Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1904-03-17

while the skipper. and his mate SUM
bered on the saloon deck the thread
of smoke ceased to blow from her
slender funnel and two sails We're set
to give her steerage way. Thus she
swung drunkenly on her unknown
course. staggering, pitching, reeling
through the beaded seas. Afternoon
dimmed into dusk; swirling fog and
wind Wreathed her and smothered her
till the men at the wheel craned their
neckS in vain to catch glimpse of
the waves that roared in the darkness,
Or foamed over the rail and beat her
dumbly down till the crew clung diz-
zily to each other, and swore blasphe-
mously that they had seen their last
dawn.
Night blanketed the ocean and
Knocked the scanty beams of the lights.
The WATER stream poured hoarsely
through the whistle as the bos'n pulled
the cord in dread of an answer from
the invisible. The gale rose and thun-
dered in the sails till the rigging taut-
ened to the breaking point. The en-
sineer stood by the helmsman and
prayed that he might be spared again
to hear the throb of his engines in
the ships bowels. Other times he
exhorted his assistant to keep up
steam enough for the whistle and
pumps. Then when the strain was
too great they suddenly fell to talk
ing shrilly. In the end they started
the engines again, and by the aid of
a headsail kept the almost uncontrol-
liable steamer from falling into the
trough and foundering. Its all off
f we don't make some port t'night.'
said the engineer when the dawn glim-
| mered. M coal's almost gone. an m
engines r teetering on tn plates. md
tn drunks re drunkeener N ever"
I'VE ought "a throwed the liquor
| over the side" mumbled the bos'n
| through lips bleeding from the sting
| ing brine. Il thought they were toe
| full to lush any more.''
| steward md me just tried t wake
'em up the engineer went on. ''Nd
| the mates past talking STILL
Il reckon it 'ud do us heap of good
! to have drink of that same" growled
q sailor, with avidity.
NO you don't::' yelled the bos'n. dis
tractedly. mo liquor for you. AIM
we 'ad enough:''
The pits wide open for them guz
Zlers.' said the engineer in chilly rage
''The old man was Il good sort till the
mate got a-hold Of him. The mate
always was bad one, anyhow"
$50 he was" aSsented the bOS' n
'sThe old man always stuck right by
him. though Always held him hi!
job. Always stood between him an(
the fellows ashore that wanted to fir
liim Always said he was smar
seaman. and never let on to the own
ers that he drank. Now he's got hi
pay, and We're drawing it along o
him. Look at thatr'
The group looked as the bos']
sprang to the aid Of the man at th
wheel. A huge boiling wave ros
straight up out of the ocean AM
scared in black majesty while til
Oracle Jordan wallowed helplessl
and her emptied sail slated uselessly
Still obedienta to her helm the littl
steamer turned sullenly to mount thi
precipice Of water. She thrust he
nose into its huge flank. and then. q
: the weight Of it throttled her, the me
in the pilot house threw themselve
together on the wheel and clun
there
The bosn was the first to get bac
his power of speech. We're goin
ashore"' he shouted.
/ The engineer looked a question. an
2 a sailor tossed him an explanation
t "That was breaker in shallow We
! ter
4 AS they waited for the next, Will
1 the engineer yelled down the engin
! room speaking tube, the door leadin
1 from the cabin opened. It showed th
/. gray, sodden face Of the mate The
t did not greet him. He stepped slowl
4 in. and they saw that he was wrin;
t ing wet. He slid across the deck
Y the plunge OF the ship and pushed h
4 face out Of the window. The day ha
Il come in gloom, and the gray mist an
t driving scud shut all view few yarC
! from the side. From the Welter |
n windward rose another wall Of his
II ing water and fell crashing on tt
G decks Of the Oracle Jackson. II
G mates face flushed, and he dragge
). the men. thrown down by the impac
= to their feet. Then he seized the whe
o and motioned to the engineer to a
e proach. STEAM he ordered, thic
it ly. Were goin' ashore. Steamr'
II The throb Of the engines change
= to steady beat, and the steam
IL found herself for an instant. II
'e mate handed the wheel over to II
-e bos'n and sailor and tore off b
ID jacket and shirt till he stood befo
them naked to the waist. Then jun
le ing between them with a thunder,