The Savannah morning news., 1902-05-04
THIS PARTICULAR BRAND

tide eddy and jibed her. They were
standing close inshore and just man
aged to work out of the surf. In fact,
they did not have enough bad luck.
| The sweet uses of adversely passed
them by. Sailing seemed dead easy"
Johnny felt his mouth stoppered by the
| continual good weather, and it looked
like croaking (and, perhaps tinidity,
alack for young mans vanityD to be
saying Careful CAREFUL" all the time,
so when they left Florida behind, and
stood for Cuba, it was in a large meas
ure an upprepared crew. in spite of
Johnny's efforts, who handled the Ju-
dith.
And then luck turned with ven
geance. 1t was on hot, sultry night.
The low Florida keys on the northern
horizon stood out spectrally in the con-
slant lightning iickers. Johnny turned
in, leaving the others on watch. He
cautioned them: call me if things look
bad-it's a kind of creepy night"
Sam answered Eyes" in Asooff hand
fashion, for which Johnny Vas going
to take him up at first, then thinking
better of it, he went into the cabin.
They had seen several thunderstorms
on their trip, but not one with a Sc
we're blow.
The sea grew oily; the heavy clouds
banked higher and higher.
Don't you think we'd better give
Jack a call?" asked Peter, a little anx-
iously.
Sam had a fault that often goes with
quiet, and in the main, modest people
sudden attacks of vanity and stub
bornness in the wrong place. Peters
speech nettled him.
You're not afraid of a thunderstorm,
are you Peter?" he jeered.
mo, not particular" replied Peter.
at looks ugly out there, though"
80, it looked ugly before this: we'll
get through all right. No use in call
ing Johnny-he's all tired out" said
Sam. The cold fact was that he want
ed to manage that boat through
squat, without help from Jack. He
was slow al learning new things, and
even Peter had left him behind in sea-
manship. Now he proposed to show
that he could handle a boat with the
rest of them.
The wind that blows into a storm Just
before it breaks filled the Judith's sails.
Peter looked at the advancing black
ness frowningly. He felt that he had
been taken on board as a kindness
and that it was not his place to go over
the head of one of the original projec-
tors of the scheme, yet he hoped from
the bottom of his soul that Johnny
would awake.
There came a dismal roar from afar
that puzzled him; he strained his eyes
more intently to solve the mystery of
the blackness. Suddenly a flash of
lightning photographed everything
without. He saw dark column reach
ing from heaven to earth before him.
What's that!' he cried with a start
led oath.
whats what?" asked Sam, half
| angrily, touched by the fear in the
Westerners voice.
"There!" said Peter, pointing. Right
| out there! A big thing going right up
| to the slly!"
| A chilliness crept over Sam at the
words. The wheel almost slipped from
his hands as he leaned over, peering
| in the indicated direction.
And at that second. like an explo-
sion, for rapidity, the squall hit the
| Judith and fairly stood her on end The
wheel spun out of Sans grasp.
Johnny, thrown from his bunk, stag
| gered out of the reeling cabin. Too
| late. Another savage blast of wind
| caught the Judith quartering as she
slid up an enormous wave. The mast
shrieked aloud, and then went by the
| board in a crash that was lost in the
thunder of noises. Off the port bow the
| majestic column of a waterspout came
| whirling upon them, surrounded by an
appalling commotion in the water
There was no time for thinking, nor
| no room for thinking. Every nick
and Granny in their brains was filed
| with the riot around them. Sam,
| white-faced, clutched the useless wheel
| and stared out blankly. Pete grasped
| the cockpit coaming and stood as if
| ready to dodge the oncoming destruc-
| ton; but Johnny caught up a Ratchet
and worked his way forward, chopping
at the gear that held the mast to the
boat like a mailman. A few punches
from that battering ram would open
holes in the Judith that a boy could
| crawl through.
The boat leaped like the craziest
| broncho that ever Peter backed.
Hold FAST" screamed Johnny at the
top of his lungs.
Cod have pity on u.s." prayed Sam.
| Then everything was lost in noise and
wind and falling water.
| (TO BE CONTINUED