Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-09-22
A LOST ISLAND.

1t was "a night of pitchy darkness. Az
four bells in the first watch not a breath
| of air was moving, and the drenched sails,
wet by the afternoon and evening rains,
hung heavily from the yards or tapped
| against the masts and rigging as the ship
| rolled lazily on the long leaden swells of
| the Pacific ocean. A number of days had
passed without an observation of the sun
or stars, and they had to run by dead
reckoning" and were not, therefore, sure
Of their latitude or longitude. They might
be nearer danger than they thought.
The captain had gone below at eight
bells; but, feeling troubled about the por-
tentous appearance OF the weather, wa
unable to sleep and was Oh deck again,
walking nervously fore and aft, now look
ing on this side and then on the other
side of the quarter deck, looking %anxiously
out into the darkness, then aft, then at
the compass and then at the barometer
which hung in the cabin gangway. Round
and round went the ship, needless of her
helm, and the mercury told the same tale
it had told for hours before.
In vain did the eyes Of anxious men
peer into the darkness. Only inky black
ness met their straining gaze everywhere.
Thus matters stood till six bells, when the
mercury began to fall suddenly. The
quick jerking voice of the captain was
then heard.
"Mr. Smalley, you may take in the
light sails"
"Aye, aye, sir" and, stepping to the
mainmast he called out, "For'ard, therel''
and was Immediately answered, For
ard, sir!" "Stand by the t~opgallant and
the flying jib halyardsl'
In a moment he heard the report,
Ready, sir"
LET go the halyards and clew down.
Let go the sheets and clew up. That'l do.
Delay all. Now jump up and furl them.
Be lively, lads!'
While this was going on the captain took
another look at the barometer and found
the mercury still going down fast. Thor.
oughly aroused now, he caught his speak
ing trumpet from the Booklets and sung
out:
Hold on, therel Down from aloft, ev-
cry man Of you! Call oil handsl' Down
came the men again.
"All hands ahoy!' was called with great
strength of voice at both the cabin and
AoAO0boplO 5uhSVoyot uAu GAo AoAAoVou
n Of those scenes which defies such de-
scription as would make 1t Ineligible to
q landsman, but which any sailor readily
understands. The topsails were close
reefed, a reef taken in the mainsail, the
glib and flying glib and all the light sails
were furled, and the ship made ready for
the expected gale. But yet no breath Of
air had been felt moving, while an un-
natural stiffness and heaviness of the at.
mosphere was observed by all. Several Of
the eamen saw a dim, purple streak sud-
denly appear right ahead of the ship and
called out, Here it comes, sir!"
"Where?" said the captain.
Fright ahead, sir"
Hard a port your helm!'
lizard a port it Is, sirl'
"Brace round the yards!"
"Aye, aye, sir!"
The yards were braced around, and the
ship was got ready to receive the expected
blast on the larboard tack. That dreadful
streak of cloud grew almost crimson, and
there was heard what they thought was
the heavy roar Of the coming gale, and ey-
cry man seemed to hold his breath await
ing the shock. Good men and courageous
sailors were on that ships deck, but they
shrank from tho terrible onslaught like
frightened children. When God speaks in
those fearful storms, his voice is awful to
the ear, and many a strong man has quail
ed before it. And the storm itself Is
scarcely more trying to ones nerves than
the moment before 1t strikes, while men
wait in dreadful suspense.
Thus those men waited till the minutes
heightened into hours, and the only change
p%erceptiblc was in the deepening color Of
that lowering cloud Of crimson light. AT
length eight bells told that 4 o'clock had
arrived, and daylight was looked for as
those men in tho ship with Paul looked
for it when they "wished for day" But
the struggling light Of the day seemed only
to reveal the thickness of tho darkness to
the wondering vision.
Just at daylight their ears were stunned
| with successive quick reports, louder than
whole broadsides from u hundred gun ship.
The whole heavens were lighted up with u
fiery red light. The ocean was stirred
| from her profound depths. Great waves,
without any visible cause, ran In the most
awful commotion, now striking together
and throwing the white foam and spray
high in air, then parting, to meet again in
fearful embrace as before. A school Of
sperm whales ran athwart the ships bows,
making every excrtion to escape from the
strangely troubled water. Within a few
cable lengths of the ship an immense col
umn of water was thrown masthead high
and fell back again with q roar like Mag
ira A deep, mournful noise, like the
echo of thunder among mountain caverns,
vas instantly heard, and none could tell
whence it came. The noble ship was tossed
and shaken like a plaything.
"Great God, have mercy upon us!" cried
officers and mon. "What is this2 What is
coming next9 Is it the day of Judgment"
The royal psalmist described them accu-
rately-"They reel to and fro and stagger
like a drunken man and are at their wits
end"
Soon the mystery was solved, when right
before their eyes, about one league from
them, there arose the rough sides Of a
|! mountain out Of the yielding water and
reared it's head high in air; then from its
summit flames burst forth and melted lava
ran like a river down the declivity and
fell like a cascade of flame into the seeth
ing ocean. 1t was a birth throe Of nature,
and an island was born which was miles
in circumference.
Two years afterward l sailed right over
that place, but the placid water gave no
intimation that m island had been there.
Yet no man has said that he saw the death
and burial Of that land whose birth I have
thus chronicled.- Exchange.
What He Meant.
Dauber (struggling artist)-What do you
suppose tho poet meant by the words,
cart is long, but life is fleeting?"
I FRANZ Eriapd fpYam}ninD narlharfp last