The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-10-31
Seth Coffin. My glass never lied to me

Seth CONN. MY glass lieu TO me
yet"
Gradually the wind died out, until the
Seabird lay becalmed, rising and fall.
Ing on the swell, but the sky remained
clear. The barometer continued to fall
in an alarming manner and after an
hour the heat became oppressive.
Then from all quarters of the horizon
a mass Of white clouds arose. until they
presented the appearance Of huge
mountains Of now darkening as they
assembled, and massing together until
they formed q canopy overhead, en-
tirely .c~oncealing the blue sky above.
Soon they deepened until the whole
heavens were soliday black, as If COW
cred with folds Of velvet. In a few
places, however, the color seemed to
vary to a dark. purplish gray, as one
posed.
Long before his time all hands were
on deck, and the Seabird was stripped
for the battle with the elements. What
ever his other faults, Obed Rider was
q good seaman, and, with but few sug-
gestions from the captain, he had made
everything snug, only a c~losereefed
main topsail and storm staysail show
ing aft, While a portion of the foretop-
mast staysail stood u white and clear
against the gloomy background, in
readiness to pay her head off when
needed.
There was a painful stiffness, broken
only by the mournful monotone in the
rigging which always precedes a hurri-
cane, as though the craft knew her
danger and tried to utter her feeble
protest against the forces of nature.
Suddenly, far above the mastheads,
sounded an unearthly scream, as If 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 line of rolling snow.
1t was impossible to bring the vessels
head up to meet the danger without
wind, n h lay helpless in its path,
rolling uneasily abou 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, and the surface Of the water be-
hind the advancing line was k a vast
sheet of snow flattened 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
roared:
Hard up our WHEEL! Hard up"
The two men who grasped the spokes
had barely time to obey the order when,
with Shrek Of wind and a rus of boil
ing water,rthe white line struck the
bark and pressed her over until the
yards touched the surface to leeward.
The storm staYsail and main topsail
were rent to ribbons, but the head sail
held. and, as the stanch bark slowly
righted. this caused her to pay slowly
off and h gathered Roadway at the
same time. Slowly at first and then
with increasing speed she bounded
along before the hurricane.
And now the sea began to rise in all
its majesty. The masses of water
swept in wild waves before the hur-
ricane. their crests blowing off int
sprays as they met the full force O: the
wind. Alters several efforts the crew
succeeded in loosing a few inches of
the f~oretopsail, and for awhile this held
nobly. Then came a stronger puff than
usual, and the sail was tor bodily
from the bolt ropes, disappearing in
the gloom like some huge white bird.
There was nothing to be lone but
run before the gale, and, after send
ing the mate and half the crew below,
the captain advised Tom and Avery to
retire, which they did, somewhat re-
w IL SOAiSStSA DSoSilAS y SlAO
shipper, who seemed to take it all as a
matter of course, especially as the wind
was sending his vessel just where he
wished to go.
In this manner three days and nights
passed, until it seemed to Tom that the
world was made up of wind, waves 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 II knots an hour 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 vas
pointed to the north, and Tom began. to
compute the days before they could
hope to reach San Francisco.
HE