The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1902-11-06
Suddenly through the

! destruction. Suddenly through the
murky smother he discerned a slen.
der form crawling aft by the weather
side Of the cabin. Tommy! Tommy,"
he called fiercely.
The lad watched his chance and ran
to the wheel. STOPPING over he
sawed the captains bonds apart with
his knife and dragged him into the
lee OF the deck-house in time to es-
cape the seething food that svept
the deck and smashed the grating
INTO scraps that later met the ewes
OF the mutineers. 1t was not lono
till the captains blood was once mora
circulating and the tingle reused him
into activity. Where are they?" he
asked.
III go and see." When Tommy
came back he announced that thew
were in the forepeak. Go and close
the scuttlc and bolt it," commanded
the captain, land I'll fix the door be-
low. Jump"
The boy obeyed, and when he re-
turned to the cabin the skipper nod
ded. You're faithful Tommy. and
you shan't be sorry. Now, we must
save the ship if we can"
a glance forward filed him with
rage. "Lubbers!" he roared. Thev'vc
tried to heave her to under the
stays'ls. Rotten canvas, rotten
tackle, rotten mast. She'll breach
and founder. Tomny. we've got to
get up some steam and get out to
sea-"
where are we, sir?" asked the
boy.
Somewhere off the North Head
L reckon" said the skipper grimly.
That's death. No show for young
bones under that chif."
II can fire up, sir"
We'll both do it, Tommy. It's
only an odd chance. She NAV 90
down any minute now, and well keep
each other company"
They found the fires low and no
steam. The two piled the furnace
full of everything they could lay
hands to, and when the gaupe
crawled up to 35 pounds, the captain
started the engines. Bust the boiler
and stand by" was the laconic or
der as he swung himself up the lad
der.
Tommy was beginning to cniov
the warmth and steady noise of the
engine-rodm when n hail from the
deck came to his ears. "Tumblc up,
lively! stop her, and up with ye!"
What is it, sir?" painted Tommy,
when he reached the deck.
Were ashorc!" cried the skipper
in his ear.
Were driving against dead wall
Of rock. Get up aloft. Main-top,
my lad"
1.-The men in the peak said the
boy with gesture. The captain ut
first seemed hardly TO catch the
meaning of his cry; then he threw
up one hand in answer and plunged
forward. The boy was almost up the
weather rigging when the captain,
followed by two men broke out of the
forepeak and crossed the lurchng
deck to the fore rigging. They
halted. obeyed motion of the skip
per, ran nft to the main and joined
Tommy in the little top. Here the
four clung speechless while with
a swift lurch the foremast disappear
ed. The engineer and the seaman
strained against the quivering main
mast in agony.
Suddenly out of the binding spray
rose up n sheer wall of backncss
and silence seemed to smother every
thing. a huge sea picked the Katie
up gently, and bore her smoothly
out of the hideous tumble on to-
ward the cliff. The skipper let go
his grasp with one hand and reached
up To the boy above him. Good
bye, Tommy!" he cried.
The lad looked down and caught
the one fatherly glance that had even
warmed his heart. lie felt himself
falling and called out. a wet branch
brushed across his face and he
clutchrd at it in bcwidcrmcnt Al
second later he swung against moist
earth and dug his fingers into strong
sea grass and turned his face down
away from the wind.
When he came to himself the cap.
tain, engineer and sailor were pain.
fully dragging him up the steep cliff.
side. 1t was very dark and the hot
odor Of fern cholicd him. Are YOU
hurt asked the captain, STOPPING
over him.
"No, sir. How did we get hcrc?"
eve were tossed against the cliff |
where some trees happened to be
growing. We managed it just as you
did" ,
"Arc we all here?
"All safe" was the reply.
The morning broke in glorious
freshness before they made the top
of the cliff. There they dropped
breathlcssly on the grass and rested.
Below tN"m tossed the breakers. a
dainty f"inge of white ON the fast
deepenirg blue of the sea. Present
ly the c"Dtain rose and started off.