The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1899-07-28

then, as closely as I can figure it. just
about six miles to where l took that
first cast. Well. you know how much
water she's drawing. don't your"
Fifteen feet?"
Sixteen and half aft; and the lead
struck rock at an even three fathom,
first heave! saw the line jerk as the
leather strips went under, and every
hair of my head felt as though it were
standing on end. 1t scared me so that
dropped the whole coil from my arm
luckily-and l had a mighty hollow
feeling in the pit of my stomach. Dur
ing the next 60 seconds l did more
thinking than ever did in an hour of
my life. l knew you were watching
me, and was afraid others might be,
too. By every law of prudence and
seamanship I should have signaled
you: Stop her! Hard astern!'-but
If did, knew we'd have the deck full
Of people in few seconds. Diaz and
Moreno would have been up in two
jumps, and what we knew about the
reef everyone would know. Sebastiano
would have sufficient data to chase
you down there the first time you
started. But remembered that pam
pier and the other old navigators who
found the place gave an average depth
of four fathoms. The galleon that
struck in avoiding Dampier's ships was
undoubtedly loaded down to her chan.
mel plates, and probably hit an iso-
lated spot. So there seemed to me an
even chance of steaming across the
ledge in safety and without giving the
snap away. On the other hand. if we
struck, there would be an end of my
business prospects for a good many
years to come. 1t was a tighter spot
than l ever care to be in again, but
inside of two minutes decided to risk
it. At the second cast l got quarter
less four Five minutes after, l struck
bottom at half three then 'deer
four and at the last heave the calico
was just above the water when she
touched"
But, how the devil! I'll swear ]
saw you pulling up the whole length
of line each time"
well, rather! You didn't suppose
l was getting, did you? When a mans
been chucking lead for Is odd years
it don't take more'n a fraction of
second to tell when he strikes bottom
No, I let the slack fall when the lead
was under me, and we had way enough
to carry it we'll astern. If anyone had
been watching closely, of course.
couldn't have done it; but. as it was
it worked to a charm, and don't be
there's bit of rock within 1000 feet
of the surface. Now, l was heav-
ing upwards of 20 minutes from first
to last. At half speed that would be
about two miles, wouldn't it? Well,
this little star shows just where |
struck it, and the other two would be
a mile apart; SO that we have the reef
from nor'-norwes' to SOU
sou'eas'. Then, from the CLASSY look
a curve to the sou'wes' for a good four
miles further. The actual position of
that three-fathom sounding is twelve
moth by hundred and for
ty-four, twenty-five casa good eight
knots cas- of the Findlay and Imray
approximates. And the true bearing
from Point Orote, Harry, is the exact
of our present course; in 9TH
er words, SOU by wes'. quarter wes',
OF exactly IA degrees wes' of Sou. The
variation this year is one de-
gree and 80 minutes cas-; so in shap-
ing your course from Orote it should
be Is degrees 80 minutes to the vest
ard of SOU. AS for leeway. running
down, the no'theas' tradesll be with
in a few points of dead astern, so you
won't have to make much allowance:
and, once at the reef, it'll be easy
enough beating back. because you can
see the island 20 miles away at least.
When we get abreast of Cocos you car
pull up your log. which will give you
the exact number of miles on this
course to a fraction; from Cocos to
0rote the chart distances are near
enough. because you've got land bear
ngs."
"Then, if it should be Impossible to
get at old Fray Ignacio's document,
We can practically do without it?"
"You can certainly find the reef in
lnything like fair weather, but you
won't want to travel any further un-
Ter water looking for the wreck than
'ou are obliged to. ! wouldn't, any
low."
fro BE CONTINUED
Chfvalry of the ..Slums."
A touching story is told of an Edin-