The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1905-12-14

Hands by the braces there shout
ed Morgan. following, with apprehen-
sion. the outstretched finger of the OLD
boatSwain Ease down the helm.
Brace up, Lively. lads.'
In few moments the great ship. her
yards braced sharply up. was headed
out to seaward on the starboard tack.
The wind was now blowing a whole
gale, and the masts of the ship were
bending like whips.
Wen have to get sail off her. I'm
thinking. Hornigold." said Morgan.
AYE, aye. >sl'. anI luick!'
"Aloft." yelled Morgan. and take n
the to'gallaut SIS. Close reef the top
sis and double reef the courses. Them
The shaking shrouGs were soon Gov
ered with masses Of men. and as the
slip was exceedingly well handled the
canvas was promptly snugged down by
tie eager crew. HornigOld. with young
Teach TO assist him. went to the helm
Morgan gave his personal attention tc
tie maneuvering Of the ship. and the
other officers stationed themselves
where they could best promote and iii
rect the efforts of the seamen.
Thus during the long morning they
endeavored to claw off the lee shore
Morgan luffed the ship through the
heavy squalls which rose to the VIC
lence of a hurricane with consummate
skill. Absolutely fearless. a master of
his profession, he did all with that
ship that mortal man could have done
yet their situation became more and
more precarious. They had long since
passed La Guayra. They had had q
ffeeting glimpse of the shipping in the
harbor driving helplessly on shore as
they dashed by under the gray clouds
which had overspread the sea. That
bend of the coast and they found
themselves i'll Il curious blight of land
extending far into the ocean in front
of them. The mountains here did not
SO nearly approach the water line. and
from the look of the place there APP
pcared to be Il shoal projecting some
distance into the ocean from the point
ahead. Soiie of the buccaneers who
knew these waters confirmed the indi-
cations by asserting the existence of
the Shoal.
In spite of all that Morgan could do
it was quite evident that they could
not weather the shoal on their present
tack. There was not sea room to wear
and bear up on the other tack. The
vessel. in fact. like all ships in those
day; and especially Spanish galleons
had Il tendency to 20 to leeward like a
barrel. and only Morgan's reSourcefuf
seamanship had saved them from the
fatal embraces of the shore long since
The canvas she was carrying WAS more
than she could legitimately bear In
such hurricane If there had been
sea room Morgan would have stripped
her to bare poles long since. but under
the circumstances it WAS necessary for
him to retain full control and direction
Of the ship: SO. although he reduced
sail to the lowest point lie still spread
i little canvas.
The men We're filled with apprehen-
sion. not only for their lives, but for
the treasure they had captured. for
thpy stood about hundred chances t.
one Of losing the ship. Each squall
that swept down upon them was hard
or than the one before. Each time the
vessel almost went over on her beam
ends, for Morgan would not huff until
the last moment, since each time that
he did 50 and lost way temporarily he
found himself driven bodily nearer the
land. The men would have mutinicl
had it not been patent to the most stu
pid mind that their only salvation lay
in Morgan. Never had that villain
appeared to better advantage than
when he stood ON the weather quarter
overlooking the ship, his long gray hair
blown out in the wind. fighting against
foe whose strength was not to be
measured by the mind of man for his
life and his ship.
Hornigold and Teach, grasping the
Wheel assisted by two of the ablest
seamen, We're steering the ship with
exquisite precision. Sweat poured from
their brows at the violence of the Ia
Dor required to control the massive
helm. The men lay to windward on
the deck or grouped in clusters around
the masts or hung to the life lines
which had been passed In every di-
rectiOn At Morgan's side stood Vel
sers and Raveneau, prime seamen
both