Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-05-25

to dripping water and the crew had
scattered 10 varied occupations below,
some mapping In their hunks, some ineta-
ing worn and torn clothing, Ai,,Ihk ~ "
dim light that filters down through the
companionway, and others reading cog
cared. paper-covcred novels or irdgm. ny
oil Boston Sunday papers hhtiiia''h pS
the sun and weather OF TWO weeks
No fear was apparent In any OF them.
Had they not seen scores of similar iogs
and always come tnrough sai.iy rus
they knew the length of NE list 81 YES
sells that annually san out hF Eastern
Point and Boston Light ana never rs
turn. ana there was fsil > .tNeHs. IN" looh
out. who had been aboard scho"nrr OF
Quercau few years back ana been one
of three men saved from crew OF MN"
when an eastbound liner had struck them
in a Grand Banks fog JIst siAG this one
these men. by Gods grace aud Usher
| mans GOODNESS. caught at dory ~ she
| sunk. and go. floating forty hours without
food or water, were picked W by auo'htF
Luke stopped 20 light his pipe. rest NJ
| a moment from his task AZ the ''chufn
to dig the dingy bowl into the little
pouch that held the weed poke the brown
| flakes firmly into position. and went be-
low To strike a match.
There was no one on deck Tor mo-
mcnt. the skipper having retired to his
cabin. leaving the deck To the wAtchfd ~
care OF Luke. And when that careless
| functionary projected his head through
| the Stutllt Nptt from AIlt ENfftANt4t pAal-
| ing satisfying Whit ~ smoke throiEn
| tn, pipe. d sound caught hts ear that sent
Il siCkenng terror to his heart
Up to windward. loud. heavy blast
| from a steamship whistle rent the mist.
| piercing the ear with that low pitched
tremulous vibration common to whistles
Of large calihrc when the steam pressure
Is not too high. a single leap lock nm ~
the iughorn ana a succession ~ frantic
tunts issued from IL. az l.Gkrs STRIDE az
Yell awukc the sccpers and ."ungcIs hc-
Low vii Fi.a fsT
onto us,
Up from "fok'sle' nd cabin poured the
men. wild-oycj and haticss. son'c IN
stocking feet and shirtslccves The skip
per graspod the wheel and shouted an or
der 10 man the main sheet. asking IN the
same breath where The steamship was.
lid with fear under his dripping cap, an /
terkcd away upon the lever Tor dear l!ic
In another moment the wind took tic
mainsail slightly. hcllted II and swung
about the boom. foresail and Jumbo fe,t
the pun. and the Hannah Manicy stirred
a little in her nest rolled over uneasilv to
lccward. dipped To the swell. and started
with a jogging gait upon port tack.
There was q moment Of suspense. every
man standing stiilty upon his feet and
leaning well over toward the direction
from which the fatal blow was cxpc ted
except old Manuel. who was fUmbiag
foulishIy at the dory tackle. apparently
side and Jed. who had taken a. running
jump into the main rigging and was
clinging there. his shiny black hair pIas-
tered over his forehead by the damp and
mingled fog ana Appropriation run
ming down his tanned checks.
Luke was pumping away at his fnEhorn
as II he had forgotten there was anything
else To be done In this life and Manuel
had succeeded in raising one end Of
dory up over the level OF the rail. wacu
the black phantom from the fog Sill by
aStern, almost rubbing her iron sides
against the schooner and riding ever the
two dories attached there hy their paint
trs as q bison might run over an ant. a
glimpse OF the big anchor hung a It's
hawse-hoie on the towering bow. a group
of scared passengers under the striped
awning of the promenade deck, Il startled
officer on the bridge and two men despcr-
ately whirling be big wheel behind him.
and the apparilpn was gone like pun
of smoke. proving its continued cXiStcuC
only by the noise Of its machinery. soon
swallowed up in the increasing distance.
and the hillowy wnsh from its passage In
which the little schooner pitched and rolleI
as if Il squall had struCk her.
1t was more than a minute before II
word was said. y steady look 1T death IS
not conducive to loquaci!y, ana il takes
little time. even for strong men accus-
toned from childhood To the possibilities
of sudden reril. to return 10 the routine
of commonplace drudgery, and feel us
they did before ''it' happened.
Col blast their dirty hides was the
remark OF Bill as soon as the blood came
back to his bronzcd face again. ana he
relieved Luke at the foghorn. 'Tho re
they be Albumin Of it through the fog
ag'in without koepin' their whistle con ,
and the banks chuck fun of sword fisher
men, a-layin' To waitu' for Co.'s dav-
light"
Manuel let his dory fail back into tn
nest" and took up job Of sail mcnu
ing; the rest returned to their several cy
equations below decks, and the skipp y.
medtatively cycling the broken painters
dangling over the stern. soliloquiZcd:
Don't spose l can make EN- pay for
them dories. '-Boston Transcript