The Tupelo journal., 1902-09-19

into activity. where are they?" he
asked.
"I'l go and see." When Tommy
came back he announced that they
Were in the forepeak. go and close
the scuttle 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
saw the ship if we can"
A glance forward filed him with
rage. "Lubbers!" he roared. They've
tried to heave her to under the
stays'ls. Rotten canvas, rotten
tackle, rotten mast. She'll breach
and founder. Tommy, 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,
I reckon" said the skipper grimly.
That's death. No show for young
boHeS ulucT tHdb GILL.
81 car fire up, sir"
"We'l both do it, Tommy. It's
only an odd chance. She may go
down any minute now, and We'll 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 gauge
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 enjoy
the warmth apd steady noise of the
engine-room When a hail from the
deck came to his ears. tumble up,
lively! Stop her, and up with vel"
"What is it, sir?" painted Tommy,
when he reached the deck.
"We're ashore!" cried the skipper
in his ear.
A glance through the murk to the
leeward showed a s%eething, kissing,
laundering waste; above it's turmoil
they heard the crash of breakers.
"We're driving against a dead wall
of rock. Get up aloft. Main-top,
my lad"
'The men in the peak" said the
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 lurching
deck to the fore rigging. They
halted, obeyed a motion of the skip
per, ran aft to the main and joined
Tommy in the little top. Here the
four chung speechless while with
a swift lurch the foremost disappear
ed. The engineer and the seaman
strained against the quivering main
mast in agony.
Suddenly out of the binding spray
rose up a sheer wall of blackness
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 ever
warmed his heart. He felt himself
falling and called out. A wet branch
brushed across his face and he
clutched at it in bewilderment. A
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 choked him. "Are you
hurt?" asked the captain, STOPPING
over him.
"No, sir. How did we get here?"
"We were tossed against the cliff
where some trees happened to be
growing. We managed it just as you
did"
"Are 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
breathlessly on the grass and rested.
Below them tossed the breakers, a
dainty fringe of white on the fast
deepening blue of the sea. Present
ly the captain rose and started off.
I'm going to the lighthouse to re-
port" he said in answer to Tommy's
query.
won't you let these men go firstr"
asked the boy, timidly.
"What!" screamed the captain,
turning short round. Tommy hung
his head and wept bitterly. "They've
been good to me, sir" he sobbed.
The skipper of the Katie thrust
his hands into his pockets and
whistled. The two mutineers stood
before him shamefaced and in 81
lence. The captain felt much injured
hat he should be expected to forego
his righteous revenge, and he felt,
beside, the pinch of the morning air.
Without warning he burst into laugh
ter. "Ye don't deserve anything at
my hands. You've lost me my ship.
That ye're alive nov We may set down
to the act of God. Go off. I'm mum
Nobody will believe me or you any
way."