Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-01-03

O'Clock all hands We're called, and after
coffee, went to work, batting up the
gear. And before daylight the dories
were hoisted out, and sent off to MAKE
set.
After daybreak the sky began to look
gloomy, and was soon overcast with
grayish vapor. The nor'west wird
freshened in gusts, and lifted up a
short, swift running lop of sea.
When the dories went out to the I'M
der running, they found the travis
fairly loaded with fine cod and had
dock. They returned to the schooner
dangerously deep before they had nm
derrun half their lines, forked The
catch aboard, and went Immediately
to look the rest of their lines.
The day wore on, growing gusty
and cold. The other vessels of the
fleet, distressing the look of the wealth
er, began to take up their gear and
start for home. A big barkentine,
bound in to Halifax, passed under a
press of sail. burying her deep-laden
hull in the short-plunging seas.
At noon the Narha was alone under
the lowering sky, on the gray waste Of
sea. She kept her boats out and short
ened her travis. At any moment a
snow squall was liable to sweep down
upon them, but the fishing was good,
and the men toiled on cheerfully. The
little dories bounded and bucked madly
in the seas. When laden with fish. the
scumming surges dashed in spray over
them, and sheathed them outside and
in with she'll ice. The men, despite
their oil-skins, We're wet to the skin,
and very cold; and over them, like the
shadow of death, hung the leaden sky.
But they worked on, careless of cold
and danger, Wrestling hard harvest
from the miserly and treacherous sea.
Christmas was coming-was only tive
days oif-and they would make it n
merry one for their folks ashore.
In the northwest, the heavens crowd
ed up with dense, blue-blacli, hard
edged masses of cloud, which, twist
ing and turning, spread zenithward.
rapidly. The air grew colder-the
wind blew harder-and thin frost
fog rose from the sea. A snow storm
was sweeping down out of the north.
The Narha signaled her beats to pick
up their travis without delay.
She had taken three boats aboard,
and filed away to pick up the fourth
and last She fairly flew, but 1t soon
became evident that the snow squalls
would be upon her before she could
reach the boat.
'If they'd hung on to their anchor,
we'd surely have run across them.
had their bearings and steered a
straight course They must have let
go, and drifted to leeward. Anyway,
were past where they ought to be.
Haul down your jib. Then I'll iet her
come about"
The schooner cruised about for half
an hour, showing Il tiare.up, and sound
ing the fog horn. Suddenly the aquall
slackened its force; the snow tl,tnned,
and the horizon widened around. And
rs the men ON the schooner looked
about them, they saw down to lee
ward hardly Il hundred yards away,
the dory rising and sinking brayely to
the swing of the smoking seas. The
schooner ran down, rounded to, and
the dory rowed under here lee. The
little craft was badly iced-up, and the
men, TO tighten her, had jettisoned
fish and trawl gear. AS she was hoist
ed aboard, the captain came forward
and fronted the men who moment
before had been fighting for their very
lives, and who but for whiin of the
wind that made the anow to lift. would