The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-04
be Ships Ndpenfupe.
BY w CLARK Copyright 1892 by s. Mcclure Co,
Chapter xv.-Aboard Again.
BY w. CLARK RUSSELL.

and the pink of his glory was melting
into the flash of silver, as the wake of
CLEAN upon the sea. The light breeze
was still to the north of east, and thith-
er it had hung for hours past. Hardy
and Julia stood at the briggs rail watch
ing the ship that was distinct and lifting
in the oceans recess.
"Is it possible that she's the York;"
said Julia.
He answered with the telescope at his
eye:
Don't I know her! She's under sin
gle reefs. Her spanker is furled and
her head sails keep her off as though
She were under control. Perhaps she
is, but 1 don't think so. She would
head directly for us if she had anything
alive on board, because I can hold the
line of her rail in this glass, and If
can see her she can see me-"
What will you do?"
Il will wait a little longer and see if
she is manned. If her crew have de-
serted her I will launch that boat and
board her before she drifts out of
sight,
will you be able to catch her?"
Catch her! Can you row?"
TRY me-" she answered with the
proud look a girl will put on when she
feels she is of Importance.
''She is drifting at about two and
We will make that boat buzz three and
perhaps more But if she is manned
she will come alongside and our getting
aboard will be easy. But she is not
manned, 1 am sure said Hardy. Pipe
to breakfast, Julia.
This time they made beef sandwiches
of biscuit, and they were swallowed
without the accompanying forecastle
growl. Indeed considering it was meant
for sailors use, the beef was not very
ho1 - Yio
a little cooking had gone long way
to make it almost food for the human
stomach. The bottle of rum was half
full and they drank a little of the
liquor, largely diluted with water. To
refresh himself Hardy went to the head
where he knew he would find pump
which stood clear of the deck load He
picked up a bucket, carried it to the
pump and filled it with sparkling brine,
and purified his face with the cold salt
sweetness of the water and wrung his
hands in it, and felt that his beard was
growing, for shipwreck does not stop
the growth of hair as we see when a
haggard crew steps ashore out of a life
boat.
And all the time he kept his eyes fas-
tened on the York. as he knew her
to be. When he went aft he foupf
Julia sitting on chair on top of the
deck house. He mounted the steps and
sat beside her with the telescope, for
he had made up his mind to wait
little before launching the boat.
What makes you know that she's
the York;" she asked
Twenty points, and you must have
served two years before the mast to
understand them if l explained. She
is the York, my love, and with Gods
eye watching us we shall be aboard
he" and safe before sunset
'Hurrah!' cried Julia, and she pick
ed up his hand and kissed it.
1t was a thing to be settled In about
an hour, and in that hour Hardy dis
covered that she was not under control
by her coming to windward and her
| falling off; and when she came to
Windward, she hung 80 long that Hardy
thought it time to turn to- And now
began a process of which the descrip-
ton shall not weary you.
First he unShipped the gangway and
fetched some capstan bars for rollers; he
then passed his knife through the boats
lashings, took the watch-tackle and Sc
cured it to a fore shroud abreast of the
boat overhauled the tackle to hook the
block on the boats gunwale, then he
and Julia clapped on to the hauling part
of the tackle and easily reused the little
wagon on to her bilge. She was not very
much heavier than a smack S boat; her
oars were lashed under the thWarts, and
her rudder had been on a thwart and now
lay in her. They tried to run her along
the deck, but though they started her the
toll must prove too great for the girl,
who would be plying an oar shortly. So
he carried the block of the Watch-tackle
as far forward as its length would allow
him and made strop with piece of gear
round the thwart, to which he hooked the
! other block, bent a line on to the haul
| ing part and carried it to the winch, CIV
ing Julia the job of hauling the slack in
! as he wound
He wound Justify, for he was fighting
| for life and time, and he was very
strong man and had entirely rid himself
/ Of all the evil effects of the drug; as the
! girl had So they brought the boat
! abreast of the gangway; he had muscle
enough to lift her bow whilst Julia
| placed a skid, in the shape Of a capstan
! bar under her forefoot; he made other
| skids Of the capstan bars, and laying hold
! of her gunwales on either side the two
! brave hearts, with the boats nose point
| ing to the sea, ran the fabric secured by
| painter hitched to a main shroud, clean
through the gangway, and she fell with a
squash and floated like an empty bottle,
with never a drop of water in her.
This done, Hardy, who was making
| haste, for the York was keeping a rap
| full and forging into the stream of sun
/ shine though always coming for the
! brig, seized the line, and, watching his
! chance, sprang into the boat, secured the
line to her aft-thwart, leapt aboard and
brought the boat broadside to the gang
way.
The roll of the brig was very sullen and
slow, and the swell of the sea sometimes
hove the boat flush with the briggs water
way.
''You must jump into her, julia said
Hardy, and for Gods sake, don't go
/ overheard. To provide against that, see
here"
He took an end of main royal haIliards
and hitched it around her waist, and
/ overhauled some slack which he grasped
Pull up your Clothes" said he. land
free your legs and aim for the bottom OF
the boat, and jump when 1 sing OUT
The little SQUAD structure came floating
up, and Hardy brought her in by tug
of the after rope as she was coming.
"Jump!" he shouted
And that girl, whose heart was of Brit
! ish oak, holding her clothes to her knees
sprang, and in few breaths was sitting
on a thwart and lfberating herself from
the rope, whilst she smiled up at her
lover
Now, JULIA said he I am going to
send you down the provisions and water
Stand by to receive them, but keep
| seated"
He handed the telescope to her, then
| fetched the breaker, which she received
! as it lay in that instant of heaving
swell on the rim Of the gunwale, and
she rolled it to the thwart, then to the
stern sheets, taking the glass from
| Hardy at the neXt heava to He yoado