The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-30
HIS LAST SUNDAY A
HE WAS BETTING ON A JACK PoI
WHEN THE TACHT Upset.

Ytsh Line To swim 70 the surfnce-A Ren-
isiscsseo or Poker Piayisg OG the lops
Isinnd Coast when = ssunll struck n.
"The closest call I ever had. said the gray
haired, young-looking man. was in a game OF
poker. and, curiously enough. nobody called In
that particular deal in which 1t occurred. In
fact. nobody thought about 1t after the Interrupt
tion until 1t was too late for a showdown and
the chips had all disappeared, nobody knew
where. It takes a pretty serious happening to
destroy all interest In q game Of poker Just at
the moment when somebody has raised tho
limit in a big jack pot and each player is conf
dent Of winning. But this was a serious hap
pening. It was about the most serious that I
ever knew and came near being a tragedy.
Perhaps you remember one summer about
ten years ago when a succession of tremendous
! squalls struck the south side OF Long Island on
four successive Sundays. I think il was Just
ten years ago.
We had a clubhouse. eight or ten or US, that
summer which was located ON Hicks's Beach. on
the extreme western end Of the Great South
Bay, not far from the Long Beach Hotel. 1t was
about as unpretentious as any clubhouse need
be. being only a shanty. but it was weather
proof, and with cots and hammocks we made
ourselves thoroughly comfortable when we
slept ashore. More often we would sleep on
board the little sloop yacht that we had char.
W w t1e0 w ANiS
through the entire day, using the clubhouse
as n rendezvous. 1t was one OF the jolllest and
most economical seasons | ever enjoyed.
W all knew something about sailing-I
least OF all-but the Commodore. as we all called
him. WAS the best amateur sailor I ever knew,
and naturally we made him skipper. and nobody
else assumed or felt any responsibility when he
was aboard.
ION this particular Sunday. the fourth in the
! series Of s1ualiv Sunday ,hara ,r,ro ~ ~
on the yacht. We had been wcakdshing all the
forenoon about four miles cast Of Wreck Head.
and had had fair luck. but it was wretchedly
nearly to Hicks's Beach again and come to anchor
on the best bathing ground In the neighborhood.
plunge. and after dressing had gone int the cabin.
Two OF the men had gone to sleep and the rest
o. Us had begun = game Of poker. l. was the
motorc had made all snug above. md had come
down into the cabin last Of all, satisfied that
channel. and no big boats navigate thereabout.
anyhow. He was rood enough sailor, however.
two, Just to take a look aroana d. But m1 nos eyS on
he thought it worth while to keep a lookout all
would have been in a brick house.
AFTER an hour or so there came a jackpot, in
drawing I ever saw. The broker had opened it
on q pair OF queens. The Commodore sat next.
tor had three spades with a queen at the head.
and. being a brash player at all times, pushed in
time, and decided to rely on t. so came in with
an ace. And the lawyer came also. though be
fs,;n only ayt 'w vi tbii ;6 -four spots in - his m,a hand &C We
together one night talking over the adventure.
and at the same time we learned what the
thst I wrote it down. so e speSE b 10 the the
card in telling it. The doctor was dealing. so I
and three eight spots. The lawyer caught an.
other four and two tens. The broker got three
Jacks. The Commodore caught a seven and two
mines, and the doctor got his TWO coveted spades.
\ pair of queens was high hand before the draw,
board after ii. Such q thing may have happened
Otter. but l never happened to hear OF it as hap
Naturally enough tie bett;ag began .uri-
oGsiy. and the chips on the table were all in he
our rolls, when suddenly the Commodore threw
back his head and raised his hand with a sudden
gesture that arrested our attention instantly.
started 70 rush ont on deck. when a lurch Of the
scramblins mp. we could feel the yacht Juggling
dash onward Sne insp w" Whishs seo we e s5lis
moi even guess. being all below, but we after
the squat coming from the southwest. Almost
at the moment OF the. swapping of the cable. for
ovcrhead; and We afterward learned that the
lurch or the boat ned thrown her stick out Of her.
ing helplessly toward the mud flats Oh the other
side OF the channel; but before We could ascer-
tam tlls-In tact. before any or US could get 70
the companion, wny-the wrstchet boat turned
turtle. have heard It denied that such a boat
could turn turtle under such circumstances, and
cont pretend to explain how or why 1t did. All
know is that IL did. and it looked as II we had
re,Ched our last quarter OF an hour.
The confusion was indeScribable. OF course
we were immediately standing or scramblingo on
the ceiling OF the little cabin. while everything |
water rushed in more than waist deep. and for a
few poments it looked as il the little room
think what possibility there was OF getting out.
Fortunately, however. there was buoyancy
WIS deep enough in the hull to keep It pretty
near the water level and the air in the room was
not Immediately displaced: At least that was
lively is that whereas I exceed TO be totally
sSs seP gg heal J found 1St ID thar that l T %ha, e "a. Is enough st
in the cabin doubtless helped TO keep us ahoat,
confined as II was, and for a time-it seemed a
very long ttme-we were tossed about. splashed.
and thrown down, as the boat rocked and
pitched, but we were not drowned.
AT nrst no one spoke. The situation was too
awful for words. and il seemed as II we were all
so shocked as to be mentally stunned. l know
on my thinking OF a means we would all have
persisted then and there. Fortunately the Com
talk and understand one another well enough.
he told US his plan in a few words. 1t was sim
Moreover. it appeared TO he our only chance.
You can all SWIM, he said Find a fish
somebody produced one in a moment. 1t
Hold last TO the reel. said the Commodore. !
III take one end OF the line and dive through
the companion way. think can ind my way
ri bo 5hf i mE en aFd an nP % Sf the sa Sot. fssp 9? !bt the l boat;
make this end fast. Then you Will ave TO FOL
low, one at a time. Don't let go OF the line rs
you, go ont. and you can't miss the way. III
hold the other end
Very good. Commodore said the broker.
but Id better ~ d-st. You know what a swim.
mcr I aui, and I reckon. the man who goes frst
VIII have the Earliest Job
The Commodore was disposed 10 dispute this
proposition. hut tho lawyer spoke up sharply:
Let him so, Commodore he : lid. It's a for.
hCst swimmer So II was settled. and in an
Other moment the broker had disappeared.
Well, that's all the story. The plan worked
and we were all perched on the keel inside OF
ten minutes, There we we're seen by the life
saving patrol. and were all taken OF safely soon
after. emit say | over enjoyed yAchting after |