The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-04-23
!: THE WRECK Of
The CA71LEBOA1.
BY CUTCLIFFE HYNE.
COPYRIGHT, 1900, BY cuTcL1FFE nYNE.
were considerable trouble
and risk in bringing the lifeboat
I'D alnnrsiha but il must he
BY CUTCLIFFE HYNE.

The gale that had blown them out
into the Atlantic had moderated, GER
tainly, though there was still consid-
cradle breeze blowing, but the sea was
running as high as ever, and all Cap
tain Kettles skill was required to pre-
vent the boat from being incontinently
swamped. McTodd and the two Por-
tuguese bailed necessarily, but the
boat was always half waterlogged.
In fact. from constitutional defects
she had made very wet weather Of it
all through the blow.
1t was the part of the steamer to have
borne down and given the lifeboat
lee in which she could have been more
readily handled. and three times the
larger vessel made an attempt to do
this, but without avail Three times
she worked round in a wallowing cir
Gle, got to windward and distributed
Nsmell of farmyard over the rugged fur
Vows of ocean and then lost her place
sgain before she could drift down and
give the smaller craft shelter. Three
times did the crew of the lifeboat, with
maritime point and fuency, curse the
incompetence of the rust streaked
steamer and all her complement.
"By James," said Kettle savagely,
after the third attempt. ARE they all
farmers on that ship? I've had an
idiot steward that knew more about
handling vessel"
49, ''She's an English ship" said Nc
Todd, land delicate. They're nursing
her in the engine room. Look at the
races"
''The fools on her upper bridge are
enough for me to look at" Kettle re-
torted. why didn't they put sailor
Aman aboard of her before she was
kicked out of port? BY James, if we'd
weeks water and victual with us in
the lifeboat here I'd beat back for the
Canaries as we are and keep clear of
that tin farmyard for bare safety's
sake"
1--WE haven't a crumb or drink left. "
said the engineer, land I'd not recon-
mend this present form of conveyance
to the insurance companies"
A wave top came up from the tireleSS
gray sea and slapped green and cold
about his neck and shoulders. Gosh!
, There comes more of the Atlantic to
bale back into place. Mon, this is no
the kind of navigation | admire"
Meanwhile the clumsy tramp steam
er had gone round in a jagged circle of
miles diameter and was climbing
back to position again over the hills
and dales of ocean. She rolled, and
she pitched, and she wallowed among
the seas, and to the lay mind she
would have seemed helplessness per
sonifed. But to the expert eye she
. showed defects in her handling with
eve:.T sheer she took among the angry
&waste of waters
"Old man and the mates must he
staying down below out of the wet
said Kettle contemptuously as he gaz
ed. Looks as if they've left some sort
of cheap Dutch quartermaster on the
upper bridge to run her. Don't tell mt
there's an officer holding an English
ticket in command of that steamer
~ They aren't going to miss us this time
though, if they know it,"
"Looks like as if they were going t.
soss down slap on top of US" said Nc
Todd and set to taking off his coat anC
boots.
But the cattle steamer, il not Skill
fully handled. at any rate this time hat
more luck. She worked her way tt
windward again and then fell off into
the trough, squattering down almos
out of sight one minute, and, in fact
showing little of herself except ;
couple Of stumpy, untidy masts and ;
brine washed smokestack above thu
seascape, and. being heaved up clea
almost the next second, a picture o
rust streaks and yellow spouting soup
pers.
Both craft drifted to leeward before
the wind. but the steamer offered NOR
surface and moved the quicker, which
was the object of the maneuver l
seemed to those in the lifebOat tina
they were not going to be missed thl
time, and so they lowered away thei
sOdden canvas. shipped the thOlepin
and got out their oars. The two Portu
guese firemen did not assist at first
preferring to sit in a Semidazed cOndi
ton on the wet floor gratings. but Nc
Todd and Kettle thumped them abou
tom, till they turned to, and so pres
emily the lifeboat, under three strain
ing oars. was holding up toward he
would be delverer
A man on the cattleboat's uppe
bridge was exhibiting himself as
very model of nervous incapacity, an
two, at any rate, of the castaways il
y the lfeboat were watching him wit
grim scorn.
excepting them on the dance in til
engine room, isn't he?" said McTodc
'He's rung that telegraph bell 10 dii
ferent ways this last minute"
'"That man isn't fit to skipper any
thing that hasn't got a tow rope mad
fast ahead" said Kettle eontemptuous
ly. "He hasn't the nerve of pound o
putty"
I'm thinking we shall lose the boa
They'll never get her aboard III on
piece"
.sJf we get among their COW Deu