La Junta tribune., 1899-05-06

CHAPTER IX.-tContinued-)
Where was Mynheer von Stroom
during all this work OF destruction!
In his bed place. covered up with the
clothes, trembling In every limb. and
vowing II ever again he put his foot on
shore not all the companies In the
world should Induce him to trust to
salt water again. 1t certainly was the
best plan for the poor man.
The vessel. after running to the
southward till past Table Bay. had, by
the alteration made in her course. en-
tered into False Bay. where. to GER
taih degree. she was sheltered from the
violence of the winds and waves. But
although the water was smoother. the
waves were still more than suncient
to beat to pieces any vessel that
might be driven on shore at the bot
tom of the bay. to which point the Ter
Schilling was now running. The bay
80 far offered fair chance OF escape.
as. instead Of the rocky coast outside.
against which had the vessel run,
few seconds would have insured her
destruction. there was a shelving beach
OF loose sand. But OF this Philip could.
Of course. have no knowledge. for the
land at the entrance o. the bay had
been passed unperceived In the dark
ness Of the night. About twenty min
utes more had elapsed when Philip OBJ
served that the whole sea around them
was one continued foam. He had
hardly time for conjecture before the
SHIP struck heavily on the sands. and
the remaining masts fell by the board.
The crash of the falling masts. the
heavy beating of the ship on the sands,
which caused many of her timbers to
part. with whole sea which swept
cleRn over the fated vessel. checked the
songs and drunken revelry Of the crew.
Another minute. and the vessel was
swung round on her broadside to the
sea, and lay on her beam ends. Philip.
who was to windward. clung to the
bulwark, while the intoxicated sea-
men foundered In the water to leeward
and attempted to gain the other side
OF the ship. Much to Philips horror,
he perceived the body OF Mynheer
kloots sink down In the water (Which
now was several feet deep on the lee
side of the deck). without any appar-
ent effort on the part of the captain
to save himself. He was then gone,
ant there was no hopes for him.
Philip thought of Hillebrant. and has
tened down below; he found him itill
in his bed-place, lying against the side.
HA lifted him out, and with dimculty
climbed with him on deck, and laid
him in the long boat on the booms, as
the best chance OF saving his life. To
this boat. the only one which could be
made available. the crew had also re-
paired; but they repulsed Philip, who
would have got into her: and. as the
sea made clean breakers over them,
they cast loose the lashings which con-
fined her. With the assistance of an
other heavy sea, which lifted her from
t69 chocks, she was borne clear OF the
,booms and dashed over the gunwale
into the water to leeward, which was
comparatively smooth-not. however.
without being filled nearly up to the
thTarts. But this was little cared for
soon ~ they were adoat. again raised
theis shouts and songs Of revelry az
they were borne away by the wind and
sea toward the beach. Philip. who
held on by the stump of the mainmast.
watched them with an anxious ye,now
perceiving them borne aloft on the
foaming surf. now disappearing In the
trough. More and more distant were
the sounds Of their mad voices. till at
last he could hear them NO more-he
beileld the boat balanced on an enor-
nous rolling sea. and then he saw 1t
not again.