The Elbert County tribune., 1905-11-23

dun brown sky. the desolation of the
scene terrified me as no combination
OF sea and sky had done before.
Holtzen had left the wheel and
Bobbitt had taken his place. The
Dane stood holding the lee rigging to
keep his feet. and his fiat, expression
less face turned toward the wind
my fader in de storm was
drowned he said to me. Perhaps he
felt grim satisfaction in dying as his
father did.
The captain glanced to leeward.
then he shifted sn utterly hopeless
gaze to the wheel.
Lash 1t and come below" he said
in n sharp voice.
sir bawled Bobbitt, not trusting
his ears
The captain strobe over and with
line lashed down the wheel.
"All hands come down In the
cabin he said: we've fought the
storm together. and Wen die together
We'll strike in half hour at most"
We trooped down the companion
after the captain. Leaving the wind
swept deck. that small cabin seemed
stuffy. It caught my lungs and | felt
1t difficult to breathe. Besides. didn't
care to die that way, like rat in a
| trap.
The captain drew piece of plug
tobacco from his trousers pocket and
began chipping It on the cabin table.
Twenty-Five minutes" he said. as II
talking to himself. Just enough time
for a pipeful"
He crammed the tobacco into his
pipe and lii It: then he offered the
plug to Bobbltt, who shook his head.
| Curse the luck" growled Bobbitt.
stamping his foot viciously, "if I'd
shipped on that bark for Buenos
| Ayres I'd "a missed this"
I'D die heap harder" remarked
the skipper, blowing a cloud of smoke.
''if it wasn't for a snug insurance on
my life, and knowing the old woman
and the little one II have enough to
pull along with"
well" said Bobbitt, reckiessly.
"the whole Bobbitt family goes down
when | go. thank God. leave no
| body TO cry and nobody to starve."
| l remember my own sensations.
was simply inert. looked forward to
nothing but an end, and vaguely
wished 1t was over. was sorry for
nothing. expected nothing but death,
and yet had been carefully brought
up and well catechised as to the
future state of man.
1.-THE old woman and the little one
are eatin' turkey and mince pie to-
day" sharp twang coming above
the hurry burly on deck interrupted
the skipper. He started and laid his
pipe on the table. 1t rolled TO star.
board instead of to port. as 1t should
have rolled for the list of the schooner
was changing. "On deckl" screamed
the captain. as he rushed for the lad
der. We piled on his heels. 1t was
dark as q pocket on deck and there
was a wind-the most welcome wind
that ever blowed. sweeter than 0
zephyr to parched traveller on des
ert. for it was coming from the scu'
west.
Then four men who were ready
TO die, sluggish and hopeless. worked
/ like beavers for the life they had
felt WIS practically ended. The old
schooner. as encouraged as the men
who fought with her, answered her
helm. and with the wind growing in
force and slipping toward west. We
got her nose away from the Diamond
shoals straight for the open sea.
The wind did not stay west. II
shifted to nor'west and came as great
guns. A friend that wind was, though
rough one. He had an edge to him
that bit and he flung snow spits into
ones eyes which made the eyeballs
smart. but he was friend. and we
hailed him joyously.
We ate our Thanksgiving dinner ol
bread and water thankfully, the besi
we could have had to eat with ar
overturned galley and drowned cook
but what mattered It with a nor'wesi
wind and the Martha Dawes headed
for the open sea?