Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1900-02-15


reduced the head cloths to jib and staysail,
and yet so impressed was that we were face
10 face with impending disaster that | low
cred and, after a fashion, slowed the jib.
The more l worked the more felt the
necessity, and, though / was on fire to re-
turn to the cabin, | held away and turned
my attention to the great mainsail which
was hurting to and fro, the subdued thun-
der OF its thrashing bunt and quick patter
of its reefng points playing out of the mys.
terious darkness overhead like the sounds
of distant storm. Alone / double reefed
that canvas, though l remember very little
of it, the only thing coming to my mind be-
ing the horrible smooth inkiness of the
water beneath me when l crawled out on the
boom to pass the earring and haul taut
Though my hands worked on deck, my heart
was below, and it was with deep breath
of satisfaction that / saw the last of more
than an hours hard labor. Casting off the
main sheet, that | might not be taken I'M
aware, L gave glance at the light on the
Sprite, still lying on our quarter, and then
went below, filled with a mixture of hope
and dread.
McCary was sitting by the side of the girl
as l entered lie looked up before l was
fairly off the steps, and said in a surly
voice:
"Ye had best be no niggard with the
whisky; pass it out!"
What do you fns?" / asked.
"Shock," he answered shortly.
"And naught else"
"Be not so d-n quick" he replied
"There may be enough else inside, l know
not. Outside there's nasty bit of blow on
the mob and fractured clavicle. There's
tbo bpoly 70 hnE &c o1lfc uroll IN
she'll mend in few days. 1t was narrow
escape she has had! How came she here?"
'Tis long story, and one with mighty
little to fatter your side of the fight, my
friend" | answered. "Let that pass. If
you can save both these children, and will
settle down ashore and swear by congress,
I'll see that your fortunes made as doctor.
You will be a rare handi"
"Tll see ye and yer congress ID first"
he returned with an ugly scowl. "What l
lay hand on, be it rebel or loyal, | do me
best with. I'll do it here. l have little
against the like of Gertrude King. She is a
true lass"
That's WELL" answered as went to the
locker for the whisky. "But Gertrude is
flying like myself from Clinton; her loyalty
is to her country, and not, as you think, to
George III. The title of rebel is one to be
proud Of" And with this | handed him
the bottle which he took with a dogged air,
pouring therefrom dram which would have
been more than respectable for a man. /
watched him closely as he put it to the
girls lips. He held it there until small
quantity had disappeared, then, as though
no longer able to restrain himself, he lifted
the remainder to his own and drank it in
single gulp.
| was about to jump on him, when down
the open companion way there came faint
waling followed by roar that grew into a
shrek appalling in its intensity. 1t was the
frat howl of the great tempest OF '7S, and,
turning, | made for the companion. Ere
l was halfway to the deck we were laid over
TO larboard in manner that for a moment
prevented my further progress. A mighty
! gush of damp wind struck my face as
hung on to the rail, and before l could grip
my way hand over hand up the ladder the
| schooner righted and hung on an even keel,
| trembling like suddenly affrighted animal.
In an instant | was at the wheel. As
| Quickly as the squall came it passed. but
knew the weight that must be behind it.
| Well it was that had reduced sail and let
| go the sheet, for in such a sudden blast we
| would have been thrown so low that the
| cargo would have shifted and the end come
| IN the twinkling of an eye.
As near as l could guess the first rush of
| air had been from out the southeast, but the
| whole gale that followed struck us fairly on
| the bow, and, in spite of my jamming the
| helm hard over, | think for a space the
schooner made direct sternway. Without a
sail drawing, the din of the thrashng canvas
| drowned all other noises, and in this fashion
| we hung in irons until it appeared chat the
| mainmast would be shaken out OF the YES
| sci. | could not man the wheel and staysail
sheet together, and the former ] dared not
| leave; but the wind settled my dilemma, for
| after a time, and when / was getting des
| perate, it whipped point to larboard, and
in the half glimmer that now came from the
sea, which looked like a dish of froth, | saw
| the foot of the staysail streaming over the
| starboard bow.
| How | lashed the wheel with the helm up
| and got forward, hardly know. ! Iemem
Der it was like dragging against a stone wall
to get the sheet half way in, but did it, and
| ran back again before we were fairly paid
| off Now | lashed the helm down and put
| my weight on the main sheet, but twas past
| my power to move it foot. As | had nc
| wish to lose time by running toward South
| America, | bawled to the doctor to come up
| He did so in a hurry, but demurred when
told him to lay hold of the line and haul
The sudden tongue lashing gave him and &
sight of my face in the light which poured
from the cabin made him think better of his
manner, for he gripped the sheet and fel
back with it like born sailor 1t was ar
almighty tug as best, but grew easier as W.
hauled into the wind, and when the line wa.
belayed commanded him to take the whee
while | sheeted home the staysail.
The veriest duffer cannot follow the Sc;
for year in and out without learning some
thing of the handling of ships, and, though
McCary had probably never laid hand on
spoke from necessity, he may have done 81
for pleasure, as he seemed to know how t
hold the Phantom somewhere near tn,
winds eye. There was no difficulty, then
in getting a proper trim to the head cloth
and by the time the sheet was Delayed anC
we stood off on the starboard tack th
| schooner was well under way, her bows smit
ing the seas, which had risen like magic, il
way that threw curtain of solid waite,
into the air which, catching the wind, blew
in and came aboard deuge. | was wet t.
the skin before, but it was a dry wet as com