The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-01-26
NJ o r 3 n
Of the
Lady Lefty

He acknowledged with considerable
humiliation that he could not get the
better of Kitchell either physically or
mentally. Kitchell was a more power
full man than he and cleverer. The
captain was in his element now, and
he was the commander. On shore it
would have been vastly different The
city bred fellow, with policeman al
ways in call, would have known how
to act.
II simply can't stand by and see that
hog plundering everything she's got.
What's to be doneY'
And suddenly, while the words were
yet in his mouth, the sun was wiped
from the sky like writing from a slate,
the horizon blackened, vanished, a long
white line of froth whipped across the
sea and came on Kissing. a hollow
note doomed out, doomed swelled and
grew rapidly to a roar.
An icy chill stabbed the air. Then
the squat swooped and struck. and the
sky shut down over the troubled ocean
like pot lid over boiling pot. The
schooner's fore and main sheets, that
had not been made fast, unrove at the
first gust and began to Stat wildly in
the wind. The Cinnamon covered to
the decks, grasping at cleats, stays and
masts. They were helpless, paralyzed
with fear. Charlie chung to stay, one
arm over his head as though lodging a
blow. Wilbur gripped the rail with his
hands where he stood, his teeth set, his
eyes wide, waiting for the laundering
OF the schooner, his only thought being
that the end could not be far. He had
heard of the suddenness of tropical
squalls, but this had come with the
abruptDess of scene shift at a play
The schooner veered broad on to the
waves. 1t was the beginning of the
end. Another roll to the leeward like
the last and the Pacific would come
aboard.
Are you going to drown like rats on a
planky' A voice that Wilbur did not
know went ringing through that horrid
shouting of wind and sea like the call
Of a bugle. He turned to see Moran.
the girl of the Lady Lefty, standing
erect upon the quarter deck holding
down the schooner's wheel. The con-
fusion OF that dreadful moment, that
had paralyzed the crews senses, had
brought back hers. She was herself
again-savage, splendid, dominant. su-
perb in her wrath at their Weakness
their cowardice.
Her heavy brows were knotted over
her flaming eyes, her hat was gone,
and her thick bands of yellow hair
whipped across her face and streamed
out in the wind like streamers of the
northern lights. AS she shouted, ges-
turing furiously to the men, the loose
skin of the oilskin coat fell back and
showed her forearm, strong, round and
white as scud, the hand and wrist so
tanned as to look almost like a glove.
And all the while she shouted aloud,
furious with indignation, raging against
the supineness of the Bertha's crew.
"Stand by, men! Stand by! Look
alive, now! Make fast the stays'l hal
yards to the dory's warp! Now, then,
unreeve y'r halyards! All clear there!
Pass the end for'ard outside the rig
ging. Outside, you fools! Make fast
to the bits for'ard! Let go y'r line!
Thatll do. Soh-soh. There, she's
coming up"
The dory had been towing astern,
and the seas, combing over her, had
swamped her. Moran had been in
spired to use the swamped boat as
sea anchor, fastening her to the schoon-
er's bow instead of to the stern. The
Bertha's bow, answering to the drag,
veered around. The Bertha stood head
to the seas, riding out the squall. It
was masterpiece of seamanship, con-
ceived and executed in the very thick
of peril, and it saved the schooner.
But there was little time to think of
themselves On board the bark the sails
were still set The squat struck the
Lady Lefty squarely aback She heeled
over upon the instant, then, as the top
hamper carried away with a crash,
eased back a moment upon an even
Keel. But her cargo had shifted. The
bark was doomed. Through the flying
spray and scud and rain Wilbur had a
momentary glimpse of Kitchell hack