The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1904-01-15

long line of crested breakers rose from
the sea and hurried her, pelted her.
thrust her toward the invisible shore.
She struck, and the masts and fun
mel TOPPED to leeward. Under the
directions the crew set to workrto free
a boat dashed on the forward Geek.
With q mighty effort they ffnally
cleared it, lifted it TO the rail, and By
the aid of a flooding Wav launched
it, half full of water. The fog was
rent for an instant by the blast of tho
gale, and they saw stretching from
the reef on which the Oracle Jackson
was pounding a smooth sheet of water
rolling gently shoreward from the
caldron Of the breakers. The mate
pointed to it. They understood. As
the coaster settled heavily again on the
bottom, the sailors, led by the engi-
neer, tumbled into the boat, one by
one. The mate yelled TO them to pull
away. The answer was a cry. THE
skipper!' He caught its purport, and
disappeared in the saloon companion.
way.
Squatting on the rocking deck the
captain idiotically watched the antics
OF a big saltcellar rolling about before
him as the steamer wallowed. When
the mate entered he looked up. and
then his eyes reverted to the froilick-
ing piece of ware on the writhing
deck. A sap opened iii the planks and
the water sucked through. noisily.
Another strain of the wreck and the
gap yawned wider and the saltcellar
was swallowed up. The old mar
watched with fascinated eyes. ,5
The mate shook him roughly by the
shoulder. An oath answered him. He
dragged the drunkard to his feet and
held him sWaying there till both
lurchcd dizzily to the deck. The mate
got up again and stroye to put life
into his superior. Then in his passion
he shrieked in the dull ears the truth
of their state.
The captain mumbled and his face
took on the livid complexion Of terror.
Then reeling TO the steps he scrambled
out on deck with the mate at his
heels. AS they thrust their heads ont
in the air a wave washed them back.
The mate showed on, pushed his captain
out on the careening deck, and then
swiftly dragged him to the pilot-house,
unrOofed by the last breaker. The
men in the boat, now almost swamped.
shrieked another call. The skipper
looked down at them as the Oracle
clutChed at something to hold him
while he fastened to the boat. The
mate caught him back. thrust him
against a stanchion, and waved his
hand to the upturned faces below.
Pull away" he ordered.
The captain!" bawled the engineer.
"Lemme go. Lemme go!" cried
the captain. "Lemme go! We're
wrecked!"
The mate looked seward. A long,
sharply crested comber was rising out
a little, and as it sped in toward the
reef, he knew the imminent doom.
He turned to save the man who had
saved him. "That boats ovcrloaded,'
he said, tensely. Tell 'em to pull
away!"
A flash Of courage lit the old mans
degradation. He threw out his hand
and gathered his voice into d command
that rose above the tumult OF the sea.
In response the boat swept shoreward
from under the crumbling steamer and
into the smooth waters in the shelter
of the reef. The mate turned Is his
superior. 1t was his last report.
Boats away, sir. Shall We give EN-
6! cheer?"
Capt. Flint raised his hand, and the
half-naked nan beside him stepped
forward a little. Above the plunging
roar Of the breaker that ended forever
the Oracle Jackson, the men toiling to
safety in the overloaded boat heard a
feeble cheer.
The bos'n held up his arm an in
slant. His face was reverent. sThe
old man give us a cheer, mates he
said, hoarsely. GIVE i'm one for
goin' like a man"
And, to the great peril of their frail
craft riding in unstill waters, the crew
of the Oracle Jackson rested on their
oars to below a last salute to the cap
tain perishing on the reef.
The shippers honor was saved.-San
Francisco Argonaut.