The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-02-21

curtain down In The southwest, and pres
emily a steamers broad light opened in
the night like an eye. 1t was the looked
Tor vessel, and an answering signal-light
was made. Captain Castle came aft, I'M
lashed the wheel, flattened out the head
sheets and the Bonita darted away to
catch her big game. The tackles hanging
from the lore and mainmast heads were
hooked on 10 one of the two yawls stand
ing on the deck, and when the Bonita
rounded too under the steamers stern the
little cockle-shelI of a boat was hoisted
overheard. Two men took the oars and
Captain Meyers, whose turn it was to
"board-off," watched his chance and
sklIlfully slid into the dancing craft and
instantly disappeared i'll the surrounding
gloom as though swallowed up by the
stormy sea.
In few moments the lights of the
steamer showed that she was under wav
again, and soon the tiny yawl was seen
near US on the crest of a wave about as
hlgn above our deck as the masthead.
waiting Tor chance to get under our lea
ana get aboard. | do not know how il
was accomplished, but in short time the
crew were back on the Bonita, the yawI
lashed to Its place alongside of its mate.
and we were off searching for more pilot
less ships. The men reported that Cap
tain Meyers was repeatedly ducked get
ting aboard OF the steamer, but such mis-
hars-eVen death-are a part of the pilots
calling.
No more fish came to our nets that
night, and the first glow across the Coast
Range found US abreast the FaraIones
the CLEAN of Its light growing pale and
dying away In the greater flame of coming
day.
That afternoon we raised big square,
rigger with her jack at the fore-the pilots
day signal-and Captain Boyd got a
chance to work his passage home and in
cldentally good fee into the treasury of
the association. An incident the follow
ing night proved the wisdom of keeping
a bright lookout for the ships we didn't
want as well as those we did want. While
lying to black, shapeless form suddenly
doomed out of the darkness right ahead
and bore directly down upon us. A whirI
Of the wheel heaved US out of her path.
and she dragged slowly but ponderously
past US, big schooner with the output
OF some coast sawmill piled on her deck
half as high as her mainmast. These un-
calmly floating lumber-yards adrift in a
thick fog are things TO be stunned by the
pllot-boats, strong though they are as oak
and iron can make them.
Toward the evening of our last day. the
fog suddenly blow ng away, we made out
ship well in shore heading Cor the north
channel. No other pilot-boat could be
made out in that locality, and we prepared
for chase. The reefs were quickly shaken
out. q bonnet laced on the lib, and the
speedy Bonita began to kick up
sparkling wake with her nimble heels.
This was not enough and the gaff-topsail
followed by the big staysail flew aloft to
swell out with the stiff Northwestern caught
in its folds. The yacht lay over with her
lee rail deeply awash, and the upfiying
spray came over her bow in showers as
she sprang from wave to wave. The
Bonita set her iack-a query to the ship
and the flag stood out to ieeward, hard
blur of blue against the sky, and the taut
shrouds rang in the stiff breeze like harm
chords. Such speed soon used up the
distance between the two vessels, and the
boats last pilot was soon steering the shin
safe into harbor. whittier we followed. We
let go our anchor off Meiggs wharf. and
the cruise was over. Tom GREGORY.