The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-09-21

wind, heave OF the ship which swung
my hammock nearly up to the beams,
three distinct bangs, as of great ar.
tillery, then ripping and tearing Of
shattered canvas, and then Bill's voice
just above the forecastle hatchway.
saying In tone of grateful regret:
There go the skipper's Sunday top
sails, blast theml"
Every man and boy was on deck In
an instant, and then began a 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
chaotic mingling of sea and mist
and rain, dominated by the ever. louder
bowling wind The sea was not rough.
IL had no time to be, for when wave
upheaved itself its crest was cut of
by the wind as though by some huge
scythe and hurled in a blast of sting
ing spindrift across the struggling,
staggering ship, and then the lashing
storm-driven rain beat IL down again.
At daybreaS II 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 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 a last resort but
one in sailing ships fight for life out
in midocean. The other is to let her
drive before the gale till II 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 1t, the most
backbreaking and heartbreaking work
that a 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 ac-
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 overboard!"
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 run for 1t 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 mizzentrysail.
The sheet was sodden and swollen, and
Just for one fatai 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 lashed 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 1t is literal fact
that in the very hour Of poor Bills
death the wind fell away and swung
round to the southwestward. The coed
old ship was taken out of irons and
got an even keel. The leaks closed
and by breakfast time the Lincoln
shire was tearing away before a fresh
ening sou-wester with all her kites
out, and poor Bills ocean grave far be-
hind her. BY midday the pumps
sucked, which meant that she was dry
and after our long. weary struggle OF
over 100 days, we never had another
stroke of ill-luck. OF Plymouth we
picked up the Somersetshire again, and
the two gallant old craft raced neck
and neck up the channel like couple
of long-parted sea-chums in friendly
rivalry We were first up the river
and into the Southwest India Dock
and when we came to compare notes
we found that in the LOG days voyage
from Port Philip Heads to London
dociis there was just an hour and
three-quarters' difference between us.
But what took the conceit out oi
both crews was the fact that there. ly.
ing comfortably at her berth loading
up for her next trip, was Green's ole
Renown, one of the finest Blackwell
ships that ever floated We had seer
her taking in wool beside the quay a
Sandridge, now Port Melbourne. She
had left nearly a week after US, ant
had made the passage without a sin
gle mishap in 81 days.
1t was nearly 25 years after thii
that ! spun this yarn after dinner a