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

come through hard struggle OF wealth
er or that her beauty had been wrecked
by some half drunken snob at the helm
A seaman. however, would at once
have ascribed the loss of the bark's fore
topgallant mast to storm. He would
have observed other signs of the ship
having been severely strained. The nine
gentlemen and the two sailors had
cleared away the wreck, but now, with
out her crown Of topgallsnt sail and
royal forward and her milk white wing
Of flying jib, she looked another ship.
1t was o'clock in the afternoon.
Eight gentlemen were ON deck; Shan
non was at the wheel. but he, who ought
to have been preoccupied by the bust
ness Of steering. was as busy as the rest
Of them in sending looks, searching with
hope and fear. at that line Of blue wa
ters which washed the terrace of vapor
Fore topmast crosstreesp' bawled
Captain Trollope, stepping with old
Benson's glass under his arm down the
poop ladder and walking little way
along the quarter deck. "Don't you
make out any signs of land yet. Dike9"
That scowling gentleman sat airily
perched high aloft on the crosses of
timber which Trollope had rightly
named in hailing. Savage impatience
had carried him up the shrouds with
the late captains binocular glass;
through which he was staring at the
ocean ahead when Trollope shouted.
Eyes," he answered, letting sink the
glass from his eyes while he turned his
face, the blacker for the shadow of his
hat, slowly aft in his sulky way to an
swer. "And had you waited another
minute I'd have reported it,
LAND hol" shouted Captain Troll
lope.
where away?" bawled the fellows
ON the poop, coming in rush of excite
ment to the rail at the break.
''How does the land bear, Dike?"
cried Trollope, looking up.
''I wish it had been any other man
up there" shouted Shannon from the
wheel. "What centuries that hedgehog
takes to answer question: Why didn't
he die when he had that fit? He's not
too good to die. 4"
Fore topmast crosstreesp' roared
Trollope. Don't you hear me ask you
how does the land bear?''
"How am to give it you in points?'
answered Caldwell "All that know
is it's there" and he shot out his arm,
indicating place on the sea about three
points on the lee bow.
Hankey sprang off the poop, and,
running forward, danced aloft The
canvas of the topsail swelled against a
soft, vast white cloud. Above stood the
naked head of the mast, clearly exposing
the forms of Mr.. Caldwell and Mr..
Hankey as they jookeyed one arm of
the crosstrees pillion fashion, their legs
swinging, their shapes sharp as ink
streaks against the cloud.
''Land in your eye, is it?' cried Wes
ton, rushing off the poop on to the quar-
ter deck and gazing up at the men.
"Solid enough to get married on, bet
your dollop on that. Solid enough to
build church on and be buried in, "
yelled Hankey. "Hurrah"
He had taken the binocular glass
from Caldwell, and. in the ecstasy of
that hurrah, he knocked his companions
hat off.
Plague take you for the clumsiest
hand in the shipr growled Dixie.
The hat, being of straw, fiuttered
lightly to the deck. Its descent W
watched by the people below with
sort of horror Nothing SO suggests the
fall of man from aloft as the dropping
Of his hat. His head might well be in
il, you think. Caldwell came sluggish
ly as bear down the rigging, leaving
the glass with Hankey, whom Trollope
now hailed.
81 say, old chap, do you see any sign
Of the brigantineP
''That's just what I'm looking for,
answered Hankey, standing up and
holding on by one hand and carefully
sweeping the horizon of the waters with
the lenses
"Brigantine in sight?' shouted Shan
non from the wheel.
Nobody made answer till Hankey,
looking down. sang out, 81 see nothing
like a sail, but there are many tips Of
white clouds which are deucedly bother
some, and / won't swear that one or
another mayn't be ship yet. !"
Caldwell sprang like toad off the
rail on to the deck, picked his hat up
and put it ON his head.
''It's the land and your island, Troll
lope, I" said he, with note OF gloomy
congratulation in his voice. II make
you my Acknowledgements. Your skill
as navigator is exquisite.
Trollope touched his cap and wound
his mustache with half smile, half
sneer.
"But there's no ship" continued
Caldwell, land unless Saunders has hid.
den his vessel away behind that blotch
wonder he's missing his road or gone
down in the gale.
Several of the men, catching at Cald-
wells hint, gathered about Trollope
and shook hands with him and were
noisy in admiration of his navigation.