Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1899-06-02
: DICK RODNEY:
Or. The Adventures of
An Eton Boy.
( BY JAMES GRANT

BY JAMES GRANT.

The men, who were spreading some
olu' wetted sails over the sheet and
working anchors; the steersman at
the wheel, the watch and all hands
VINO were crOuching to leeward. or
holding on by ropes and behaving pins
TO windward, seemed for a moment 10
become white-visaged specters amid a
sea of pale. blue fame-a sea wherein
the nylng brig. with her brailed courses
and reefed topsails. her half-naked
masts and black cordage were all dis
/ tlnctly visible as at MONDAY. while
4 the polished brass On funnel pinnacle
and skylight all flashed and shoae. as
! ship and crew. with all their details
of form and feature
Were instant seen and instant lost 5"
For a broad and binding sheet of
electric flame burst upon the darkness
OF the night and passed away as rap
idly. when the liyid brand burst in
the welkin or in the wave. we knew
not which.
men came the roar of thunder
the stunning and appalling thunder of
the tropics, every explosion of which
seemed 10 rend earth sea and sky. as
they rolled like palpable thing. or
Ike the united salyO of a thousand
echoes at the far horizon.
After a sound so mighty and he
wllderlng. the believing of the wind
through the rigging the hiss and roar
Oh the sea as wave broke against wave:
the Tapping of the brailed courses.
the creaking and straining of the tim
bers, seemed as nothing-the very 81
leEce of death while the Eugene tore
On, through mist and spray. through
darkness and Obscurity. with the foam
nylng white as winter draft over her
bows and martingale.
Again there was a pale-green CLEAN
overhead, right above tie truck of the
malnmast. where the chambers Of rhe
SKY seemed to open. The clouds divid-
ed in the darkness Of heaven. and ont
OF that opening came the forked light
ning' zlgzag, green and CHASTITY.
There was a dreadful shock. which
knocked every man down, exceDt Carl
ton. who was at the wheel. and an
exclamation of terror escaped Us all.
a thunderbClt had struck the En-
genie,
Win all its wOndrOus speed-instan-
taneous as electric light couId be-it
Sllded down the main top-gallant mast
rendlng the topmast-cap and the franz
ed grating of the top to pieces; thence
it ran down the mainmast hurst
through the deck and spent its fury
in the hold.
Al that moment the main-topmast.
with all its yards. gear and canvas
tell about the deck in burning brands. |
and the brig was hove right in the |
winds eye. while the sea twitched the |
helm out of the hands of Ned Carl |
ton. who became bewilGered on find |
ing the compasses lose all their polar |
ity by the Influence of the electric fluid.
the north point of one heading south |
east and of the other southwest.
Almost Immediately after this there
was cry of Fire. that CRY so fer
rible, so appalling on board ship: and /
then thick white smoke was seen to
issue from the crevices of the battened
All hands rushed to this point The
lOng-boat was unshipped from its
checks and dragged aft: some stood by
with buckets OF water, while Others
struck off the padlOcks and iron bars:
the tarpaulln was torn away-the
hatch lifted-and 10.
\ column of fire assembled in a
straight line from the body Of the
hold-lurid. red and scorching. as the
casks of mOlasses and bales of cotton
burned and bazed together. col
umn that rose up between the masts.
scored through the mainstay. all the
braces OF the foreyardS and filled the
whole vessel with light, announced
that all was over.
1T is doomed ship" cried Tom
we must leave her at
last. Clear away the longboat. BE
cool, lads; be cool and steady, Your
lives depend upon your conduct now.
and your obedience to orders"