Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-04-28
peluyed / commander nm to take the wheel
while | sheeted home the staysail.


while l sheeted home the staysail.
The veriest duffer cannot follow the sea
for year in and out without learning some
McCary had probably never laid hand on a
spoke from necessity, he may have done so
for pleasure, as he seemed to know how to
hold the Phantom somewhere near the
winds eye. There was no difficulty, then,
in getting proper trim to the head cloth,
and by the time the sheet was Delayed and
we stood off on the starboard tack the
schooner was well under way, her bows smit-
ing the seas, which had risen like magic, in
way that threw a curtain of solid water
into the air, which, catching the wind, blew
in and came aboard deluge. l was wet to
the skin before, but it was a dry wet as COM
pared to the way the water shot through my
clothing, the drops singing my face like a
discharge of small shot. Even under scant
canvas and pointing as close as the schooner
would 60, she lay down to the blast until at
times the brine gurgled in the lee scuppers.
The channels sheared through the black seas
and turned up smother of froth as they
tore along, while the noise of the roaring
wind and water was enough to deafen one.
Knowing that all now unsafe must be left
unsafe, turned to get aft, when be-
thought me of the men in the forecastle.
During the past hour they had not entered
my mind, for l had felt that had them Sc
cure. With the light they possessed, to-
gether with the ratons knew had been
supplied them, they were better off regard
ing comfort than though they had been
free seamen on duty. Other matters had
taken my attention, but now that was for
ward would give look to the hatch fas-
tening. 1t was right enough, and I laid my
ear over the crack below the slide that
might hear if aught was amiss. Ay, there
was. A clear sound of rasping and splinter
ing wood greeted me as l stopped the other
ear with my hand to keep out the surround
ing racket, and had hit the spot on which
a knife was at work.
Drawing my cutass, with its hilt smote
the woodwork. The sound instantly ceased.
christening the slide, | drew it back an
inch or more and sang out through the open
ing:
Keep at it, my lads, and: VIII We have
the hole the size of pistols barn 4, I'll put
one there and give we quick trip to Davy
Jones. Mayhap We have heard of Donald
Thorndyke. Well, am he. Now mind
yourselves!"
And now I settled myself for anight of it,
putting aside all matters save the ships
safety | was lucky to have a doctor in the
cabin to care for my sick; as for myself |
needed none. So long as l was holding east,
cared little for the blow if nothing carried
away. | had hopes that the suddenness of
the storm bespoke it's shortncss, but never
did dream it was affecting my destiny.
Beyond the elements l had now little to
fear, and, as knew my own boat as
mother knows her child felt there was but
small danger of her inability to weather the
gale.
But the tempest was not of usual temper.
Its approach, its violence and duration were
beyond common rules, and had it held aloof
but day longer it would have doubtless al.
tered the history of the colonies, and per-
haps have put period to my own career
One has but to turn to history for the truth
of this. The great storm which suddenly
sprang on the coast the night of Augu st IL,
ITS, and which lasted for more than three
days, was of such nature that it has been
set apart by historians as worthy of espe-
cial mention, both from its results anil its
more than fiendish force
As have said, the absence of the bulk of
Lord Howes fleet had enabled the Pl.an-
tom to drift through the fog and from the
bay in comparative safety, and this sbsglce
was due to an attack planned against the
French who We're besieging Newport by
water, as the patriots under Sullivan were
doing by land. The British General Pigot
! was in desperate straits when Howe APP
peared off Point oAdith, and, had the Eng
fish admiral been possessed of the sluggish
and procrastinating nature of his brother
Qately commander of tlle British land
forces in America), he wonld probably have
been a day or two later, and Pigot would
have followed the examrAe Of Bureavne at