The Saint Paul globe., 1900-05-21

| ed, and you could hear reviving life in
voices about the deck
Il have no doubt" said Hardy, that
the captain blew away straight from
the ships side, because you see he had
no destination in his mind"
mot unlikely answered the boat
swain.
Suppose I'm right continued Hardy,
then I reckon we're not abreast of her
yet; but If I pass the boat before the
| light comes and it proves thick, as I
fancy you'll find 1t, we shall miss her for
good, and 1 want my sweetheart badly
That's quite natural" said the boat
swain. Were walkin now and the
breeze freshens, and if you think you
are right, sir, in steering as we go, then
what dye say to hauling up the fore
sail and lowering the main-topsail-yard
on the cap, and manning the reef
| tackleS?"
Get it DONE" said Hardy
| 1t was easily done, for 1t was not a
furling job. A bit of sea was beginning
to run; it smacked the ship under the
counter, and flooded the wake with light.
Hardy walked up and down the deck mad
with desire for daybreak. He was steer
ing by theory of madman's actions,
and he might be wrong, and if he was
wrong-but even if he was right, how
| would the boat fare in the sea that was
now running with niadman at the yoke,
and the full sail and tearing sheet grip
ped by the hand of madness:
These were considerations scarce en-
durable to the man, and for ever he was
sending searching glances ahead for the
| ghastly hue of the dawn. The day broke
! at last, and it was a day of gloom and
| mist and a narrow horizon; the sky was
a dome of apparently motionless vapor,
and each surge ere it broke arched in an
| edge of flint, and the whole surface was
an olive green decorated by lines of foam.
AS yet there was no great weight in the
! wind, but the sailors eyes saw that more
was to be expected. Hardy went to his
! cabin for glass of his own. He slung
1t over his shoulders, and Tegaining the
deck sprang aloft to the height of the
mlzzen top, from which altitude with the
glass set firmly against the topmast rig
glng, he searched the sea. AS the lenses
made the circuit there leapt into the field
of the telescope the apparition Of a little
brig unmistakenly derelict, with loose
canvas hollcwing like a kite against the
mastS. He examined her intently, and
then muttering: They may be aboard
that vessel. 1t is u chance. The madman
may have taken refuge, or thought his
son was there" he threw the strap Of the
telescope over his head, and noting the
briggs bearing descended.
He walked rapidly aft to the compass.
and found that the brig was in sight
from the quarter deck. She bore a little
to the west of south. The Newfoundland,
seeing Hardy looking, spied the brig and
| barked his report of a sail in sight.
"Lads!' shouted Hardy, running a little
way forward, there is a brig on the
quarter. Well see ii she can give us any
news, although abandoned. Starboard
mainbrace, starboard foretopsailbrace
emartly as possible, my lads. Starboard
your helm!'
And slowly, for the helm was YEARLY
worked and the braces were dragged by
| languid hands, the yards came round, and
then the main topsail was mast-headed,
and the ship went the wind right abeam
and crushed the f1int-like surge into froth,
and forged ahead for the abandoned YES
sci.
1t was time to make for her If she
was to be visited at all, for the horizon
was narrowing and narrowing with the
thickness of rain, and soon within the
distance of q mile the brig would have
vanished. Hardy's glass was full of pow
| erful lenses-lts magnifying power was
double that of the ships telescope; when
| he now put 1t to his eye he instantly saw
a figure just this side of the briggs main
rigging waving something white.
| His heart frightened. He looked again,
! She was a woman, and alone! The boat,
! swain was coming aft as Hardy looked
| forward.
There's a woman aboard that brig"
| he shouted. 'It's woman, and she's
waving a handkerchief
She'll be yGurn,'' said the boatswafn,
and as surprise did not Immediately fol-
low perception, he added, well, I'm
damned!'
Stand by to back the main topsaur'
roared Hardy, who was delirious with
excitement. Let some hands lay aft and
| clean away the starboard quarter boat
ready for lowering. I'd board if twice
this sea was running. I knew I was
right 1 knew he'd head straight away
knew I'd find her by shaping the mad.
| mans course"
Suppose it isn't herr" said the boat
swain
ITO hell with your supposings," yelled
Hardy. In any case it's a woman, and
she must be taken off !"
The men came aft and got ready the
boat and stood aft, prepared for the COM
mand to back the main topsan. Again
Hardy leveled the glass. The girl-for We
know who it was-had ceased to futter
| her handkerchief; but the wind, full Of
wet, bewildered the eye, and the mate
wound make no more of it than this: the
figure was a woman.
! lie headed the York so as to heaVe it to
windward of the brig, and little while
y
| dy had seen and mentally kissed the poor
girls face in the lens, and, frantic with
! joy, was waving his cap to her, whilst
! she, guessing who it would be that mo-
toned thus, tossed her handkerchief again
and again.
The ship was brought to a stand, and
Hardy shouted, II am coming to fetch
you.
| She waved her hand. There was an ugly
bit of sea between for a boat, choppy,
with deep sucking hollows, and plenty OF
spiteful foam to whiten over the low gun
wales.
Who'll volunteer" said Hardy. Three
will do
Blast me-" said one of them, 'if I
don't feel as 1 should be in the road in a
! boat
You're likely said Hardy, pointing to
another-'and you, and you. Three will
do, and 1t shall be two pound a man,
which God knows / wouldn't offer for
| deed of duty, only you're lowered by the
captains drug"
Right y are SIR" said Jim, who got
in the boat, and was followed by Tom and
Joe.
The mate sprang into the stern sheets
and shipped the rudder.
| Lower away handsomely!'' he shouted
| 'and. drop the hauling part that we may
overhaul the falls"
Unfortunately the blocks were without
patent clip hooks, and the moment the
| boat was water borne the fore bottom of
her was nearly wrenched out by the fall
into the hollow ere the languid bow oar
| could release the block. But it was done
and they got away.
She nearly filed three times in her pas