The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1899-04-21
CHAPTER XIV.

| We must leave Anime to her solitude
and follow the fortunes Of Philip. The
fleet had sailed with a flowing sheet,
and bore CALAMITY down the Zuyder
Zee, but they had not been under way
an hour before the Vrow Katerina was
| left a mile or two astern. Mynheer
Barentz found fault with the setting
and trimming of the sails, and with
the man at the helm, who was repeat
eddy changed; in short, with every
thing but his dear Vrow Katerina; but
all would not do; she still dropped as
tern and proved to be the worst sail
ing vessel in the fleet.
"Mynheer Vanderdecken," said he,
at last, "the Vrow, as my father used
to say, is not so very fast before the
wind. Vessels that are good on wind
seldom are; but this l will say, that,
in every other point of sailing, there
is no other vessel in the fleet equal to
the Vrow Katerina."
Besides" observed Philip, who per-
ceived how anxious the captain was on
the subject, 1--WE are heavily laden, and
have so many troops on deck"
The fleet cleared the sands, and were
then close-hauled, when the Vrow Kat
erina proved to sail even more slowly
than before.
When We are so very close-hauled,"
observed Mynheer Barentz, "the Vrow
does not do so well; but point free,
and then you will see how she will
show her stern to the whole fleet. She
is fine vessel, Mynheer Vanderdecken,
Is she not?"
"a very fine, roomy vessel" replied
Philip, which was all that, in con-
science, he could say.
The fleet sailed on, sometimes on a
wind, sometimes free, but let the point
of sailing be what it might, the Vrow
Katerina was invariably astern, and
the fleet had to heave-to at sunset to
enable her to keep company; still the
captain continued to declare that the
point of sailing on which they happen
ed to be was the only point in which
the Vrow Katerina was deficient. I'm
fortunately the vessel had other points
quite as bad as her sailing; she was
cranky, leaky, and did not answer the
helm well, but Mynheer Barentz was
not to be convinced. He adored his
ship, and, like all men desperately in
love, he could see no fault in his mis-
tress. But others were not so blind.
and the admiral, finding the voyage so
much delayed by the bad sailing of one
vessel, determined to leave her to find
her way by herself as soon as they
had passed the Cape. He was, how
ever, spared the cruelty of deserving
her, for heavy gale came on which
dispersed the whole fleet, and on the
second day the good ship Vrow Kat
erina found herself alone, laboring
heavily in the trough of the sea, leak
ing so much as to require hands con-
stantly at the pumps, and drifting be-
fore the gales as fast to leeward almost
as she usually sailed. For week the
gale continued, and each day did her
situation become more alarming.
Crowded with troops, incumbered with
heavy stores, she groaned and labored
while whole seas washed over her, and
the men could hardly stand at the
pumps. Philip was active, and exerted
himself to the utmost, encouraging the
WORKOUT men, securing where aught
had given way, and little interfered
with by the captain, who was himself
no sailor
WELL" observed the captain to Phip-
ip, as they held on by the Delaying
pins, you'll acknowledge that she is
a fine weatherly vessel in a gale-is
she not? Softly, my beauty, softly"
continued he, speaking to the vessel as
she plunged heavily into the waves.
and every timber groaned. Softly, my
dear, softly! How those poor devils