The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-02-12
The
Shippers Honor
BY John Fleming Wilson

| steam enough for the whistle and
pumps Then when the strain was
too great they suddenly fcll 10 talk
| ing shrilly. In the end they started
the engines again, ana by the aid Of
n headssil kept the almost uncOntrol-
| liable steamer from falling into the
trough and fOundcring. IT'S all OF
! T we don't make some port might -
| said the engineer when the dawn glim-
mcrcd. M Goals Almost gone, an m
! engines n teetering on tn plates, nd
! tn drunks re drunkeencr N ever"
I'VE ought "a throwcd the liquor
over the side" mumbled the bos'n
through lips bleeding from the sting
| ing brine. 81 thought they were too
fun TO lush any more"
steward nd me just tried 4 wake
'cm up" the engineer went on. IND
the mates past talking still"
II reckon it 'ud do us "A heap of good
10 have a drink Of that same" growled
sailor, with avidity.
mo you don'tw yelled the bos'n. dis
tractedly mo liquor for You Amt
we 'ad enOugh?'
"Thc pits wide open for them gGz-
Zlcrs," said the engineer in chilly rage.
'"The old man was n good sort Till the
mate got a-hOld Of him. The mate
always was a bad one. anyhow
$50 ne was" assentcd the bos'n.
"Thc old man always stuck right Ey
him, though. Always held him his
Job. Always stood between him ana
the fellows ashore that wanted to fire
him. Always said ne was n smart
seaman, ana never let on 10 the own
ers that he drank. Now he's got his
pay, and we're drawing il along OF
him. Look at that"
The group looked as The bos'n
spranC To- the aid Of the man at the
wheel A huge boiling wave rose
straight mp out Of the ocean and
scared in black majesty while the
Oracle jordan wallowcd hclplCSsly
ana her cmptiCd sail Slated usclcssly.
Still Obcdicnt 20 her helm the little
steamer turned sullcnly Ia mount this
precipicc of water. She thrust her
nose into it's huge flank. ana then. ms
the weight of il throttlcd her, the men
in the pilot house threw themselves
together on the wheel and chung
there
The bosu was the first TO gc; back
his power of speech. Were going
ashore" he shouted
The engineer looked u question, ana
sailor tossed him an explanation.
"That was breaker In shallow wa
! ter"
As they waited for the next. while
! the engineer yelled down the engine
room speaking tube. the door leading
from the cabin opened II showed the
| gray soddcn face Of the mate. They
! did not greet him, He stepped slowly.
! in, and they saw that ne was wiring
! iuG wet lie slid across the deck 20
| the plunge Of the ship and pushed his
! face ont of the window. The day had
| come IN gloom, ana the gray mist and
driving scud shut all view u few yards
! from the side. From the wcltcr To-
windward rose another wall of hiss
| ing water ana fell crashing ON the
decks OF the Oracle Jackson. The
! mates face flushed and he dragged
The men, thrown down 10y the impact,
10 their feet. Then he seized the wheel
and motoncd to the engineer to ap-
proach. steam" he ordered. thick
ly. "WC'rc gom' ashore. Steam"
The throb of the engines changed
90 q steady beat, and The steamer
found herself for an instant. The
mate handed the wheel over 10 the
bos'u and sailor ana tore OF his
Jacket and shirt till he stood before
them naked 10 the waist. Then jump
ing between them with thuudcrcd
order he drove the SpokcS around and
the Oracle huckcd over Il low, scud-
ding wave that had sucked her down
I'm the brine huhhlcd in over the sill
of the pilot house doors
For an hour the steamer held her
own under the awakened skill and
strength OF the mate Then something
i'm the engine room clattcred and
crashed. Il cloud of steam whirled mp
from the after skyliCht The coaster
rolled hclplcssly in the trough of the
sea Almost Immediately the cngin-
Ger. followed hy his assistant and n,
couple OF firemcu. tumhlcd on deck
and scampcrcd for shelter. wheel
gone and engines lifted cylinder
heads Of" explained the engineer,
wiping his eyes with piece OF waste.
God ha' mercy on us
But the half naked mate was for
ward with his men getting more sail
set. The effort was vain, for a few
minutes later heavy sea swept her
fore and aft. tossed her sLyward and
! let her fall into turmoil OF broken
water that foamcd over the rail. A
| 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.
ncl topplcd to leoward. Under the
mates directions the crew set TO work
10 free boat lashed on the forward
deck With mighty effort they fin
ally cleared II. lifted IL 20 the rail. and
by the aid OF floating wave launched
it, half full OF water. The fog was
rent for an instant Ivy the blast Of tn,
gale. and they saw stretching from
the reef on which the Oracle jackson
was pounding n smooth sheet OF wa
ter rolling gently shorcward from the
. caldron OF the breakers. The mat,
r pointed To IL. They understood A
p the coaster settled heavily again ol
d the bottom the sailors. led 10y the on
{ | ginecr, tumbled into the boat. one b.
| one. The mate yelled 60 them Go pul