Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-11-02
anger and tried to utter her feeble

danger and tried to utter her feeble
protest against the forces of nature.
Suddenly, far above the ~mastheads,
ounded an unearthly scream, as IL the
storm demons had united In sounding
the charge. Still the sails hung idly,
and not a breath of air could be felt.
Then In the far distance a long,
bright streak suddenly Illuminated the
horizon, increasing with marvellous ra-
pidity until all could see what seemed
to be an endless n of rolling snow.
1t was impossible to- bring the vessels
head up to meet the danger without
wind, and she lay helpless in it's path,
rolling uneasily about on the disturbed
sea.
And now the roar Of the storm could
be heard as the line of foam swept on
over the darkened sea with frightful
velocity. Louder and louder came the
noise. n the surface of the water be-
hind the advancing line was like a vast
sheet of snow fiattened down by the
force of the wind.
Nearer and nearer came the CHASTITY
line, while every man stood at his post
In silence. Suddenly the captain
reared:
Hard UP your wheel! Hard up!"
The two men who grasped the spokes
a barely time to obey the order when,
with shrek of wind and q rush of boil
ing water, the white line struck the
bark and pressed her over until the
yards touched the surface to leeward.
The storm staysail n main topsail
were rent to ribbons, but the head sail
held, and, as the staGch bark slowly
righted, this caused her to pay slowly
of and she gathered Roadway at the
same time. Slowly at first and then
with increasing speed she bounded
along before the hurricane.
A,,I NAxxt ~ 80, larnf N 20 rtGA In oil
It's majesty. The masses OF water
swept In wild waves before the hur-
ricane, their crests blowing off into
sprays as they met the full force OF the
wind. After several efforts the crew
succeeded In loosing a few inches OF
the foretopsail, and for awhile this held
nobly. Then came a stronger puff than
usual, and the sail was torn bodily
from the bolt ropes, disappearing in
the gloom like some huge white bird.
There was nothing to be done but
run before the gale, and, after send
ing the mate and half the crew below,
the captain advised Ton and Avery to
retire, which they did, somewhat re-
assured by the collected bearing of the
shipper, who seemed to take il all as n
matter OF course, especially as the wind
was sending his vessel just where he
wished to 60.
In this manner three days and nights
passed, until II seemed to Tom hat the
world was made up of wind, i've and
darkness.
On the fourth morning the wind be-
gan to abate and the sun appeared, en-
abling the captain TO ascertain his po-
! sition. He found that the Seabird had
made IL knots an our during the en-
tire period since the storm struck her,
which caused his satisfaction to show
iSelf in his round face enthusiastically
Sail was now made, and ten days
later the Seabird was sailing proudly
on the bosom OF the Pacific, having
rounded Cape Horn with the greatest
slant OF wind" the old skipper had ever
experienced. The vessels head was
pointed to the north, and Tom began to
compute the days before they could
hope to reach San Francisco.
Continued Next Weekly