The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-05-08

and the SklpIeT WOnlCIlnS Nldl lit NOuil ~
I'D like mighty well to head her to the weSt'ard,
for don't believe there's going to be, much more fish
seined this fall. And wouldn't she make a passage
of it-from here to Glouccster-what. Not a whole
lot short of five hundred miles-and wouldn't she just
hop along? Everything dragging and keep her right
side up. she'd cert My make great leaps to the west ard
and LIN sure we'd all like mighty well to be getting
home. But Lord, it's risking vessel and crew-or
making hard work for all hands If nothing else. Just
because a few of us are nervous. 1t ain good sense,
is it,"
While the skipper sat there in the cabin, smoking
and meditating. letting us into his thoughts every now
and then, the voices OF some OF the crew were heard on
deck.
We all went up and got the word that was being
passed around. y coast steamer had Just come to
anchor in the harbor with the report that just out
siie-about ten miles to the westard-was a vessel
dismasted and clean-swept, and dragging toward the
rocks. They could not help her themsclves-too
rough-a hurricane outside. To launch a boat was
on, of the question. They didn't mind taking a
/chance, they said, but to attempt her rescue "ouiu
be simple suicide
1t looked like a pretty hard chance going out in that
gale. but our skipper didn't wait-not Tommy Clancy.
Nobody else seems to be hurrying To get out. and We
being the abIe-cst looking craft III the harbor. cal
late it's up to us to GO" He got the exact location
of the distressed vessel from the coaster, and then 1t
was up anchor. make sail. and out we went.
There were people who called Clancy a fool for
ordering out his vessel and risking his crew that day
men in that very harbor-and maybe he was. But
for myself. | want that kind of a fool for my skipper
The man that will take a chance for a stranger will
take a bigger chance for his own by and by.
We saw her while we were yet miles away. down
IN the west'ard. near Whitehead. and with the cruel
stretch of rocks under her lee quarter Even with
rIcntv of sea-room she could not have lasted long,
and here with these Lodges to catch her she seemed
to have a slight chance. We had a good chance TO get
3, look at her as We bore down. Everything was gone
from her deck, even the house and rail. There was
not as much loose wood as would make a %toothpick
We learned afterward that two seas had hove her
down so that they had to cut the spars away to night
bcr and then lust as she was coming up another
monster had caught her and swept her clean-not
onlv swept her clean. but stove IN her pianks. and
started some of her beams so that she began to leak
in a fashion that four men To the pump couId Just
manage to keep up with.
We could just see them-the men at the pumps
working desperately. with the Others lashed to the
s,,,uns of the masts and the StanchionS which were left
when the rail went. Her big hawser had parted. and
her chain was only serving to slightly check her way
toward the rocks.
With spars and deck-gear gone and her hull deep in
the water. a vessel is not easily distinguished. But
there was something familiar in this one. We had
seen her before. All at once it flashed on half a dozen
of us. The Flamingo!" we shouted: Gods that's
luck,' said the skipper; the best friend I've got on
.earth-Mauric Blake-is on her.
= She Law in a sort of inlet that was wide open TO the
gale. rocks on the biggest part of three sides of her
north. south and west. She was then within all but
striking distance of the rocks, and the seas. high and
wicked, were sweeping over her. Ii looked like a bad
place to work out of if we should get close in, but the
skipper held on
Not much lee room. but plenty Of water under her
keel. ANYWAY and himself at the wheel. he sailed the
Johnnie Duncan" around the 'Flamingo.' He
hailed his friend Maurice Blake as he went by. waved
his hand to the Others. and hove a line aboard. They
took the line. hauled in the hawser at the end of 1t.
made that fast to the windlass. and then we started
off with the "Flamirgo" in tow. We were doing
nrettv weIl-wha with plenty of wind and the -" John