Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-01-25
A RACE AROUND
* * * THE HORN *

ing to fear. Everything was what the
doctor ordered up to eight bells.
heard the watch changed; then one bel,
two bells, three bells. four bells. At
last got sick of hearing the half-hour
strokes, and went up on deck in socks
and pyjamas to take a look at the night.
All seemed well. The mate was at the
gallery door. slipping his coffee, and
small blame to him for getting 1t good
and hot. His face was turned towards
me, his back to the forecastle, where
something stirred in the shadow
man coming up out of the scuttle-
Diego Ramirez, who ought to have
been in his bunk, sneaking quietly up
the ladder to the forecastle head. l
felt half inclined to hail him, but why
should my bo's'n steal about like cat,
stink in the shadows, instead Of going
about like man? thought saw the
gleam of knife in his hands. Then l
ran full pelt along the lee side of the
deck, for if the man meant mischief it
was time l knew. l took the steps at
three jumps.
When gained the forecastle head l
saw nothing at first. Yes, there he was
over the bows, his head just showing,
moving from side to side as though he
were at work.
l bent down over him, and found him
quite unconscious of my presence
slashing with a long knife cutting
away the most vital gear in the ship
the gammonings of the bowsprit! |
flew at his throat, half strangled him,
and dragged him from his perch, until
L had him hanging over blue water.
But was too late, for, with an awful
crash, the gammonings parted, the
bowsprit few into the air, rearing
straight on end. A yell from me sent
the mate to the wheel.
"Luffv'I shouted. "Luff!"
But before he could bring her head
to the wind, she gave one heavier roll
than usual, and with one tremendous
smash all three masts, no longer sup
ported by the stays, broke off like car
rots and went whirling down over the
side. Then l hauled Mr.. Diego Ramirez
inboard, and battered him senseless.
The Daisy lay total wreck in mid
ocean, her masts and spars, a tangled
mass of wreckage to leeward, were
charging into her like battering ram,
with every roll, and, worst of all, the
whole of the standing rigging was Of
steel, which no ak could cut for our
release.
At once l had Sll hands at work to
deal with the disaster. One watch
rigged sea anchor, with cask Of oil,
bored with an auger. which we put
overheard to windward and so broke
the seas Meanwhile got the other
watch to work cutting the wreckage
adrift as best they could
Only when daylight came had I. time
to go forward; time to deal with Diego
Ramirez, ESQ.,, my bo's'n, caught red
handed wrecking my ship. Even then
Icould appreciate the fiendish cunning
of the man, his mastery knowledge of
seamanship. The chance had been a
thousand TO one against his being
caught, SO simple was. his plan, so GER
tain it's success. No masts ever built
could have borne so sudden and so
fierce a wrench. 1t was a comfort to
me that I had marked Diego Ramirez
for life. But I had not killed him, nor
would while he could be held alive in
evidence of his crime.
L put the man in irons, with nothing
but bread and water, and on the third
day he confessed that Jones had bribed
him to come on board at Vancouver,
had paid him $3.50 in cash to commit
the crime. That was Mr.. Jones' idea
of racing. and certainly the way things
looked he would have no trouble In