The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-03-23
vi O q n
OF the
Lady Lefty


her quarter, but She kept her course,
Wilbur fell thoughtful again, never
more keenly obsevant
"She must come about soon" lie
muttered uneaslly IF she's going TO
stand up toward Vallejo" His heart
sank with sudden apprehension, A
nervousness he could not overcome
seized upon him. The Bertha Millner
held tenaciously to the tack. Within
fifty yards of the Preside came the
command again:
stand by for stays"
Once more, her bows dancing. her
cordage rafting, her sails Tapping
noisily, the schooner came about. AnN-
iously Wilbur observed the bowsprit
as it circled like Il hand on a dial,
watching where now it would point.
1t waycred, luctuated rose, fell, thea
settled easily pointing toward Lime
point Wilbur felt sudden GOODNESS
at his heart
This isn't going to be so much fun,
he muttcred between his teeth. The
schooner was not bound up the bay
for Alviso nor to Vallejo for grain
The track toward LIME point could
mean Aut one thing The wind was
freShening from the n0r'west, the cbh
tide rushing out TO meet tile ocean like
mill race At every moment the Gold
en- Gate opencd Cut wider and within
two minutes after III tin'e II the last
tack the P4rtLa hl,lne" heeled to a
great gust taat had cowe booming in
between Tie le,;ds. Straight from the
open Paste
"StgrA Dy for stays"
AS before, ore OF the Chinese hands
stool by the sail rope of the jib,
draw y'r iibP
The jib filed The schooner came
about on the port tack; Lime point fell
away over the stern rail. The huge
ground swells began to come in, and
as she rose ana bowed to the first of
these it was precisely as though the
Bertha Milrer were making her cour
tesy to the great gray ocean. now for
the first time in full sight on her star
board quarter.
The schooner was beating out to sea
through the middle channel. Once
clear Of the Golden Gate, she stood
over toward the Cliff House. then on
the next tack cleared Point Bonita.
The sea began building up In deadly
earnest. They were about TO cross tie
bar Everything was battened down,
the scuppers We're aWash, and the
hawse holes spoutcd like fountains aft
or every plunge. once the captain or
dered all men aloft, Just in time to cS-
cape a gigantic dull green roller that
broke like a Niagara over the schoon-
er's bows, smotherlng the decks knee
deep in a twnkling.
The wind blew violent and cold, the
spray was flying like icy small shot
ner rolled aud plunged and heayed and
sank. Wilbur was drcnchcd to the skin
aud sore in every joint from being
shuntcd from rail to mast and from
mast TO rail again.
The cordagc sang like harp strings
/ The Schooner's forefoot crushed down
! Into the hcaying water with a Kissing
/ like that Of steam, blocks ratified, the
/ captain beloved his orders. rope ends
! logged the hollow deck till 1t rcyer-
| beratcd like drumhead. The crossing
of the bar was one long half hour of
! confusion and dscordant sound.
When they were across the bar the
captain ordered the cook to give the
men their food
"Git for'rd, sonny" he added, fixing
/ Wilbur with his eye. cit for'rd. This
Is tawble dee hote savyf"
Wilbur crawled forward on the reel
ing deck holding on now to a mast
now to a Delaying pin. now TO stay,
watching his chance and going on be
tween the mcbrlated plunges of the
/ schooner.
He descended the fo'e'Stlc hatch. The
| Cinnamon were already there, sitting
OH the edges of their hunks on the
floor. at the bottom Of the ladder. punk
sticks were burning in an old tomato
can.
Charlie brought In supper -- stcwed
beef and pork in bread pan and Il