Evening journal., 1904-04-22
NJ O r O. n
of the
Lady Lefty

sank with n sudden Apprehension
nervousness he could not overcome
seized upon him. The Bertha Millner
held tenaciously to the tack. Within
lifty yards Of the Preside came the
command again:
stand by for stays"
Once more. her bows dancing, her
cordage rattllng, her sails tapping
noislly, The schooner came aa0ut. Anx-
iously Wilbur observed the bowsprit
as It circled like a hand on a dial.
watching where now it would point.
1t wavered. fluctuated, rose, fell, then
settled easily, pointing toward Lime
point. Wilbur felt a sudden coldness
ut his heart
"Thls isn't going to be so much fur"
he muttered between bis teeth. The
schooner was not bound up the bay
for Alviso nor to Vallejo for grain.
The track toward Lime point could
mean but one thing. The wind wns
freshening from the nor'west, the ebb
tide rushing out to meet the ocean like
a mill race AT evory moment the Gold
en- Gate opened out wider. and within
two minutes after the time Of the last
tack the Bertha Millncr heeled 70 a
great gust that had come booming In
between the heads, straight from the
open Pacific
stand by for stays"
AS before, one Of the Chinese hands
stood by the sail rope OF the jib.
Draw y'r jib."
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 and bowed 10 the FIRST OF
these 1t was precisely as though the
Bertha Millner 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 Clin House. then OF
the next tack cleared Point Bonita
The sea began building up in deadly
earnest. They were about TO cross the
bar. Everything was battened down
the scuppers were awash, and tn,
hawse holes spouted like fountains aft
er every plunge. Once the captain or
dered all men aloft, just in time to es
cape a gigantic dull green roller tina
broke like a Niagara over the schoon
er's bows, smOthering the decks kne
deep in a twinkling
The wind blew violent and cold, tn
spray was flying like icy small shot
Without intermission the Bertha Mill
ner rolled and plunged and heaved AM
sank. Wilbur was drenched to the ski
and sore in every joint from beln
shunted from rail to mast and fror
mast to rail again.
The cordage sang like harp string.
The schooner's forefoot crushed dow
/, into the heaving water with q hissin
,, like that of steam. blocks ratified. tn
, captain beloved his orders, rope end
flogged the hollow deck till It revel
berated like a drumhead. The crossln
OF the bar was one long half hour o
confusion and discordant sound.
When they were across the bar th
captain ordered the cook TO give tn
men their food.
I "Git forrd, sonny" he added, fixin
4 Wilbur with his eye. "Git forrd. Thi
is tawble dee hote, savy?'
Wilbur crawled forward on the rec
ing deck, holding on now 10 a mas
now to a Delaying pin, now to n STAY
watching his chance and going on b'
tween the inebrlated plunges of tn
schooner.
He descended the fo'c'stle hatch. TIL
Cinnamon were already there, sittin
on the edges of their hunks. On tn
+ floor. at the bottom Of the ladder, pun
s !, sticks were burning in an old tomat
u can.
], Charlie brought I'm supper - steve
beef and pork in a bread pan and