The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-01-08
CHAPTER v.
THE WRECK.

There was poetic insight i'll the re-
mark of the lady passenger that soil
tary object encountered upon the ocean,
whether "a ship in full sail or such an
abandoned craft as that out yonder ahead
Of the Queen, changes the face of the
deep by imparting a quality of melan-
choly through mere oompulsion of the
sight to realize the mighty distances. 1t
was eight bells, and the wreck was about
three miles off. The fiery sun was eat
ing into the heart of the wind, and the
bark's languid crawling threatened to
the inpatient tardy approach.
The ships telescope went the rounds
All were agreed that no signs OF life
were visible aboard the hulk. The hori-
zon swan in silver passed her, and her
sheathing flashed in wet, dazzling stars
as the long grading Pacific heave slight
ly rolled her.
''She would have given us the
chance" said Mark Davenire TO Cap
tain Trollope as they stood together at
the mizzen rigging.
eyes. / see your meaning, said the
other. "But she comes too soon. " And
he rolled his keen eye at the Queens
longboat and then at her quarter boat
as though one thought put another into
his head. "I'll tell you what 1t is, he
continued, speaking almost IN mum
BILE under his heavy mustache. The
mob of us must be devIlish wary, hold
apart and talk little or nothing ut table
if we're to run daylight into this errand,
Here we are two days out Here am | q
first class passenger Yet by the blood
of my heart, as my old colonel would
say, that gimlet eyed skipper was as
insolently blunt and suspicious just now
as if | had been stowaway, brought
aft to him black with the forepeak by
one of his Jacks. /"
"There are too many OF Us, SAID
Davenire.
eyes Less could have managed.
"Masters may be all right. But drinl
hasn't burned the vanity out of him. Ii
he goes messing about with Miss Man
sci something may be said, some feather
light hint unconsciously dropped. Sh'
has eyes like corkscrews and ears like
hatchways."
"How do you know"
"She watches us. F"
Captain Trollope made no answer. A
moment later the breakfast bell rang
The wreck was now within a half hour
reach as the pace then was. The passen
gers hurried into the saloon to breakfas
quickly that they might see the show a
it passed within musket shot, unless thu
Queens helm was shifted.
care we to meet with any more ex
citements?" exclaimed Mrs. Peacock t.
the captain.
"What is to be understood by tina
word, ma amp answered old Benson.
EVERY item in the catalogue OF nava
disaster" said Mr.. Storr.
"Any bargains to be had in that cata
logue?" called out Mr.. Burn, smiling a
the little auctioneer while he filled
tumbler with draft Of Bass beer.
J "Midnight yells should go cheap,
answered Mr.. Storr, with sarcastic lee
at the fat man.
! 81 wish that fool Burn would shu
upr' exclaimed Trollope to his neigh
Dor, and he leaned forward to catch {
sight of him.
! "There are no excitements TO be ex
pected, ma am" said the captain.
81 hope we shall meet with plenty,
exclaimed Miss Holroyd, kindly face
young woman of two and twenty, desti
] tute of personal attractions.
"You must consider, my dear, sal
: Mrs. Peacock little severely, THAT
am making this voyage for my health.
Captain Trollope, wiping his mus
tache, rose from the table and stake
out on to the quarter deck. A few fol
: lowed. Then the whole table rose, an
3 by that time the wreck was close aboar
. ON the starboard bow.
She was plain little hull; had po'
sibly been some New Zealand or Aus
, tralian keel trading to the islands He
T long tiller swept from bulwark to bu
{ wark as she rolled like human arr
wild with appeal. The wilderness OF 9,
. cry splintered thing told Of recent di