The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-08-05
The Saraband's Skipper.

board knew that she had but short tim
20 live.
The engine-room plates were awash an
the fires in the stokehole were out, an
for the last two hours she had only beel
| kept head 70 sea by means Of a sea ancho
made of the derricks and spars.
In the shelter of the bridge deck-th
only structure which had been strong
enough to resist the remorseless yiolenc
of the seas-clusIered her crew. some thir
| ty hands, hard-faced sailors and grim.
fremen; the former quiet, apathetic. al
most careless; the others, save for a few
dead-White with fear, spending their las
moments in cursing with foolish, mean
ingless repetitions Of the same words, tht
ship, their luck IL coming in her. and III,
skipper, for not making use OF the twC
remaining boats which hung from thei
davIts at the lee side Of the bridge deck
and which from their elevated position ha(
not gone when the other boats had beer
/ swept away. On the bridge stood the skip
per and the mate, bearded, elderly mer
both. straining their fdespairing eyes Int
| the wal of mist and spray which relent.
! lessly rushed down upon them, in the
faint hope that some passing vessel might
appear through the gloom Of the gale.
Al length the skipper turned and scram-
| bled down the sloping bridge TO where the
| mate crouched on the lee rail We shall
have to try the boats. Mr.. Smith; she'll
not last much longer!" he shouted, the
! wind picking up each word as he uttered
| ii and sweeping them away to Jeeward,
as II jealous Of the mate hearing them.
Its very poor chance" said the mate,
''but I suppose It's our only one. How
long do you give her?"
Half an hour at the outside. Are the
| boats all ready?"
They've been ready since morning"
said the mate; "but can we get them in
! the water unmashed, and won't the fire.
men rush them?"
Il don't think So replied the skipper;
there's time enough and room enough
for all to get away"
But his face took a grimmer look as ne
led the way down from the bridge to the
charthouse, the mate following him. In
side they could hear each other with
greater ease, and the skipper, while taxi
ing his revolver from a drawer, gave the
mate his final instructions.
We'll lower the forward lifeboat first,
as she's the biggest; you will take charge
Of her, get your crew aboard and have
everyone in his place before we start to
lower. so that you can shove off as soon
as she touches the water. If those pat
ents act you ought to be all right" CHE
boats were fitted with a patent contri-
vance by which the tackles holding them
are automatically released the moment
the boat is water borne, so that there is
no unlocking of blocks to be done while
the boat is getting dashed to pieces against
the ships side)
II shall be all right said the mate, but
what about you? Who's going to lower
the falls of the afterboat You can't man.
age it from the boat itself with all the
crowd you will have one board"
''Ill lower her from the deck said the
skipper. If they have long painter made
60 - - A..
again under the counter, and I'll make a
jump for it."
Mind you don't jump short; you'd have
a poor chance with those boots and OIL
skins on" said the mate.
''Oh, I'll manage" replied the skipper.
Call the men up
The men came up in a body, and the
skipper came out on deck, revolver in
hand.
The ships sinking" he said, land I
have decided to take to the boats. There's
plenty of time and room for all to get
away in safety If you obey orders. You
will remain standing where you are till
l call your names; then the man whose
name is called will take his place in the
boat. Any man that starts for the boat
before | tell him I shoot understand an?"
There was a low murmur from the men,
and the skipper continued:
'1Mr. Smith will take charge Of the
boat"
The mate, with a look at the skipper,
climbed into the boat as she hung in the
davits The skipper than called the names
of the crew he proposed to send in her,
sending first the sailors. so that the mate
might place each in his proper station in
the boat. before the f1remen, etc, who
would be of no use in the critical maneu-
vers of getting her away from the ships |
side, crowded her up. But these same fire.
men did not understand his reason, and
thought he was showing undue prefer
ence to his own men, and heavier sea |
than usual striking the steamer, there
was cry of She's going down." and a
rush for the boat
Stand back" cried the skipper.
Crack! and the leading fireman spread |
out his hands and pitched onto his face, |
rolling in a limp bundle down onto the |
ice rail. The rest of the men stopped |
They might as we'll be drowned as shot |
they thought and they huddled together, |
looking with Mortified glances at their /
dead comrade. The skipper paused, how !
ever, lowered his revolver and then called |
the next name; they had learned their |
lesson and went quietly to the boat, which |
was got safely away, and drifted out of
sight in the mist of the gale
The other boat was filled without any
and the skipper, the only man
left on the deck, lowered her. She also
got clear away. and drifted out to the |
full length of her painter. The skipper
walked aft to wait for them 70 haul up
again. He had TO pass the body of the |
dead man, and he did not look at il. The |
next boat was hauling up on the painter,
and was getting close; the skipper got on
the rail ready to jump. At that moment
a fireman, the brother of the man he had |
shot reached over the boats bow. and.
81 nj 4
with Biur' cut the painter.
The distance between the ship and the
boat began 10 widen instantly, and in spite
Of the frantic efforts Of the sailors at the
oars the deeply laden boat was swept
away and bbtted out In the mist. The
skipper got down from the rails and made
his way back to the bridge deck. He had
just ten minutes to live Ten minutes to
prepare for the next world. after forty
yeans al seal
His wife and children, who would look
after them now? His wages were SIC per
month; on that he had had but small
chance 10 save. Well. he supposed the
Shipmasters' society would 90 something
for her. but she would have to give up her
little house at Forest Gate. and drop from
the position OF a c o aims wife to let
ting lodgings; perhaps one Of the children
-OuH be got into an orphanage; IL not.
we'll, Il meant starvation or the work
house. He thought Of his own life. OF his
hard ni-used boyhood cabin boy in
Quebec timber ship; OF his manhood.
spent in unremitting toll in all parts OF
The world; Of the various ships he had
in each Of which he had been
expected to use less coal. less paint. few
sr provisions. and 10 so with smaller
,7ews than In the last. He thought Of the
)AckguardS he had had 20 command as
,vews anu the trouble NJ had had with
With than and the old sailor pToverb rose