The Republican journal., 1898-12-29
THE DERELICT "NEPTUNE. !"
Morgan Robertson in "Spun Yarn"
COnciuded !

edges. Then Boston sewed into each
corner a thimble-an iron ring-and they
had a triangular sail OF about twelve feet
hoist. cit hasn' been exposed to the ac-
ton of the air like the ropes in the locker
forward said Boston, as he arose and
took off the palm; land perhaps it last
till she pays off. Then We can steer.
You get the big pulley blocks from the
locker, Doe, and I'll get the rope from
the boat. LIS lucky thought to bring it ;
L expected to lift things out of the hold
with it.
At the risk Of his life Boston obtained
the coil from the boat, while the doctor
brought the blocks. Then, together, they
rove off a tackle. With the handles of
their pistols they knocked bunk boards to
pieces and saved the nails; then Boston
climbed the foremast, as painter climbs
a steeple-hy mailing successive billets of
wood above his head for steps Next he
hauled up and secured the tackle to the
forward side of the mast, with which they
pulled up the upper corner of their sail,
after lashing the lower corners to the
windlass and life-rai.
1t stood the pressure, and the hulk paid
slowly Oft and gathered headway. Boston
took the wheel an steadied her at north
west by west-dead before the wind
while the doctor at his request, brought
the open can OF soup and lubricated the
wheel screw with the only substitute for
oil at their command fol the screw work
ed hard with the rust Of fifty years,
Their improviSed sail. pressed steadily
on but one side, had held together, but
now, with the first flap US the gale
caught it from another direction appear e
ed 4 rent, with the next flap the rag went
to pieces.
''Let her CO. sang out Boston, glee-
fully; 1--WE can steer now, Come here,
Doc, and learn to steer
The doctor came and when he left that
wheel, three days later, be had learned
For the wind had blownc continuous gale
the whole of this time. which, with the
ugly sea raised as the ship left the lee OF
the land necessitated the presence of
both men at the helm. Only occasionally
was there a lull during which one of them
could rush below and return with a can of
the soup. During one of these lulls Bos-
ton had examined the boat towing half
out of water, and concluding that short
painter was best with a water logged boat.
had reinforced it with few turns of his
rope from forward. In the three days
they had sighted no craft except such as
Boston had judged rightly in regard to
the wind 1t had hauled slowly to the
southwark. allowing him to make the
course he wished-through the Bahama
and up the Florida Channel with the wind
over Ihe stern. During the day he could
guide himself by landmarks, but at night,
with darkeued binnacle, he could only
steer blindy on with the wind at his back.
The storm centre, at first to the south OF
Cuba had made wide circle, concentric
with the curvng course of the ship, and
when the latter had reached the upper
end OF the Florida Channel, had spurted
ahead and whirled out to sea across her
bows. 1t was then that the undimnish-
ed gale, blowing nearly west, had caused
Boston, in despair, to throw the wheel
down and bring She ship into the trough
of the Sea-to drift. Then the two wet.
exhaust Il, followed eyed men slept the
sleep that none but sailors and soldiers
know and when they wakened twelve
hours later; stiff and re. ii was to look
ont uu calm, stallit evening. with an
eastern moon silveriug the surface of the
long. mort bound rollers, and Showing in
sharp relief a dark horizon. on which
there was no sign OF land OF sail.
they satisfied their hunger then Bos-
Ton, with rusty iron pot from the galley.
10 which t. listened the end of his rope.
dipped II. same Of the water from over
the side Il Is warm to the touch. and.
aware That they were in the Cult Stream.
they crawled under the musty bedding in
the cabin bert.ls and slept through the
night In the morning there was no
promise of the eastery wind that Boston
hoped would come t 0 blow them to port.
+1,ai,
davit- tackles, and with the plug out, pull
ing it up, one end at Il time, while the
water drained out through the hole in the
bottom.
Now, Boston, said the doctor, "here
We are, as You say, on the outer edge of
the Gnlf Stream, drifting cut into the
broad Atlantic al the rate of four miles an
hour. We We got to make the best OF it
until something comes along; SO you hunt
through that stCl t room and see what else
there is to eat, aud Tll examine the cargS }.
| want to know here that acid went.
They opened all the matches. and while
Boston descended to the lazarette, the
doctor, with bis trousers rolled up, climb
ed down the notched steps in a stanchion
In short time he came up with a yellow
substance in his hand. which he washed
thoroughly with .resh water iu Boston's
improvised draw bucket, and placed in
the sun to dry. Then he returned to the
tween-decks. After a while Boston,
rnnmaging the lszarette, heard him call
ing through the bulkhead, and Joined
hirl.
Look here, Boston," said the doctor;
II We cleared away the muck over this
hatch. It's 'corSed, as you sailormen
call it. Help me get it up
They dug the compacted oakum from
the seams with their knives and by iron
rings in each corner, now eaten with rust
to almost the thinness of wire, they lifted
the hatch. Below was filthy looking
layer of whitish substance, protudng from
which were charred, half burned slaves.
First they repeated the experiment with
the smouldering rag, and finding that it
burned, as before, they descended. The
whitish substance was hard enough to
bear their weight, and they looked
around. Overhead, hung to the under
side of the deck and extending the
length of the hold, We're wooden tanks.
charred, and in some places burned
through.
She must have been built for passen-
ger or troop Ship" said Boston. "Those
tanks would water a regiment
Boston" answered the doctor, irrele-
vanity, ''will you climb up and bring
down an oar from the hoatp Carry ii