Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-12-18
CHAPTER XVI.

| fleet had sailed with q flowing sheet, and
bore CALAMITY down the Zuyder Zee; but
they had not been under way an hour
before the Vrow katerina was left a mile
or two astern. Mynhcer Barentz found
fault with tho setting and trimming of the
sails, and with the man Mt the helm, who
was repeatedly changed; in short, with
everything but his dear Vrow Katerina;
but all would not do; she still dropped
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 Yes
| sells that are good on wind seldom are;
but this 1 will say, that, in every other
point of sailing, there is no other vessel in
| the fleet equal to tho Vrow Katerina."
Besides" observed Philip, who per-
ceiyed how anxious the captain was on the
subject, tive are heavily laden, and have
so many troops on deck -
The fleet cleared the sands and were
| then close hauled, when the Vrow Kater-
ina proved to sail even moro slowly than
before
When we are 30 very close hauled, {"
observed Mynheer Barentz 1.-THE vrow
does not do so well; but point free, and
then you will see how she will show her
stern to the whole feet She is fine yes-
sci, Mynheer vanderdeckcn, is she not?"
"A very fine, roonly vessel" replied
Philip, which was all that, in conscience,
he could say.
The feet sailed on, sometimes on a
wind, sometimes Free but let the point of
sailing be what it might, the vrow Kat
erins was invariably astern, and the feet
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 happened to be was the only
point In which the Vrow Katerina was de-
fioient. Unfortunately the vessel had other
points quite as bad as her sailing; she was
crank, leaky, and did not answer the helm
well, but Mynheer Barentz was not to be
convinced. He adored his ship, and, like
men desperately in love, he could see no
fault in his mistress.
But others were not so blind, and the
admiral, finding the voyage so much de-
layed by the bad sailing of one vessel, de-
termined to leave her to find her way BY
herself ms soon Us they had passed the
Cape. He was, however, spared the cru
city of DESERVING her, for heavy gale
came on which dispersed the whole feet,
and on the second day the good ship yrow
katerina found herself alone, laboring
heavily in the trough of the sea, leaking
SO much as to require hands constantly at
tne pumps, and drirtinE before the oales
as fast to leeward almost as she u.,.al,,,
sailed. For week the gale continued,
and each day did her situation become
more alarming. Crowded with troops, in
numbered with heavy stores, she groaned
and labored, while whole seas washed over
her, and the men could hardly stand at
the pumps. Philip was active, and exerted
himself to the utmost, encouraging the
wornout men, securing where aught had
given way, and little interfered with by
the captain, who was himself no sailor.
"Well, /" observed the captain, to Philip,
as they held on by the Delaying pins,
you'll acknowledge that she is fine
weatherly vessel in n gale--is she notp
Softly, my beauty, softly" continued he,
speaking to the vessel as she plunged heay-
lily into the waves, and every timber
groaned. Softly, my dear, SOFTLY How
those poor devils in the other ships must
be knocking about now Heb! Mynheer
Vandcrdecken, we have the start of them
this time: they mus. be terrible long
way down to leeward. Don't you think
so?"
ST really cannot pretend to say, replied
Philip, smiling.
why, there's not one of them in sight.
Yes by heavens, there is! Look on our
lee beam. see one now. Well, she must
be capital sailer, at all events: look
there, point abaft the beam. Mercy on
me; how stiff she must be to carry such
a press of canvas!'
Philip had already seen her 1t was a
large ship on wind, and the same tack
as they were. In gale, in which no YES
sci could carry the topsails, the vrow Ka-
terina being under close reefed foresails
and stay sails, the ship seen to lseward was
standing under a press of sail-topgallant
sails, royals, flying jib, and every stitch of
canvas which could be set In light
breeze. The waves were running noun
tains high, bearing each minute the
Vrow Katerina down to the gunwale and
the ship seen appeared not to be affected
by the tumultuous waters, but sailed
steadily and smoothly on an even keel.
AT once Philip knew it must be the phan-
tom ship, in which his fathers doom was
being fulfilled.
Every odd, is it notp" observed Myn.
heer Barentz.
Philip felt such an oppression on his
chest that he could not reply. AS he held
on with one hand, he covered up his eyes
with the other.
But the seamen had now seen the vessel,
and the legend wastoo we'll known. Many
of the troops had climbed on deck when
the report was circulated, and all eyes
were now fixed upon the supernatural
vessel; when heavy squall burst over
the Vrow Katerina, accompanied with
peals of thunder and heavy rain, render
ing 1t so thick that nothing could be seen.
In quarter of an hour it cleared away,
and, when they looked to leeward, the
stranger was no longer in sight.
"Merciful heaven! she must have been
upset, and has gone down in the squall, I"
said Mynheer Barentz. "I thought as
much, carrying such q press of sail. There
never was ship that could carry more
than the Vrow Katerina. 1t was madness
on the part of the captain of that vessel;
but I suppose he wished to keep up with
US. Heb! Mynhesr Vanderdeokens'
Philip did not reply to these remarks,
which fully proved the madness of his cap
tain. BE felt that his ship was doomed,