The Jersey City news., 1902-07-22
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less concerning it, and while he at the
stern stood with feet apart, his right
hand grasping the tiller and his left
firmly holding the straining sheet,
Craddock prepared himself for the leap
he was to make, upon the success OF
which their safety depended.
From a small thing in the distance
the Devils Nose loomed greater and
mightier as they advanced. 1t seemed
to be rushing toward them at fearful
speed, growing taller and mightier and
more ominous as it approached. The
waves beat against it with savage
fury, and clouds Of spray We're hurled
almost to the summit.
1t seemed to Craddock as they drove
onward as If his friend were steering
straight for the forbidden rock; but he
never looked astern. He knew that
the hand that held the tiller was
strong, tried and sure.
Then came the mighty boom Of the
maddened waters against the barrier
of rock, and the yacht was enveloped
in shower of foam and mist, through
which, half obscured, the black monu-
ment lowered The helmsmaE releas-
ed his hold upon the sheet, the boom
flew forward with a sudden crash
against the shrouds, and the sloop heel
ed over to starboard until her deck was
half submerged in water, and she came
about like the swapping of whip. 1t
was at that instant that Craddock
made his leap.
Twenty minutes later the sloop was
safely moored within the little bay,
which was as placid as millpond, and
the two men were snug in the cabin,
with nothing but the roar of the rush
ing wind above them and the booming
of the water against the western ex
tremity of the rock to remind them of
the perils through which they had just
passed.
While the storm ragged on and day
light became smothered by advancing
night they cooked and ate their supper
and smoked their pipes i'll tranquil Sc
curity. Why they were where they
the most dangerous part of the North
sea, does not matter, but if coast
guard or customs officer could have
inspected the articles that were stored
away III secret lockers aboard the sloop
he might have called them by the now
almost obsolete term, smugglers. Os-
tensibly, however, the sloop was moth
ing more than mere pleasure boat
and they two venturesome sailors who
found it possible to navigate craft
which ordinarily should have carried
crew of four or five.
When morning came, the storm had
increased ip violence, and so mighty
were the seas which swept before it
that not infrequently clouds of spray
and masses of water leaped over the
summit of the rock, to again fall into
the sea many fathoms to leeward.
The rushing Of the wind, split in twain
by the barrier which sheltered them,
came together again beyond the Devils
Nose with noise like distant thunder.
After they had disposed of their cof-
fee he who had held the helm through
the storm of the preceding night and
brought the sloop safely into this
strange retreat said to his companion
while they stood together at the bow:
''Craddock, this pile of natures ma
sonry contains the unwritten epitaphs
of thousands who have perished here.
1t has other secrets, too, and one Of
them l have discovered and will show
YOU Do you think, If we climb to the
summit yonder, that you can keep your
hold upon the slippery rock against the
gale?'
Craddock shrugged his shoulders and
without reply turned toward the din