The herald., 1897-08-29

bly, but they make themselves his slaves:
Many believe he is shamming, put canhot
resist sympathy. and sacrihce IN rougn
day out a violent gale arises.
PART III.
There was no sleep on board that
night. Most seamen remember in their
life one or two such nights of a cul
minating gale. Nothing seems left of
the whole universe but darkness. clam
or, fury, and the ship. And like the
last vestige of a shattered creation, she
drifts, bearing an anguished remnant
Of sinful mankind through the sense
less Distress tumult, and pain Of
vengeful violence. No one slept in the
.forecastle The tin oil-lamp suspended
on a long string, smoking, described
wide circles. Wet clothing made dark
heaps on the glistening floor A thin
layer of water rushed to and fro. In
the bed-places men lay booted, resting
on elbows and with open eyes. No one
spoke and all listened. Outside the
night moaned and sobbed to the 'ac-
compartment of continuous loud tre-
far off. Shrieks passed through the air.
Tremendous dull blows made the ship
trembe while she rolled under the
weight Of the seas toppling on her deck.
At times she scared up swiftly as if to
leave this earth for ever, then, during
interminabe moments, fell through a
void with all the hearts on board of
her standing still, till a frightful
md
them off again with big thump. Now
and then, for the fraction of an intol-
erable second, the ship, in the fiercer
burst of terrible uproar, remained on
her side, vibrating and STILL with a
stiffness more appalling than the Wild
est motion. Then upon all those prone
bodies a stir would pass, a shiver of
suspense. Some moved their legs lit
tie as if making ready to jump out. But
several, motionless on their backs and
with one hand gripping hard the edge
of the bunk, smoked nervously with
quick puffs, staring upward; immobi-
Used in a great craving for peace.
At midnight, orders were given to furl
the fore and mizzen topsais. With i'm
mense efforts men crawled aloft through
q rnerciless buffeting, saved the canvas,
bear in painting silence the cruel bat
tering Of the seas. About halfpast
seven the pitchy obscurity round us
turned a CHASTITY gray. and we knew
that the sun had risen. This unnat-
ural and threatening daylight, in which
we could see one another's wild eyes
and drawn faces. was only an added
tax on our endurance. A rain of heavy
a,1a ,ic-t T1,f
main-topsail had to be goose winged,
and with stolid resignation every one
prepared to go aloft once more; but the
officers yelled, pushed back, and at last
we understood that no more men would
be'allowed to so on the yard than was
absolutely necessary for the work. AS
at any moment the masts were likely
to be jumped out or blown overheard,
we concluded that the captain didn't
want to see all his crowd go over the
side at once. That was reasonable. The
watch then on duty began to struggle
up the rigging. The wind fiattened
them against the ratlines; then, ceas-
ing a little, would let them gain a cou-
pie of steps; and again, with a sudden
gust, pin, all up the shrouds, the whole
crawling line in attitudes of crucifiXion
The other watch plunged down on the
main deck to haul up the sail. Favored
by an ominous and untrustworthy lull
the work was done without any one be-
ing lost, either off the deck or from the
yard. For the moment the gale seemed
to rake off. The ship, as if grateful for
our efforts, plucked up heart and made
better weather of it.
At eight the men off duty, watching
their chance, ran forward over the
flooded deck to get some rest. The 9TH
er half of the crew remained aft for
their turn of seeing her through her
trouble" as they expressed it. On the
weather side of the poop the watch
hanging on to the mizzen rigging and
to one another, tried to exchange en-
couraging words. Sullivan, at the
wheel yelled out, "Lool out for your
selves," His voice reached them in a
warning whisper. They were startled.
A big, foamng sea came out of the
mist 1t made for the ship, roaring
wildly, and in its rush it looked as mis-
chievous and discomposing as mad
man with an axe. The ship rose to it as
if she had scared on wings, and for a
moment rested poised upon the foam
ing crest, as if she had been a great
sea-bird. Before we could draw breath
heavy gust struck her. another roller
took her unfairly under the weather
bow, she gave toppling lurch, and
filled her decks.
The mems feet flew from under
them, and they hung kicking above the
slantins poop. They could see the ship
putting her side in the water. and
shouted all together, She's going!"
ForwAd the forecastle doors flew open
and watch below We're leaping out
one aNer another, throwing their arms
UP, and, falling on hands and knees
scrambled aft on all fours along the
high side of the deck sloping more
than the roof of a house. The immense
volume of water thrown forward by
the last scend of the ship had burst
the lee door Of the forecastle. They
could see their chests, pillows, blank
cts, clothing, come out floating upon the
sea.
They all yelled increasingly, "The
masts! Cut! Cut" A black squall
howled low over the ship. that lay on