The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-09
THE SCUTTLING OF THE PANDORA
NJ ORL EY ROBERTS.

Though both the mates were good men.
they were young. and Rayner was weak.
The very fairness of the weather, though
fair weather is common enough off the
norm In summer, got on the crews minds
when they hove in sight Of the Diego Rami-
rez islands and hauled up for the north.
None of us ever passed there ERE Dag
garamarine in weather like this" they said
as they shook their heads why, it might
be a mill pondr'
And when, three days later. change Of
weather sent southwest gale bowling
after them. they shook their heads again.
All, she's goin TO get it nowl Thisll
make up for it. Who's goin first?''
They found out now what the Pandora
could do to make their lives happy. She
was both weatherly and fast, but her lines
for'ard were such that she never rose TO
any sea she struck till green water poured
over the top-gallant foc'sle two feet deep.
She shipped one sea at midnight that
ripped off the scuttle and poured solid
water into the foc'sle that washed the men
out OF their lower hunks The hatch went
overheard. and 1T was morning before any
one dared go on the sic head to spike
planks down in place of IT, All night long
cataract poured down on them, and
water spurted in through the plugged
hawse-pipes. Soon there was not dry
blanket in their den; steam rose from the
wet packed sleepers. 1t was "alI hands
at four bells in the middle watch, and they
went on deck to shorten sail. Not man
wore oilskins; they had nothing to keep
from getting wet Even Joe who was the
most cheerful man for'ard, fell to growI-
ing.
call this a shipI'' he said. "She's
scared of the top of the sea, and wants to
dive SOS to get out o. the wet Stow the
foresail, is it? 1 reckon the old man is
goin' to heave her to while he can. He
can't have much heart to do it with a fair
wind"
And perhaps Rayner had little heart But
II he had little the mate was CHEEKY enough.
He beloved loudly. and the men jumped.
Now, then, haul taut the lifts" he
roared. ''That'n do. Weather clew-garnet,
Ease off the sheet!'
of the weather gear.
Now, then, lee gear, and Jump aloft and
furl it,
in increasing squalls. Even with the fore
sail hanging in the gear and bellying out
in great white walls, she still cut the sea
like knife. and washed the seas in over
her head. Blankets and clothes washed out
on deck for there was no door to the mems
quarters, only a heavy canvas screen from
the break of the foc'sle And from aloft
dull foam cleaned as the Pandora drove the
seas asunder. The men sprang into the
weather rigging, with the second mate lead
ing As he came to the futtock shrouds
he laid hold of the foremost shroud with
his right hand and jumped for the band of
the yard-truss. His foot slipped and his
hand hold gave He snatched with a yell
at the top-gallant sheet leading through the
top. but was too late to grasp and hold it.
The Pandora's luck said the men in
the rigging as they heard him reach the
deck. And when the foresail was slowed
and they went down, they heard the man
was dead. They found the Pandora made
heavy weather still when she was brought
to the wind, and she only lay to peaceably
when she was stripped to a goose-w winged
maintopsail. The men went into their wet
and devastated den in gloomy silence.
=" 'Ere's bloomin' pretty general aver
age" said Joe, as he found his chest which
was also his chum's, STAYED in by the i'm
pact of an iron-bound one which had
fetched away from it's lashings But no one
growled, and no one answered him. The
young second "greaser" had been liked by
them. They sat and smoked in gloomy sill
ence, and only half of the watch below
turned into the driest hunks. They thought
that the Pandora had begun, and though
now she lay to easily enough. few slept.
They were afraid of their ship; she was
| unlucky, accused, an evil personality.
About her was the odor of death.
Case was good boy" they said, land
would have been a fine officer by-the-bye.
Well, our turn next"
Every time the Pandora bowed a wave
the hawse-holes still spurted; the foc'sle
| deck ran wet and glimmered darkly in the
| feeble light from the sinking lanterns
| swinging on both port and starboard sides
The air was saturated with moisture rank
sweat ran down the beams, dripping blan-
kets swayed from the edges of unoccupied
| hunks; the men were damp, subdued, I'M
happy. Now, as the ship lay to, the wind
no longer swept into the foc-sle under the
| Tapping screen by the windlass but still
| eddies of swift. cold air shook it and the
men shivered under their oilskins, that they
wore for warmth.
II wish I'd never seed her." said Jack
Marchmont, and Joe did not answer his
mate. Not ten words were spoken till the
wheel and lookout were relieved at
O'Clock. Both were idle jobs; for the night
was still as death and the wheel, with a
grummet over it's spokes. looked after it
self.
"Oh, it's all solid comfort, this is" said
Jack 81 wonder whose wet clothes will be
for sale next?"
They buried the second mate in the grey
waste of sea before they put the Pandora
before the moderating gale. The mate read
the burial service, for Captain Rayner
STAYED below. The steward told the mers
in a whisper that he was i'll.
"He's all broke up" he said. 'I seed him