The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-08-01

bearing down upon you-and you are Try
ing 90 beat IL.
But We knew it was coming
II was "a short nights sleep We put IN
Thursday night. The last night aboard
shipl Everybody knows how II Is. Ihere
* packing TO do with all sorts OF cum
hing tricks 10 deceive the Custom-House
officials-tricks. by the way. that never
deceive them at alD. And there are
eood-by's TO be said. hands 10 be shaken
again and again. Last words spoken
once more. and all that foolishness gone
over and over again-as every one does
aboard ship. And when at last we lay
down Il was for what they call in Hol-
land. "a snooze" only a doze, and moth
Ing more.
At Friday morning we were all out on
deck. 1t was gray and misty black you
would have called the ocean and the
sky murky I'm the dim, thick glow OF the
before-sun-rise sea.
We are bound for port-for home. Yet.
strange to say. none of us were looking
towards Americas shores. But backward
Had we all turned so "blarsted English
that we could not leave England's jubi-
latte shores without regret? No. IL was
something more,
The captain voiced It at last. Look
ing through those wonderful glasses back
and white and red all ri once. There
she IS" he said quietly.
At once every glass was leveled that
way. We could see nothing but great
gray mass on the horizon. But We knew
tho Captain knew. as every stOker be-
low knew. that 20 was the Campania
steaming mp behind MS. and that we were
in for an ocean race.
You who have seen horse races and
their quick ana exciting denouement can
have no idea of the slowness of an ocean
race il is like watching the minute ana
hour hands Of a watch as they separate
az y o'clock. They draw apart but un'
less lie hangs upon their movement you
do not notice 10. And SO with the great
Campania coming up behind MS. You had
10 hold your glasses "a minute TO your
eyes before YOU could see her tunnels.
Then another minute before YOU could
DISTINGUISH her bow. Next time YOU look
"a YOU could catch the first splash OF her
foam as her sharp bow cut the waves.
But % was an hour before You could
tce the great tidal waves spreading back
rom her stern as she scattered the waters
On each side Of her.
Meanwhile all was excitement on board
'he St Louis Its "a race explained
one Of the passengers (and "a very distn-
guished one at thaO.
ITS a race divided into four parts.
The first quarter Is where you're getting
.eadv 20 sight the ship. The second is
when YOU see her and are beginning 10
puf ON extra coal. The third is when
you're coming up 10 Fire Island. and
the homcstrctch De- the thrty-nine miles
from Fire Island 10 the iightship. Now
pct ready to cheer for we've got 10 beat
her.
But the Cunarder was drawing nearer
u was plain that she was trying To beat
us. Her great bow became clearer and
clearer. and for a few moments u seemed
10 us as though she was going 10 laugh
~ us on the home race.
That's nothing Don't be scared.
called out an experienced old ocean trav-
ellcr "The sun has lifted and that
brings her closer. She isn't gaining much
on us"
Meantime the captain, gallant Capt.
Randle was hurrying hither and thither.
ills orders We're not 20 keep steam up'
but 10 keen steam on. But how are You
going TO restrain 4 whole ship fun Of
woul6-be stokers and five hundred pleas
ure seeking souls? | verify do believe
81 the good captain had given orders 10
reverse the engines and put out the fires
he would have been seized and put m
chains right in sight Of land. as Columbus
was IN that eventful voyage OF his four
hundred years ago
But the captain knew better than to 80
bsvond his power. Instead OF fruitlcssiy
waving his hands and shouting he bore
himself In a dignihed. even beaming,
way. and some one whispered that TIE
captain would not cry were we TO win
the race, An. Captain
But the CunaTder was gaining on us
We could all see that
whats the natter" called out some
one.
We've got 20 stop 20 take mp pilot
explained The experienced traveller. But
can tell you he'll meet with quick treat
rnent n he doesn't hurry.
But the pilot did hurry lie was brave
pilot No Z. and when he saw us coming
<ull head on he grasped the SITUATION
end rope and was ready Tor US.