Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-10-01

JCtp .
ness more profound because of the i'm
possibility of opening the eyes against
the singing fragments Of ice. But aft
er much stumbling and struggling we
got the four huge nsails down and
without waiting for the order started
nloft to furl, the pitifnl incapacity Of
our numbers most glarngly apparent.
The pressure of the wind was SO great
that it was no easy matter to get aloft;
but, clinging like cats. we presently
found ourselves, six of the port watch.
on the foretopsl yard.
The first thing evident was that the
great sail was very slightly subdued
by the gear. 1t lowered about the yard
like white balloon, making it both
difficult and dangerous to get out along
the spar. The storm scourged us pitt
lessly. The great round of the sail re-
sisted all our attempts to fist it, and
we seemed as helpless as children.
Some bold spirits clutched the lifts
and, swinging above the sail, tried to
stamp hollow into it with their feet,
but against the increasing fury of the
tempest we seemed to be utterly impo'
tent. We were SO widely separated,
too, that each man appeared to be es'
saying q giants task single handed,
and that horrible sense of fast oozine
| strength was paralyzing us. Feeling
left our hands. We smote them saw
gebggaaihR5h, th and satfI We seemed no
nearer the conclusion of our task. But
suddenly the ship gave great lurch
to windward, and just for one moment
the hitherto unyielding curve of the
sail quivered. In that instant every
fist Ind clutched fold, and with a
flash Of energy we strained every sinew
to conquer our enemy.
Tugging like a mailman to get the
sail spilled, l glanced sideways and
saw, to my horror, by a jagged fash
Of lightning, the rugged face of Nc
Ginty.
l had hardly recognized him when,
with a roar like the combined voices of
a troop of lions, the sail tore itself
away from us, and with bleeding hands
I clutched at the footrope strrup as l
fell back. But at the same moment
McGinty's arms flew up. He caught at
the empty gloom above him and fell,
gasping in manus tuus, DomineI' Far
beneath us the hungry sea seethed and
whirled, its white glare showing ghast-
ly against the thick darkness above.
For two or three seconds l hung as if
irresolute whether to follow my poor
old shipmate OF not. Then the heavy
Tapping Of the sail aroused me, and
springing up again, l renewed my eff.
| forts.
The ship had evidently got wipe ul
into the wind, for the sail was now
powerless against us, and in less than
five minutes it was fast and we were
descending with all speed to renew our
| desperate fight with the mizzen and
-jigger topsails. The decks were like
the sea oversize, for wave after wave
toppled inboard, and 1t was at the most
imminent risk to life and limb that we
scrambled aft, quite sense of relief
coming as we swung ourselves upward
out of that turbulent flood into the rig.
ging again.
But was almost past feeling now.
A dull, aching sense of loss chung
around my heart. and the patient, kind
ly face Of my shipmate seemed branded
upon my eyes as he lifted it to the
stormy skies in his last supplicatory
moan. went about my work logged
ly, mechanically, Indifferent to cold,
fatigue or pain. until. when at last she
was snugged down and under the fore
lower tOpsails and reefed foresaiIs was
flying through the darkness like some
hunted thing, staggered YEARLY into
the cheerless foks'l dropped upon a
chest and stared modify at vacancy.
Somebody said, where's McGinty?'
That reused me. 1t seemed to put new
life and hope into me, for l replied
quite brightly: Hes gone to the rest
he was talking about in the dog watch.
He'll never eat workhouse bread, thank
God"
Eager questioning followed, mingled
with utter amazement at his getting
aloft at all. But when all had said
their say one feeling had been plainly
manifested feeling of deep thankful
ness that such grand old sailor as our
shipmate McGinty was where he fain
would be, taking his long and we'll
earned rest.