The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-02

IN IN the dark clouds to the west and SOUTH and
the young officer who commanded (the same one
who had captured her-by the way, he had brand
new new, epauettes and bank account now received
had swept out into the lower bay had dropped another
point and the looking dark and angry. At night
fall it began to snow at first thick, cogging fakes and
then driving impenetrable downfall It was growing
COLDER too, and the cngng froze upon the wire
rigging and stiened the boards and eyebrows Of the
were covered to the depth of two three inches Every
stay and stanchion thick mans and the
glass kept falling with the thermometer Great icices
formed along the edges of the paddleboxes, the guns
looked like efges of themselves in ice. But at day
break the ceased falling and then the wind began.
AS the first morning watch came on it must have
been blowing at least forty miles hour Perhaps such
weather had not been reckoned upon by the designers of
the Falcon They had in their minds the fact that she
intended to cruise in southern waters She
much out of place in that icy and stormy waste
sampan of the Yellow Sea would be. Her behavior
began to be strange aso the great struck her
she quivered and shook and every and then she
would give heave and creakng strain her full length
that cracked the icy covering along her deck The young
captain up from below. The officer the bridge,
acting taken from the merchant SERVICE sa
luted him. He spoke with touch of Irish brogue
poP my my soul sr he sI sad gripping fast to the
She's working like market-basket sir.''
The captain looked forward. The movement per-
times until the whole fabric had snakelike movements
sve5y inch of her was in MOTION And the VIVID bley
heavily out of the purple The spray dashed
her and hickened each stay and SPAR She began roll
boxes threatened lift them Sides There was
not aboard whose face did not frightened
with ice began to work and like great tree under
the last strokes of the woodman's Suddenly, with
sharp vicious snap of the backstas parted and hn
with ripping sound like discharge of huge revolver,
the others followed suit and the and all it's hamper
lunged forward the vessels bowuckily to lee
ward There swung held by the iron forestays, grind
thru her fragile plates.
The captain called the and they gathered in the
their footing He
down among them. He could not order any to go
turtebacked from the stem thirty feet aft,
nothing but thin stretched it her
STEM He called for volunteers four men he wanted A
stepped forward. He picked them out the abest
and the bravest. Armed with they crep forward
holding fast to the icy wire. <.~ s
and Numbered in of seehng white that poured
down kneedeep into the waist All hands looked forward
to the line. Another plunge another laundering blow
and before their eyes they object wildly reaching
the two leaders had gained the point where the
stay held the wreckage They began to WELD their
there they lay holding as best they might help
less to move The captain mounted to the break of the
turtle back. u
''Come out of that!'' he roared, waving his arm.
And just then the vessel dipped nose again. and when
she wavered upward into the air he the turtleback
was empty.
The wreckage alongside played cruelty against the
bending plates It was but question Of time when the
and turn her into coffin all The captain looked
back at the crew. he had but say and there
more brave hands to face the danger. That he
knew. Could he find it in heart to asks Suddenly
spoke at his elbow.
tLet me try, it, SIR
It was thin-faced why young man who spoke. He
tarpaulin pea jacket and his thin was
buttoned loosely about him. Under his armpits he had
made fast bit of rope he held the blight Of loose
his hand; clasped under an ak It was the
captain clerk landsman, shipped from Boston,
Z that very moment under arrest and suspension
!tIm not worth much these fellows here,' he
said, hoarsely fYou'd better let try it,
a;p1o ol,ol 4 MI
up to where he stood the ladder IT can do it. sir
he said.
11.rry it, ny lad, y returned the captain.
The clerk passed the end of the rope about the wire
and made it fast beneath his again and crawed for
ward Everyone watched him in silence, CHANGING from