The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-10-14

cursed them with a solemn elOuueLCe
which somehow ceemed curiously silt
able to the miserable monotony of our
surroundings But this was not held
among us in the forcasrle for good
omen. We had come to know that
when Bill cursed anything it gener-
ally came to a bad end. and that is
just what these sails did.
Five days later we drifted out of the
doldrums and on the edge of the north
east trades, and then the good old ship
settled down to her work again, and
we went ripping across the short seas.
and on the second day fell into COM
pany with our long-lost sister ship, the
Somersetshire. Her we raced neck and
neck for two days and nights, and on
the third morning, just as she was
leading us by quarter Of mile, we
saw her ore-tcpgallant-mast sway for
ward with one of her plunges and
come down amidst pillows of smoth-
ering canvas, and so we left her.
Nearly a fortnight later | was
awakened by the shrek of blast of
wind, heave of the ship which swung
my hammock nearly up to the beams,
three distinct bangs, as of great ar
tillery, then a ripping and tearing of
shattered canvas, and then Bills voice
just above the forecastle hatchway,
saying in tone of grateful regret:
There go the shippers Sunday top
sails, blast them!"
Every man and boy was on deck in
an instant, and then began hand-to-
hand struggle fer life or death be-
tween human skill and energy and the
suddenly aroused elemental forces,
which lasted for GA hours on end
For about IL hours we drove along
to the southwark and eastward through
a chaotic mingling of sea and mist
and rain, dominated by the ever louder
bowling wind. The sea was not rough.
1t had no time to be, for when wave
upheaved itself it's crest was cut off
by the wind as though by some huge
scythe and hurled in blast of sting
ing spindrift across the struggling,
staggering ship, and then the lashing
stCrm-driven rain beat it down again.
At daybreak it was shorten sail
again and heave her to- Everything
came off her except the close-reefed
main lower topsail, and then | was
sent with two others to lash a tar
paulin on the weather miZZen rigging.
The object of this was to drive her
head up into the wind whenever she
payed off before it; in other words, to
keep her as nearly stationary as pos
sible.
This heaving to is last resort but
one in sailing ships fight for life out
in midocean. The other is to let her
drive before the gale till it blows it
self out, or she hits something that
ends her career for good and all. Then
before the end of the watch came the
dreaded order, Hands to the pumps!"
"Blowed if | didn't think SOL" said
Bill, as we waded and hauled ourselves
aft along the swimming deck. "This
old barkle will never see Dungeness.
To which another old shellback re-
piled with a grOwl
I'm a Dutchman if | think you will
anyhow"
And then we went at it, the most
backbreaking and heartbreaking work
that sailor can do. For three hours
out of every four for the next two days
and a night those pumps clanked, and
the bilge-pump on the lee side, with
which made a much too intimate &C.
quaintance, ratified and squeaked, and
still the carpenters face was longer
every time he took his ominous report
aft. Just before on the morning of
the third day we heard the most ter
rible cry that man ever hears on the
high seas: Man overheard"
And then a voice screamed into my
ear:
ITS Bill"
| What had happened was this: The
captain had found that the straining of
| the old ship had opened her seams to
such an extent she was practically in
| a sinking condition, so he had wisely
| decided to make a run for it and get
her on an even keel so that perchance
| the seams might close and the leaks
| stop. The watch ON deck had been
| ordered to set the lower mizzentrysatl.
| The sheet was sodden and swollen, end
| just for one fatal moment it jammed.
The men hauling on it let go to get a
fresh hold, and then with flap and a
bang the great sail took charge" and
the men were hurled this way and that
as the heavy rope dashed to and fro
along the deck. When they picked
themselves up Bill had vanished.
Those who read this yarn may call
it miracle, consequence or coincidence,
as they please; but it is literal fact