Milford chronicle., 1905-02-03

we nave 10 SWIM III nSAs <AAS 49,
me?p He held out his hand. The man
was positively trembling from head to
heel. 1t was impossible to resist the
excitement of the situation, its novelty
the high crows nest Of the schooner
the keen salt air, the Cinnamon group
ed far below, the indigo OF the warm
ocean. and out yonder the forsaken
derelict, rolling her light hull till the
cardboard streak flashed In the sun.
"Well, of course I'm with YOU cap,
exclaimed Wilbur, gripping Kitehelrs
hand. "When there's thirty thousand
10 be had for the asking / guess m
.na'cheI bawn' beachcomber myself.
"Now, nothing about this to the
coolies"
"But how will you make out with
your owners? Aren't you bound 10
bring the Bertha inF
''Rot my OwnersW exclaimed kiteh-
ell. "I amt a skipper Of no oil boat
anv longer. Pm be0chcomber. He
fixed the wallowing bark with glisten-
ing ewes. "Strike me-" he murmured'
''ain't she a daisy? It's a little hloh-
dixie. Come on, sOn!'
The two went down the ratlines. ana
Kitchell ordered couple Of the hands
into the dory that had been rowing
astern. He and Wilbur followed. Char-
lie was left on board, with direction TO
Law the schooner to- The dory few
over the water. Wilbur setting the
stroke. In a few moments she was
we'll up with the bark. Though a lar
ger boat than the Bertha Millner. she
was rolling in lamentable fashion ana
every Iaboring heave showed her bot
tom incrusted with barnacles and sea
weed.
Her fore and main tops'ls and to'gal-
lants'ls were set, as also were her low
or staysIs and royals. But the braces
seemed to have parted and the yards
were swinging back and forth in their
ties. The spanker was brailed up ana
the spanker boom thrashed idly over
the poop as the bark rolled and rolled
and rolled. The mainmast was work
ing in its shoe. The rigging and back
STAYS sagged. An air of abandonment
of unspeakable loneliness. of abomlna-
tion. hung about her. Never had VII
bur seen anything more utterly alone.
within three lengths the captain rose
in his place and shouted:
ozark abOyw There was no answer.
Thrice he repeated the call, and thrice
the dismal thrashing of the spanker
boom and the tapping of the sails were
the only answers. Kitchell turned to
Wilbur in triumph. Il guess she
ours" he whispered. They were now
close enough to make out the bark
r name upon her counter, Lady Lefty
and Wilbur was in the act of reading
s If aloud when huge brown dorsal fin
t like the triangular sail of lugger' cut
the water between the dOry and th'
bark.
. shark" said Kitchell. "And there's
anotherr' he exclaimed in the next IN
4; stant "And anotherl Strike me, th'
waters alive with 'em! There's a stir
+ ON the bark. you can lay to that An'
E at that, acting on some strange III
! pulse, he called again, bark ahoS
u There was no response.
The dory was now well up 10 III
u derelict. and pretty soon prolonge
v and vibratory kissing noise, strideni
insistent. smote upon their ears.
whats that?" exclaimed Wilbur
e nerplexed. The captain shook his hea'
! and lust then. as the bark rolled almos
II to her scuppers in their direction
u glimpse of the deck was presented
u their view. II was only glimpse
J. gone ON the instant as the bark role
le hack TO port. but it was time enoug
n for Wilbur and the captain to note til
u parted and open seams and the dec
g bulging and in one corner blown u
= and splintered.
The captain smote thigh.
! "Coalv' he cried Anthracite Goa
| The coal he't up and generated gas
! course-no fire. v understand; just ga
l. gas blew up the deck-no way
stopping combustion Naturally the
had TO cut for it, Smell the gas, can
\ vou? No wonder she's hissing-no wol
\ der she rolled-cargO goes of in gas
N and what's to weigh her down? | wa
4 wondering what could "a wrecked h'
n in this weather But it's as plain
\ ABC."
Il The QOry was dlOASsiuN'
Il watched his chance and as the bal
\ rolled down caught the mainyard bra
: hanging in a blight over the rail al
swung himself to the deck. Loo
| sharpr' he called as Wilbur followe
A 1T won't do for you to fall amol
\ them shark. son! Just look at the hu
| dreds of-'em. There's a stiff on boar
sure"
/ Wilbur steadied himself on the swa
II ing broken deck, choking against t
u reek of coal gas that Kissed upward
y every hand. The heat was almost Il
a furnace. Everything metal was
tolerable to the touch.
op "she's abandoned, sure" mutter
lat the captain. Look" And he point
to to the empty chocks on the house u
Ter the severed lashings. "Oh' it's ha
.ty son-its a haul, an you can lay
he that Now. then. cabin first" And