The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1899-03-24
CHAPTER XIV.


We must leave Anime to her solitude |
and follow the fortunes of Philip. The |
fleet had sailed with flowing sheet, |
and bore CALAMITY down the Zuyder |
Eco, but they had not been under way |
an hour before the Vrow Katerina was
left q 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 j
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 a 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 feet 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, 1.-The Vrow
does not do so we'll; but a 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 1t might the Vrow
Katerlna 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 SC
much delayed by the bad sailing of on,
I vessel, determined to leave her to fine
| Uo hU al
q had passed the Cape. He was, how
: ever, spared the cruelty of desertin,
n her, for heavy gale came on which
4 dispersed the whole fleet. and on thu
second day the good ship Vrow Kat
erina found herself alone, laborin,
q heavily in the trough of the sea- leak
a ing so much as to require hands con
: stantly at the pumps, and drifting be
q fore the gales as fast to leeward almos
q as she usually sailed. For a week tb
$ gale continued, and each day did he
l. situation become more alarminS
@ Crowded with troops, incumbered wit
J. heavy stores, she groaned and lahore
If while whole seas washed over her, an
lr the men could hardly stand at tn
ID pumps. Philip was active, and exerte
1T himself to the utmost, encouraging tn
ID WORKOUT men, securing where augf
Is had given way. and little interfere
with by the captain, who was himse
e. no sailor.
Id WELL" observed the captain to Phil
" ip, as they held on by the belayin
n. pins, you'll acknowledge that she
70 fine weatherly vessel in a gale
ne she not? Softly, my beauty, softly
as continued he, speaking to the vessel |
ed she plunged heavily into the wave
n. and every timber groaned. Softly, n
ed dear, softly! How those poor devi