Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-07-22
CHApTER XII.

stili frosty days. when breath as cold
as steel crept from the red sunrise %
the north; but ever and again the trum-
pet of the tempest sounded westward and
south ward, and the ocean rose up before
1T in mountains of furious storm.
One night as we lay in our beds we
heard the gathering Of such tempest as
has seldom been seen, before or since, on
those shores 1t came with fearful light
ming and close-following thunder, follow
ed by drops Of black and hideous hail;
and then, with a crash and a scream aad
cry, the wind rushed from the sea. /
bay thinking every moment that the
house would come down, shaking as it
did 10 It's foundations, or the roof be
blown away: and every minute the blasts
yysw more terrific. Presently, | saw my
nnele. partially dressed and holding a
Blight, enter my chamber
Hugh. my lad, be you asleepT'
*As If anyone could sleep on such a
night
Mother be frightened badly" he re-
turned. She be praying lad dawn /
the kitchen Hark TO thatp' he added,
~ a fash of fiery lightning filed the
room, and wind and thunder mingled to-
gether in awful reyerbeFatioB.
I slipped on hy clothes and went
down with my uncle to the kitchen.
where | found my aunt full cf supersti-
fious terror. She had got out the old
Bible. and, having opened at random,
was reading IN low voice from one Of
the Psalms. I did my best 20 allay her
fears, bur succeeded very badly.
For the greater part Of the night we
remained sitting up. With the first peep
Of daylight | seized my bat and moved
20 the door
No sooner had left the cottage than
the wind caught me, snd almost dashed
me from my feet. Short as the distance
was to the senshore, / thought I should
never reach II, SO terrible was the fury
of the bIastI More than once ! had ac-
fually to lie down on the ground and let
ii tPampie over mel And with the blast
came hall aud heavy rain, binding me,
shifting my cheek like whipcord, and
drawing blood, so that ! could scarcely
see yard before my face.
Az last | gained the cliff. and here |
had muck ado to prevent myself from be-
Ing lifted up bodily aud blown away. But
! threw myself on nay face, and looked
seaward. Nothing was visible. only driy-
ing mists and vapors. Gaining courage
presently. l crawled down the path lead
ing TO the shore As / went / was
sometimes fatteued like a rag against
the rocks, By the sheer force Of the wind;
but | persevered. and az last reached the
bottom
| perceived, to my CONSERVATION, that
the gale had struck the boat house with
sueh force as 70 sweep the wooden roof
81 Tea.
the cliffs | crept on TO the door. which
WAS on the lee and sheltered side, drew
forth from my pocket the key Of the pad
lock, opened il. and went in. The great
boat lay there unframed. but was half
full Of wgter. One Of the oars had been
lifted Jut and snapped like a rotten
twig, but that was ell.
Suddenly. as ] stood here sneltering
from the gale heard a sound from sea
wari. like the sound Of a gun. | start.
cd listening. In q moment the sound
was repeated vessel in Distress
Quitting the boat house. I stood on
fhe shore. and strained my eyes against
the drifting yapors and binding wind
There was another faint report OF a gun,
and finally the red light Of a rocket.
which phot up through the black vapors
like a shooting star. and Disappeared
Greatly agitated. made my way up
the cliff. and reached the summit, where
[ found that an excited group, composed
Of fishermen and miners. had already
gathered. Among them was my uncle.
whe addressed toe eagerly the raoment /
appeared.
''Did you say the lights, lad Sure rs
death. there be a ship on the rocks out
fhars
~On the South Stack. said an old fish.
erman, naming an ugly reef which lay
right aeroee the mouth Of the bay. three
quarters Of mile froia shore.
Suddenly the storm-smokp blew tip
ward here aud there. !!vaving vislSle
Wild patches Of tossing water, Straiung
my eyes, I saw something like a white
wall Of vapor rising right out TO sea in
the direction OF the South Stack. and
right IN its center the black outline Of a
large vessel. wedgcd firmly Ga the jagged
rocks. | conld discern a black funnel
aud two mAsss a ma'~'iars intact, i fore
last broken of just above the decks.
she = as large screw steamer, with her
back broken right across. and only saved
from sinking By the very rocks which
had destroyed her.
How she had got into that fatal posi-
lion ii was difficult TO tell Possibly her
propeller had snapped, or the water had
swamps4i her engines and put them cut
More than once fancied that ,iiscerned
shapes like human forms elinglng to or
hshed TO the rigging of the mainmast,
bur Il was impossible 70 distinguish them
with any certainty.
While we stood hestating the mlsts
rose ali round the ship; ana ss sax. 10
our amazement, that a stir was taking
plaee upon her decks. A boat was pre-
pairing to leave her sides, and. freighted
with human beings, push away for the
shore.
Never shah forget that sight Just
In the lee Of the crippled vessel, under
she cloud Of white smoke which rose for
a moment high above her remaining mast.
there was q beaying patch where the
boat could feat in safety: but beyond il
she waves rose again in awful crested
bliows. whirling and swiFling toward the
slsrss. Seen from cur point Of vantage.
che boat seemed mere cockieshell. The
npaer-sweil caught her AMID rushed her
along ri lightning speed and in a few
PIGMENTS she reached the broken water.
There .sse wind seemed to slnite her side
loas. and she was buried Instantaneous.
Is ia the trough If tile sea. But she RI.
appeared. half smothered Ia surf and
flying foam. Then we SAY, rapidly ap-
pfeaching her. a mountainous and awful
wake!
The little bost, IS X were a living
thing. seemed to see K. too, aud TO stFug-