The Coconino weekly sun., 1896-02-27
that we could do we were drifting rap.
idly toward Drunken Gut

| uLWI VIC cOuIu 10 we were Or11tlnS rap
idly toward Drunken Gut
Suddenly q tholepin broke. Befor,
another could be put in the place W,
were afoul Of the standing rigging of
sunken vessel, the dory almost on he
broadside, and we in imminent dangel
of being washed overheard. But cling
ing instinctively to the uppermost gun
vale, we succeeded in righting the DOR
and working her clear of the wreck
Again we were adrift indeed, for w
had lost an oar, and now had but one.
Our destruction now was apparently
but question of moments, for if we es
capped the reefs and boiling surf upor
one side, we were almost certain to be
dashed against the iron sides of Manand
upon the other.
Twas in the bow, peering ahead, when
the hull of vessel suddenly doomed W
almost directly before us, and appar
emily at anchor. While the captain en-.
deavored to keep the dory headed fol
her, bent one end of my coil of line to
the painter ring. Then grasping u
blight in my hand as the dory grazed
the schooner's sides, I made spring
for the rail and climbed on board. Then
I caught my line round elect, checked
the drift of the dory and brought her
alongside.
We soon found that the schooner was
deserted. Her crew had sought safet Y
on shore. We thought ourselves ex-
ceedingly fortunate that their vessel
| had been in our way.
But we had been upon the deck
scarcely 20 minutes when the captain
startled us with the announcement that
the vessel was rapidly filling. 1t was
evident that she had dragged from the
harbor. and first striking upon the reef.
had swung to her present position.
While the captain searched for spar
oar, I grasped the line by which had
fastened the dory and was Mortified to
find it slack. No dory was there-the
rope which had held her trailed away
astern and was lost in the darkness.
Our last hope seemed to have departed.
But no-as l peered through the
gloom caught sight of boat attached
to long warp that trailed over the taft
rail of the schooner. 1t was n seine
boat. We quickly drew it up and got
into it.
Our drift in the dory had carried us
considerably to the leeward of Smutty
Nose. so that in our present position the
force of the sea was much broken. As
we crouched beneath the gunwale OF
our new refuge, momentarily expecting
to see the abandoned schooner go down,
a light from Smutty Nose gradually
shone out over the waters.
We saw that fire had been kindled
upon the island. Down at the waters
edge people were moving about among
the rocks. In little while n boat
seemed to leave the shore and drift slow
ly toward us.
AS her erratic movements seemed tc |
indicate that she had no one aboard, but
was drifting at the will of the wind, |
attached no special significance to her
appearance, though l glanced toward
her occasionally. Yet nearer she came,
sometimes directly toward us.
AT times a heave of the sea would
throw her far to one side, then she
would seem to linger moment, to
start off anew in our direction. Hall
dazed from exhaustion, watched her
with tagging interest until she was
close at hand. Then l saw the captain
reach out and grasp her by the gun.
vale and hold her fast alongside.
He shouted for us to get into her. No
sooner had we all obeyed than she
started swiftly for the shore. Then ]
perceived that long warp led from her
to Smutty Nose and that the people
there were pulling us toward them.
Owing to the direction of the current
The boat could not be dragged back TO
The point from which she started, and
We struck the outer edge of the wide
'cef Of rocks. 1t was nearly low tide,
md, though the sea did not break upon
he reef, every wave that rolled through
he narrow passage boiled up over it
n swelling flood, submerging the
'ocks many feet, to subside again, leav-
ng them entirely bare.
~ AuA IhiS SSuhtiet was our next
rial. Waiting until a sea retired, we
started over the slippery, weed-grown
ocks and ran RS fast as we could until
IN incoming wave overlook us. Then
re flung ourselves fiat upon the reef
While the flood boiled up over us, clutch
ng the rockwell with both hands and
to resist the terrible undertow
backward.
When the renux left the reef bare
gain we rose and ran once more. Four Z
lines the flood passed over us. Then, I
'reathless, bruised and half dead, /
cit grasp upon my collar and was
ragged up out of the grip of the seq
afe at last.-Youth's Companion.
Pensive Pencilings.
When q young business man gets 6
is f-cf oh