Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-02-08
CHAPTER Xl
A TYPHOON.

A 8 o'clock next morning, being un-
able to bear the closeness Of my cabin
any longer, I dressed myself and went
ON deck. To my surprise, the schooner
was stationary and wrapped in as dense
a fog as ever I remember to have seen.
It was most depressing, so for the sake
of oompanionship I fumbled my way
over to the starboard bulwark, and, hav-
ing found 1t, ran it along to the bridge.
where almost fell into some person g
arms. The fog here was so thick that /
could not see his face. so / inquired his
name.
"Walworth," was the reply, land
from your voice you should be DR.. De
Normanville.
"Quite right" I answered. "But
what fog this is to be surel How long
have we been in it?'
Every nearly three hours" he re-
piled. "It's most unfortunate. By the
way, want to ask favor Of you on
her ladyship's account. We are going
to bury that poor beggar Ebbington in
half an hour. Will you conduct the
service?"
"Did her ladyship tell you to ask
me?''
He answered in the affirmative.
"Then, If it is her desire, Of course I
will do so, I replied, though must
own I do not very much look forward
to the task"
He thanked me and went below to
give the necessary instructions. waited
about, and in half an hour the body was
brought on deck, neatly sewed up in
hammock and covered with plain
white ensign by way of pail. Though
we could hardly see each other or the
bier, we took our place. at the gangway,
and at once began to read the beauti-
full service for the burial Of the dead at
sea. When I arrived at the place where
it is instructed that the body shall be
cast into the deep, I gave signal, and
the stretcher was tilted so that the
hammock and it's grim contents slid of
it and fell with sullen splash into the
water alongside. Just as it disappeared
curious tnlnS happened.
The body could hardly have touched
the water before the fog was lifted as
though by some giant hand, and the sun
shone brilliantly forth. The transition
from the obscurity of semidarkness to
bright sunshine was quite dazzling and
set Us all blinking like so many owls.
Then l saw every face turn suddenly in
one direction, and as they did so every
mouth went down Next moment the
officer of the watch had bounded to the
engine room telegraph. there was con-
fused ringing of bells in the bowels Of
the ship, and before minute could
have elapsed we were under way once
more.
And what do you think was the rea-
son Of all this commotion? Why, there,
not half a mile distant from us, full
steam up and ensign streaming in the
breeze, lay an enormous English man
of-war. She was evidently on our trail
and by altering her course only half a
point might have run US down in the
fog. 1t was very evident she had only
Just become aware that she was so close
to her prey or she would surely have
sent boat and attempted to take US
prisoner. AS it was, this sudden lifting
of the fog must have caused them as
much surprise as it did US, for it was a
good minute before we heard the shout
ing of orders and blowing Of bos n g
pipes aboard her. AS soon as had re-
covered from my astonishment fetched
Q glass from the rack and brought it to
bear on her, at the same time convlnc-
ing myself that we were i'll for warm
quarter Of an hour.
True to our expectations, before we
had been steaming couple of minutes
there came a puff Of smoke from her
port bow, and an instant later a shot
few in front of us and dropped into the
water mile or 50 Oh our left side. 1t
was evidently signal to US to heave to
without any nonsense or further waste
of time. But as the boom cf the gun
died away Allie made her appearance
from the after companion and came over
to where I stood.
GOOD morning, Dr.. De Norman.
ville," she said, as calmly as if we were
greeting each other i'll Hyde park. "You
see how anxious your government is to
have me in its keeping. MIR. Patterson,
full steam ahead.
The chief officer touched his cap, gave
the order, and then resumed his prom
enade, stopping now and again to ex-
anime the man -of-war through his glass.
They're going to fire another gun'
and then if we don't attend to that they