The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1900-05-12
DICK RODNEY;
Or. The Adventures of
An Eton Boy.
BY AME RANT.

by JAMES GRANT.


old, wetted sails over the sheet and
working anchors; the steersman at
the wheel, the watch and all hands
who were crouching to leeward, or
holding on by ropes and Delaying pins
to windward, seemed for a M 10
become white-visaged specters amid a
sea of pale, blue 1ame-a sea whereon
the flying brig, with her brailed courses
and reefed topsails, her h~alf-naked
masts and black cordage, were all dis
tinctly visible as at MONDAY, while
the polished brass on funnel, pinnacle
and skylight all flashed and shone, as
ship and crew, with all their details
of form and feature.
Were instant seen and instant lost
For a broad and binding sheet of
electric fame burst upon the darkness
of the night, and passed away as rap
idly, when the livid brand burst in
the welkiE or in the wave, we knew
not which.
Then came the roar of thunder
the stunning and appalling thunder of
the tropics, every explosion Of which
seemed to rend earth, sea and sky, as
my IOiiCu ilhO d pdipdpIC lhihSI VI
like the united salvo Of a thousand
echoes at the far horizon.
After a sound so mighty and be-
wilderlng, the believing of the wind
through the rigging, the hiss and roar
of the sea as wave broke against wave;
the Tapping OF the brailed courses;
the creaking and straining of the tim
bers, seemed as nothing-the very 81
lence of death-while the Eugene tore
on, through mist and spray, through
darkness and ~obscurity, with the foam
flying white as winter draft over her
bows and martingale.
Again there was a pale-green CLEAN
overhead, right above the truck of the
mainmast, where the chambers OF the
sky seemed TO open. The clouds divid-
ed in the darkness Of heaven, and out
of that opening came the forked light
ming, zigZag, green and CHASTITY.
There was a dreadful shock, which
knocked every man down, except Carl
ton, who was at the wheel, and an
exclamation of terror escaped us all.
A thunderbolt had struck the Eu-
genie!
With all its Tondrous s~peed-instan-
taneous as electric light could belt
glided down the main ~top-gallant mast,
rending the topmast-cap and the franz
ed grating Of the top to pieces; thence
it ran down the mainmast, burst
through the deck and spent its fury
in the hold.
At that moment the m~ain-topmast,
with all its yards, gear and canvas,
fell about the deck in burning brands,
and the brig was hove right In the
winds eye, while the sea twitched the
helm out of the hands Of Ned Carl
ton, who became bewildered on find
ing the compasses lose all their polar
ity by the influence of the electric fluid,
the north point of one heading south
east and of the other southwest.
Almost Immediately after this there
was a cry Of "Fire!"-that cry so ter
rible, so appalling on board ship; and
then thick white smoke was seen tc
issue from the crevices of the battened
=, main-hatchway.
All hands rushed to this point. The
/, long-boat vas unshipped from it:
|, checks and dragged aft; some stood by
with buckets of water, while other:
struck off the padlocks and iron bars
the tarpaulin was torn away-tht
hatch lifted-and 10!
A column of fire assembled in {
straight line from the body of thu
. hold-lurid, red and scorching, as thu
: casks of molasses and bales of cottoI
burned and blazed together. A col
umn that rose up between the masts
scored through the mainstay, all thu
braces Of the ~foreyards, and filled tn
whole vessel with light, announced
that all was over.
1T is a doomed ship" cried Ton
L~ambourne; I'VE must leave her a
last. Clear away the longboat. B
cool, lads; be cool and steady! You
: lives depend upon your conduct now
and your obedience to orders!"