The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-08-19
SAVED FROM THE SEA

the morrow
Jenny turned away her head, looking
out to sea with "a wistful, sorrowful glance.
The next moment my arm was about her
waist.
Jenny" cried, "why should we part
at alp III you will take me for skipper,
we'll sail through life together"
We were on board the bark Petrol of
Greenock, with miscellaneous cargo from
the Mediterranean, and we were anchored
in the roadstead of Havre. Jenny was the
shippers daughter and L only passenger.
An official reorganization had set me at
liberty, with 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
i was suddenly accosted by name with
friendly accents i'm my native tongue 10
was some time before recognized my in
terlocutor or could bring to mind under
what circumstances / had previously met
with Captain Macfarlane of the Petrol.
All of a sudden got the clew.
Up tn the last Is months had been EN-
ployed in the transport and victualing Of
flee in Whitehall The Petrol had been
chartered as II transport, and to Macfar-
lane, much bothered with official forms
and circumlocutions, l had been of some
little service, putting him in the way of
getting his accounts passed.
why not take passage with me to old
EnglandY" urged the hospitablc Scot. cit
shan't cost you a bawbee Go and fetch
your traps and come on board with me-"
Before l well knew what l was about /
found myself and my portmantcau slowed
away In the captains gig. Next, was
swinging myself up the side of the Petrol,
and then / saw a pair of great soft brown
eyes looking down upon me-
"Hoot, it's just JENNY cried Macfar-
lane. Jenny, this is Master Willie Thorn
ley, to whom I'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 L, 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 began this narrative.
We had called ut Havre to dispose of
part of our cargo, and the captain and
mate having gone ashore left Jenny ana
Tic Oh DoiTu III CnurRt.
What Jenny's feelings might have been
after that decisive moment cannot tell.
All the difficulties and disadvantages at
tached to the stepI had taken now showed
themselves to my mind eye in the strong
est colors and life OF straitcned means
and perpetual self denial presented them
selves in CHASTITY array. Jenny had not
noticed the sudden chill that came over
mo She xyas too ypnch auitatad mud ~.
cuped with her own feelings, and as her
head rested on my shoulder l began to
realize the truth that had succeeded in
winning for myself "a charming, affection
ate companion.
A loud crash from the awning above
made us both look up. The sun was still
shining, but to seward vast wall Of
vapor shut out everything. A shrill blast
o. wind trumpeted loudly in the rigging
Jenny sprang to her feet and with adj
mirable calmness began to lower the avn
ing, but i'm n moment the wind was upon
us in full force The canvas tapped wild
ly, and then, torn away from its fasten-
iIgs flew away to leeward, visible for a
minute in the sky like white sea bird,
and then lost in the gloom.
She took up the binocular and pcered
aniouxsly through the mist. But no boat
was to be seen. The sea seemed of sud
den deserted except for one or two fishing
sslacks to the southwark that, with great
brown sails half lowered, were scudding
rapidly for the harbor.
Jenny left the poop and ran forward to
tho fore part of the vessel followed her,
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 rs
she rose stretched itself tight as bow
string, with clank and groan that made
one shudder. Our lives hung upon that
chain, that the waves seemed to sport with
as toy.
AS we stood there wave larger than the
others rose upon us without warning and
swept the deck with irresistible force, bear
ing everything movable with it, l chung
desperately to u Delaying pin, and Jenny
chung to me, and after awhile the Petrol
rose calamity to the shock the water
streaming from her sides
Drcnched and cowed by the violence of
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
caboose, having jammcd himself into Sc
cure position; a pipe was In his mouth and
o black bottle i'm his hand. He looked at
Inc with lackluster eyes. Come along,
man." shouted in his ear; .come aud
help me to get up sail
Whats the oddsp" he replied in a sui
len voice. What's the oddsS Let's be
happy while we may?'
Jenny was Mt the wheel, shading her
eyes with her hand, looking anxiously for
ward. All, what could do among all the
bewildering maze Of cordage and rigging
all shaking and rafting in the wind-I,
who hardly knew one rope from another!
But made my way to the foremost and
clambercd up the rigging. Loose ropes
and flying blocks threatened me every mo
ment with destruction, but held on to
the ropes like grim death, and, inspired by
the courage of despair essayed that which
at another time should have never dream
cd of. / crawlcd out on the yard with my
knife I'm my teeth, and cut, one by one,
the lashings that bound the sail to It,
The sail flew out with n tremendous re-
port and threatened every moment To tear
itself to tattcrs; but seizing rope, slid
down to the deck with a rapidity that took
very morsel of skin of my ankles, aud,
getting hold OF the rope that saw con-
trollcd the movements of the sail, l hauled
IL In bit by bit and succeeded in making
fast one side Of the sail The other offered
less difficulty.
Jenny waved her hand triumphantly
from the poop The ship began to move
through the water, no longer to drift help
less and forlorn. We should clear the head
land, that now doomed so ominously upon
us, crouching there like some hungry ami
NAL awaiting his prey.
AS the sun went down II came on tn
blow harder and more from the westward