The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-11-05

out the long pier to where the group Of
standing.
An old weatherbeaten sailor white beard blew
straight back his shoulders talking almost
Il tell , ye thar she's a-draggin;'; he said emo
mistake tell take line from her starn tn the end
OF that hshhouse See it, She's a-draggln' anchor,
or my name ain It Danl Beebe.
..sure enough Uncle Dan, you're right rejoined
charrit he added fresh burst Of flames crept up
above the hay.
anchor had ceased to hold and than that with the
wind blowing the full gale it then was her fate was
sealed. The smoke almost hid sight at times,
and then seemed to blow away and leave only the
flames that poured over her bulvarks
Will she clear across?' asked of the men,
anxiously. =.
"No,'' answered the old man, if every question
was addressed to him 'No; when she gifts of n that
off suddenly, and looking around with odd, scared
preston his red face he singled out of the
group, man perhaps older than himself, and grasped
him by the sleeve of his olskin coat. Z
'tBy tart Captain Billy, she s a-goin' tn fetch up
that dynamiter he roared, pointing to the soop with
the red flag that rocked and tossed directly astern of the
That's What she be- shrieked Captain Billy in a
high fasetto Then, as if did know what else
say, he repeated this remark at the top of biz voice to
each about him, emphasizing it with jerxy nod of
his head. T.. -.
The schooner just then caught the tide eddy that
swired around the heavy pier The excitement
More people hurried down from the town, and then
shout went up and halfway back and stopped
The boats had come together! .-...
IL wish they further OIL SAID one OF the town
merchants, nervously eff that sloop blows there's
no telling. " --~.-.-
''somethin have tn come tn pieces,' said 1anky
boatman "more'n probably all the wnders and crock
The schooner and sloop were fast together both
veloped in the thick smoke of the burning hay. The
larger vessel had drifted athwart the smallers bows,
and there she hung
Suddenly another Shout the double strain had proved
hempen cable of the dynamiter It had
parted at the hawseppes The schoones anchor struck
the mud and there it held.
Tho c1oo do tn tha Aoati
dreadful mine. She partly fire forward, and half
bale of hay blazed menacingly in her cockpit.
It horrid, frightful. If once she reached the
wharves and then blew up, who could tell what damage
would ensue9 The great warehouse and shp-chandery
loaded that groaned against the PIERS property
wiped OUT destruction right and left and what there
at what the rending force might loosen. The
= elpessness sickening.
Some started up the hill, and the crowd STAN
peded like lot Of sheep-all but few, who, grouped
about the mayor of Westport and Captain DAM were
listening attG fnd3s5 ono should onne.r . Tho
declared.
:. But what that's AS suddenly as if she had been
dropped the skies, white launch with the
naphtha vapor quverng of the shining funnel
STERN shot into sight around the point She making
jack 01sng STILL he caught hold
Uncle Daniels arm 'sStop them Stop them'' he said
hoarsely. ttThey don't know. Can you call to thema
he pleaded ''They re friends Of mine' Then he shut
'They couldn t hear foghorn, sonny, agin' this
wind, said the old man, kindly, bending down and
putting Jacks shoulder he spoke Meybe
they won 60 nigh her, he added, in husky whisper
But there could be doubt about the intention of
/ those board the launch.
$ Nearer and nearer she came There small fig
ure holding something ready to throw. Jack
r knew it in instant.
It's Joe," he gasped and he clutched Uncle
Daniel fercey by the coat sleeve the
thrown by Billings strong young fell on the deck
e Of the dynamiter ~.--
t Jack to the edge of the pier. He shouted and
his hands, and the others joined him. But
board the launch paid the slightest attention the
s outcry
And now again, what the horror of watchers
the shore when they figures join the
who grasped the sloops gunwae in the bow. Then al
t. three disappeared in the smoke board the burning
$ vessel. Borne down the wind the sound Of
chopping. The minutes seemed to crawl slowly that
l., closed his eyes again. When he looked up,
noticed with heartthfl that the smoke grew less
It less two figures could be dipping up il
buckets and handing them to the third standing thu
steps of the The burning hay had beer