San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-02-21

maneuvers. he picked a telescope on a
skylight lid and turned it slowly round
and round the horizon. This he did
again aud again. clapping the glass I'M
der his arm between whites and walking
the weather end Of the poop with lord
paramount air. William steered. 1t
was leading wind for the island. The
bark leaned little and drove the water
from her bows in ripples. Now that
there was some sort of passing unanimi-
ty among them a different sort of spirit
was manifested generally. They talk
ed without passion, they ceased to ar
que, they stood leaning over the ships
side smoking and watching the island
or the water sliding past Elm tender
tremble Of prismatic bubbles.
Suddenly Davenire, starting up from
as lazy a loafing posture as ever south
country longshoreman could fall into,
called out:
Trollope, by the way. didn't you
say we ought to sound as we 60 in?'
you've taken charge, haven't you?'
answered Trollope, slightly turning his
head without looking at the man, then
lifting the glass to his eye.
AIRY" yelled johnson, "spring
for a lump Of fat. my son. You'll find
plenty in the galley"
In few minutes the little Dane
handed piece of fat down to Mr.. Shan
non, who primed the hole in the bottom
of the lead.
''For luck's sake?" he sung out The
long metal cone flew to the bow, and
the line slackened without weight right
up and down under him.
Land hol' he roared. 81 can't give
you the leadsman's cry. Here's the red.
What is it-what is it? All, II faith
oms.
All the while Trollope, coldly and
obstinately, paced old Benson's piece Of
quarter deck. Again and again the men
glanced at him, but he made no sign.
seemed not to hear, exhibited no visible
interest in anything but the horizon.
b. ''What says the arming?" exclaimed
Caldwell.
Ob0hhOu w az iOOhihk az ~ WbCu bilot
black, scowling fellow spoke.
''The sweetest lot Of little shells you
ever saw in all your born days." an
swered Shannon, squirting at the fat in
the lead. "Shells and gray sand. Hands
down knife, some one.
He carefully scraped off the shells
and sand, and the knife was handed
up, and the mess of fat, shells and sand
on the blade passed from one to another
and viewed with deep interest. Such
children does the sea make of men, such
trifes will the monotony of the ocean
render fascinating.
Thus did the villains approach the is
land, the bark floating with erect spars,
SO light had the wind fallen. Mr.. Shan
non continued to heave the lead. When
they came into IA fathoms, the land
was mile off, but they burst venture
no closer, and the whole Of them, saw
ing Trollope, turned to and clewed up
the canvas. The bark lost way with her
head at west.
Let 90 the anchor" reared Dave
nire to William.
"Stand clear of the cablei" bawled
William, who had undertaken this
part, and moment later, after chip
ping noise Of hammering. the anchor
dropped from the cathead and the heavy
chain cable roared smoking after 1t
through the hawse pipe
There remained, however, great
deal Of work to be done before they
could venture to hoist the boat out.
They furled every sail, light task for
ten men in small bark ON that fair
morning.
Trollope would not put his hand to a
rope. While the men were aloft he
went into Benson's cabin to look at the
barometer and found a steady glass.
Then he returned and for the fiftieth
time chased the line of the sea with the
best telescope in the ship. He never
could tell at what instant sail might
rise. Had that gentlemanly scoundrel
thought proper to put up a prayer, it
would have been for the brigantine and
Saunders He lonkod ar tho shin oroxr,