Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1900-03-15
CHAPTER XXIV.
The Thunderbult.

Lambourne now took charge OF the
brig, which he was perfectly able to
handle and work, though ignorant OF
navigation as science, and having
but vague idea Of the course to steer
for the Cape of Good Hope.
She was hove in the wind, while in
the moonlight, about two hours after
the exciting scene which closes the
last chapter, We committed to the deep
the body of Antonio's last victim, the
poor apprentice, whom the sailmaker
sewed up in his hammock, to which,
being without shot or other suitable
weights. we tied sack Of Goals to
sink the corpse.
The head-yards were filled again,
and, as IL anxious TO leave that por-
tion of the sea as far as possible
astern, we hauled up for the cape. Tom
Lambourne ordered every stitch of
canvas that the spars would hold to
be spread upon the Eugene, that she
might, as he said, walk through the
water in her own style.
All he could do at first was to keep
her In the course we had been steering
on the night these disasters began, for
as yet we knew not to what degree of
latitude, south or north, we might
have been drifting; however, we cal
culated that Hislop, weak as he was,
might be able to take a solar observa
ton ana prick off our place on the
chart, in the course of six or seven
days.
We had the usually snug little cabin
cleansed and cleared from the debris
created by the outrageous proceedings
Of Antonio, who must have gone to the
bottom with all Westons valuables
and money about him, as we could
find neither; and the sweet expression
Of the poor widows face, as it seemed
to smile on us from the miniature
on the after-bulkhead, contrasted
strangely with all the wild work that
had SO lately taken place on board.
Hislop and | were restored to our
former berths, and then more than
once in my dreams the pale oliye-green
visage and glaring eyes of the Gu
bano came before me, and again
seemed TO see him clinging unpitied
and in desperation to the slender boom
which swung above the seething sea
for his death and all its coneomitant
horrors haunted me and made me un-
happy.
The intensity Of the heat in that
season suggested the idea that we
could not have drifted far south Of the
line.
So great was it that the upper spars
of the Eugene appeared to wriggle or
vibrate like serpents aloft In the sum
shine; while SO hot, SO clear and SO
rarefied was the atmosphere between
decks that it was suffoeated, especially
in the lulling of the faint breeze. A
white heat seemed to make sea and
sky grow pale, and the former cast
upward a reflection from its CLASSY
surface and long smooth swells that
was hot-hot beyond all description.
Though ever and anon the upper
deck was drenched with salt water, it
dried Immediately, emitting a strong
odor of wet wood, while the skids over
the side failed to keep the paint, tar
About the time whea we hoped that
Hislop would have been well enough
to make an observation, even by being
placed in a chair on deck, the weather
became so rough that he was unable
to leave his berth, and during all that
day the brig drove before a heavy
gale, with her courses hauled close
Al, nd a.. lie
lowered on the caps, and their canvas
close reefed.
After the heat we had endured, the
reader may imagine this gale would
be refreshing and relief. Not so
/ The atmosphere, as it became dark
/ with gathering clouds, increased In
/ density, closeness and heat, thus about
/ the time we should have had clear twi,
4 light, the hour was gloomy as north
/ ern midnight-so dark that the men
/ in the tops, or those lying out along
4 the foot-ropes at the yard arms. wher
under close-reefed topsails, could moi
be seen from the deck, while the breeze
that swept over the ocean was breath
4 less-hot as the simeon of the desert
and our men knew not whether they
were drenched by perspiration or thu
spoondrift torn from the warm wave
tops by the increasing blast
The peculiar appearance Of this blaCl
gale alarmed and bewildered Tattooet
Tom, who could make nothing of it
while poor Marc Hislop, whose skill
would have been invaluable to us
when he heard the singing out on deck
the thunder of the bellying course
struggling with their brails, the roa
Of the wind through the half-bare'
masts and rigging, the elatter of block
and feet overhead, writhed in his bed
and mourned his own inactivity, 0
rather incapacity; but he sent me {
tell Lambourne to cover up the an
chors with wetted canvas, as it wa
not improbable, by the state of tn
atmosphere, that it was full of cleo
tricity and thus we might be in
dangerous way.
Tell Tom,n he whispered, 1T Is
trade-wind gale-I know it to be So"
How" | asked, when you are ly
ing here below
by the barometer. which remain
high, while the wind is steady" r'
piled Hislop in lew voice, for
am ,,av., 10 hn