and
spars, and the lusty seas which arose
in their wrath ate big chunks out OF
the decks, their fixtures, and the hull
| itself.
Then the food gave out, as was pre-
| dicted, and dark looks were flashed at
Harry. The butter, milk and sugar
! had been exhausted some time when
the news was passed around that the
flour had given out. The growing be-
came general then, and even the green
hands turned up their noses every time
Harry put in an appearance. Some
| thing had to be done. The last few
pounds of -four had been used one Sun.
day, when Capt. Young thought OF
some old wheat, the sweepings of that
famous cargo which was slowed in
the lower hold forward. This wheat
the hens on board had previously re-
fused to eat, probably because of Its
bilgelike color. How to get it was
the thing that troubled Capt Young
most, for he knew that hungry men
would not refuse it even if chickens
would.
There was only one thing to do, and
that was to break out the cargo slowed
under the fore hatch 1t was long
and difficult job, and the deck of the
ship was like huge dry goods estab
lishment while it was in progress, bu'
it was gotten at last, the green hands
working harder than anybody else
their appetites urging them on, per
haps. Once on deck the wheat was
ground in the coffee mill and the stew
ard converted it into what Henrietti
describes as good bread and pan
cakes" 1t could not last forever
though, and finally it gave out, too
Then the last remaining stores were
taken in hand. These consisted of pea.
and beans, and Mate Harris though
them so valuable just then that he haC
them counted as a prelude to distribll
ton.
Harry, who wss primarily responsi
BILE for all the trouble, did not suffe
from hunger as much as did the othe
men. A worse fate was reserved fo
him. The Reaper was about q montl
in the Pacific when she encountere'
a terrific storm that lasted three day
and nights.
There was an old man in the crev
who had made several voyages in tn
ship before and who was as eapabl
sailor as ever let go and hauled. To
ward midnight on the second day o
the storm this old man was struck b,
sea which came on board, and tn
ship being well heeled over was bein
rapidly carried over the side, whe
Harry, who was passing, grabbed hin
In doing so tne lad fell and a succeed
ing wave caught him, and, picking hir
up much as it would a straw, tosse
him into the dim, dark sea alongsid,
The cry of imam overheard" brough
all hands to the deck, and the roar
of the mates could be heard above th
bowling of the wind and the painfu
creaking of the spars. An attemT
was made in response TO an order t
get the ship around, and though In
helm was hard to weather. all effort
to get the vessel before the wind prove
unavailing. Harry was never see
|. again. There was great gloom anon
the hands after that, and Mate Harri
that night read from Brainard. wher
he says;
81 At the piping ~ all lands,
When the judgment signals spread
When the islands and the lands
And the seas give up the dead,
And the south and The north shall come
When the sinner is dismay'd,
And the just man Is afraid
Then Heaven be thy aid.