Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-01
4 RAGE FOR LIFE.

! VI shadow rose a terrified shout. The
captain shuddered as the tug lifted her
BOWS again. and he saw the wreck Of
what had once been strong man hold
ing trembling hand before his eyes to
/ smut out some imaginary horror
/ We must get them on deck while rs
hne' said Cranton. Rig an awning
! ana hammoclys for them I'm afraid
| mere IL be more down soon. and all our
! drugs are done"
! i nope not" said the Captain. with
! me loss OF the two poor fellows. who
/ died IN the lagoon. and three helpless
| mere, we'd be very short-handed " we
/ got bad weather. IT'S lucky we shipped
/ the three krooboys. but ia give six
months pay to bc safe IN the Trades"
As Cranton advised. so It was done;
ard the fever-strickcn sufferers swung
| 10 ana fro beneath an awning as the
! Tug rolled along across the sunlit sea.
lonely wedge Of dark hull ringed about
! with Dreaming foam. in the centre OF a
great azure circle.
/ All that day and for several days fol-
/ lowing. there was not a breath Of air 10
| ruiiie the CLASSY surface OF the swell,
| which ran steep and high frora horizon
| - horizon. as II often does off the Afri-
can coast for no apparent cause. Every
/ morning the sun rose through "A purple
! haze cleaning coppery red and. IS ne
/ swung slowly west across the heavens
| poured down the pitiless heat of the
| tropics upon the pmnging tug, until the
! pitch boiled out Of the seams and the
! brass OF the rail felt scalding 20 the
| touch OF incautious fingers. The mate
/ lay burning with fever in a hammock
! beneath the shade Of the bridge-deck.
/ while every now and then a fireman,
! dripping with perspration and gasping
! for breath. dragged himself through the
/ stokehold gratings TO collapse Imply on
! deck. So The Corona drove alOne west
| wards ever, stemm ng the strong. Guinea
! current amid the clatter of blocks,
! chatting Of gear. and grooming of timber.
/ while her captain and Cranton lay list
? 'essiy beside the wheel as the long hours
! dragged by, longing for a breath Of cool
air or the sight Of "A passing steamer,
| from which they might obtain drugs or
! assistance.
one evening after the most trying day
/ of an. the Captain, who was gazing out
| into the sunset said. laughingly; Il see
| an kinds of bad weather there and the
| h9rometcrs falling fast. It's the tor
! nadO season too, and were loaded 70
/ the last inch. However. anything would
! bee a relief after this" Sea and sky
! were one blaze Of light. a hard. brassy
! glare above, with long lines Of fiery ra-
/ dance trembling across the swell be-
/ low. while whirling wraaths Of thin Vapor
/ drifted before an unfelt breeze across
the red disk Of the sinking sun.
! Cranton walked forward. balancing
J himself the heave OF the deck. and
/ leaned against the rail. a blood-red light
| glowed beneath the awning cloths and
| flashed along the dripping bows, each
| time the tug swung aloft with the back
! wash streaming down her sides by and
/ boy two half-nakod Kroomen crawled from
! beneath the gratings in the bows, drag
! eing a rigid black object after them to-
/ wards the Cangway. Canton shuddered
| as he gazed. for presently the vessel
! rolled wildly downwards. and the corpse
! turned an awful face and sightless eyes
! towards him Then the angle OF the
| deck grew sleeper. and it slid softly out
| through the gangway. There was a louo
splash in what seemed to be sea or
! fire. and the hideous thing lifted black
! arm above the surface. bumped twice
along the bends. and afterwards sank
! swiftly through the gancing wake
| astern. as though it had been drawn vio-
! lenty down. Cranton turned away with
cold feeling beneath his belt and
| watched the darkness closing down.
| When the last glow had faded IN the
! West. the foam wreaths under the bows
and the black water along the bends
] NIaLtl out INTO IaSi4tS VI blfiH aiih 6'iNA
| fire. while etreaks Of blue flame fickered
| along the horizon. This is common
/ enough on the West Coast. but that night
il was exceptionally brilliant, and the
wreaths of vapor whirling across the
! low-hung crescent moon told Of wind
! overhead.
| cit looks as If we were in for tornado;
| / never saw the glass lower" said
/ the CAPTAIN as a few drops Of warm rain
/ splaehed along the deck. Then a little
| puff of cool air famed their hot cheeks.
| and his voice rang out: Harden down
! the hatch. eae's STRIP awnings b"'
/ The scuttles. Every man TT to work
! stand by
A few minutes later a roll OF thunder
! echoed along the heavens. and the air
was filled with the roar of falling water,
/ which Kissed along the deck and gurgled
inches deep through the scuppcrs. The
! telegraph tinklad twice stand by. but the
! engineer, lying gasping for breath in his
/ narrow bunk had alreOdv received
/ sterner summons He had heard the
/ African thunder before, and knew that,
/ sick or well. he must be at his post that
night: so he dragged himself into the
! engine-rOOm. where he leaned heavily
against a. column
For ten minutes the deluge continued,
/ and then the thick curtain Of rain was
4
/ scream the tornado burst upon them.
/ The sea grew crisp.an white, like wool;
/ sheets Of spindrift burst over the yes
sci. while dazzling phosphorescence
j. blazed from every curling surge until the
tug appeared to be steaming through
living flame For a time Cranton chung
/ TO "a funnel-guy half-choked, and bind
! "a with the mad rush of wind though AT
/ intervals he could see the tall figure OF
/ the Captain gripping the weather spokes
/ of the iarring-wheel, while seaman
! thrust upon them 10 lee Already the
smooth syycll was changing into steep,
foaming seas, and the Corona Owed
through them, with the luminous water
/ flying aft I'm sheets. and the powdered
drift driving over her like smoke. Pres
entity. after the passing of furious gust
! Cranton caught the Captains voice;
| Hold the wheel till I get at the tele-
/ graph; she's drowning herself now
Then. as ne peered into the yellow glow
! of the pinnacle and strained his Wrists
/ upou the plunging wheel the faint clang
| of a gong rose from below. and slack
l ening OF vibration told that the engines
were turning more slowly.
The horrible turmoil of wind and rain
lasted half an hour, then It settled down
| into, a steady blow and the phosphores-
cence faded from the water All
night the Corona staggered along, half
buried in the seas. which grew higker
and sleeper. until near dawn, great,
black wall rolled in over the bows. There
was crash Of splintering timber, and,
while tons Of water poured out over the
rau the rest disappeared through the
dock in a sWirling eddy.