The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1897-12-23
comes el Norte. and he brings death for
many OF US on board this ship"


EEL Svi.rE."
Another moment and el Norte had
come in strength. First sudden gusli
OF wind struck the vessel, causing her
TO shiver, and with q sharp report rend-
ing from it's fastenings the iib. which
had never been furled. This gust went
bowling by, and after it came the
storm.
Before and since that day, l have
made many voyages across the Calf OF
Mexico in all weathers, but never have
| met with such an expericnsc as that
which followed. The ship plunged and
strained and rocked, lifting now her
bow and now =. stern high above the
waters, till 1t seemed rs though she
must fill to piecos, while water in tons
rushed aboard Of her at every dip.
which, as She righted herself, strearned
through the broken bulwar.ls.
Now, from tilno to time the moon
'honc ont betwecn riffs in the clouds.
revealing dreadful scene. Fragincnts
Of the little bridge still remained, and
to it was lashed the large body of the
captain in al upright position. though
rs he neither spoke no. Stirred we
never learned whether he was only
paralyzed by terror or had been liiilcs
BY blow from the funnel as it fell
lie had ordered the passenger, to be
battenel down. and there in the cabin
they re-nlpisI, twenty Or Lore OF
them. until the hatchways were stow
in. Thea, wi u the exception Of one OF
two. who were drowned by the water
that poured down upon them, they
rushed to the companionway, mon and
womcd together, and. shrici1irr. pray
ing and blaa ,heniny. clung to frag-
ments of the hulwarlfs, shrouds Of the
mast or anything they thought coulG
give theii profectiun against tbs pitt
css waves tl
Awful w.r1 tn, walls OF the women
vap. clad oaly III lhcr night drcs-;1..
low 1uittesl tao;r hunks f)i' tn, fir
lime sin =. ili " entered them in tn
larhor OF Vsra Cruz Over :oaa b
gar. AMI having no knowledge of tn
ian ~rs of the sea. these ',oor creature
lung themselves at full length upon
the 4 OK. striving to keep hoiA OF Ia
slippery boards, whence one by one
they rolled into the ocean as the vessel
lurcaed, or were carried away by the
seas that popped her.
Some OF the men followed them to
their w;itery grave. others more self
possessed crcpt forward, attempting to
escnpe the waves that broke over the
stern. but none made any effort to save
Them, and indeed it would have been
impossible so to do ''si~
Among those who came forward to
whore we and some OF the Indian sail-
.ors were clinging to the rope that was
coiled round the stump of the broken
forcmast was Don Jose Moreno. Even
in his terror, which was deep, this man
could still be ferocious, for recognizing
the senior he yelled:
"Ahl Maldonado = evil gifted one.
you called down the norther upon US.
Well. at least You shall die with the
rest" and, suddenly drawing his long
knife, he rose to his knees and, holding
to the rope with Que hand, attempted
to drive it into the senor's body with
the other. Doubtless he would have
succeeded in his wicl1edncss had not an
Indian boatswain, who was near, bent
forward quickly and struck him SO
sharply on the forearm with his
clenched fist that the knife flew from
his hand, and in trying to recover it
Don Jose fell face forward on the deck.
where he lay, making no further effort
at aggression.
For few minutes there was a tur-
mol that cannot be describcd then,
although the wind still shricked over
head, we felt that we were in water
which seemed almost calm to us. The
ship no longer pitched and rolled; she
only rocked as she settled before sink
ing, while the moon, shining out be-
tween the clouds, showed that what
had been her bulwarlrs were not more
than two or three feet above the level
of the sea.
Six Indians, our three selves, Don
Jose. who seemed to be scnselcss, and
the body of the captain dashed to the
broken bridge, alone remained of the
crew and passengers of the Santa Maria.
The rest had been swept away, but
there. close to MS, the cutter still hung
upon the davits. rI'a
The senior saw it and cried: 1.-The
ship is sinking! Into the boat, quicls,"
and, running to the cutter, he climbed
into her, as did l. Molas and the six In
dian sailors.
She was full of water almost to the
thwnrts, which could only be got rid of
by pulling out the plug In her bottom.
Happily the boatswain. that same man
who had struck the knife from the
hand OF Don Jose, knew where to look
Tor 1t, and, being u sailor of courage
anu resource, was able to loose it, SO
that presently the water was pouring
from her in n stream as thick MS n
hawscr. Meanwhile the other Indians
were getting out the oars aud loosen
ing the tackles.
Got the plug back" said the senior;
the vessel is sinking; you must bale
the rest
llalf II minute more aud it was done;
then at a word from the boatswain the
snilors lowered away and we were
afloat. and, better still, clear of the
snip. Scarcely had they got the head
or the cutter round and pulled three or
tour s;ioiles when from the deck of the
Santa Maria there came the SQUAD of
mans Vote crying for htip, and bv the
iiGht OF ic moon we discovered the
figure of Don Jose Moreno clinginr to
me broken bulwarks that now were
almost awasl.
For the love of God, come bacl, IN
mel he screamed.
The oursmen hesitated, but the boat
swain said. with an Indian oath:
Pull on, and let the dog urown,,
1t seemed as IL Don Jose heard him.
at lenst he raised SO piteous a wailing
that the scnor's heart. which was al,
ways over tender. was touched by it.
We cannot desert him." he an
,red; put back for him"
lie tried to murder you lust nowl-
shouted the boatswain. land if we po
near the ship she will take us down
with her. Then he turned to me and
asked: DO you command us to put
back, lord?" fN'
Slnco the senior wills it l command
you, l answered. I'VE must save the
man and take our chance
lie commands. whom we must