Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-05-22


1.-TWO hundred and fifty thousand
dollars, Jim?"
"Yes, that was her value-ship and
cargo"
"Where did you fall in with herT
"In the middle Of the North Allan
tic, and glad enough were we."
Naturally she meant money"
said.
'FYou don't understand" replied the
old sailor, quietly. SAT that time we
weren't thinking Of salvage-we'd been
adrlft eight days in an open boat"
Tell me the yarn, Jim," l urged.
He had been rolling between his
hands some tobacco, with which he
presently filed his pipe, and having
lighted it, he began the narrative.
''It was somewhere in the early six
ties" he said, "that 1 was outward
bound for Baltimore, on board the ship
Knight Errant.
"She wasn't q new vessel by a long
way, but for all that, she sailed fairly
well, and, what shellbacks consider
more important, she was a dry-going
old craft. To be sure, there was a
spell at the pumps every watch, but we
felt easy if it did not get worse.
after leaving the Start we saw no
more land, but then the wind headed
us off, and for about five weeks it was
a dead beat to westward. OF course,
no one found fault on that score, since
the more days the more dollars is
Jacks motto.
"At last the weather began to change.
Heavy, jagged-looking clouds swept
above the horizon, and 1 heard the
mate tell cur old man that the ba-
rometer was falling.
"Take the kites off, ordered the
skipper.
"In came the royals and the fore
and mizzen-top gallant sail, and flying
Jib. She was beginning to lie down to
it, and sprinkled the deck pretty free
". During the afternoon the wind and
sea had become still more lively, but
she was slogging at it all she knew I'M
der a whole main-top-gallant sail. Ev
cry thump of the seas she took square
On the bow, and always came up smil-
Ing, with the fok'sle head smothered In
clouds of flying spray.
THAT mate was a fellow to carry
on He was trying to make a passage,
dye see, and as the skipper never In
terfered with the canvas, the mate was
doing just as he pleased. He was stand
ing near me at the wheel, his weather
eye watching the gallant sail leech,
and talking to her just as if she were
a human: Go it, old girl-you've got
a tidy keel, anyhow. Ease her q spoke,
Jim,' as she gave a rough dive that
almost took the wheel out of my grip.
"'Aye ave. said 1, but she won't
bear this much longer
''The chief put his head down the
cabin hatchway. Getting worse all the
time. SIR he said
"SThen reef her down-reef her
down. replied the old man. who was
busy with some hobby in his work
shop, and, when once fairly started at
his lathes, left everything else to his
officers.
Didn't 1t blow that night From
supper time right through to midnight
we were reefng, slowing and getting
tackles aloft to ease the backstays and
braces, until all hands were nigh play
ed out and wet through, since no one
dared to look at an oilskin. After that
we had to get the storm spencers out
of the sail-locker, and bend and set
them. 1t was no laughing matter to
hang on to those upright jackstays in
q heavy gale, and more than once I
felt inclined to let go, for the cold and
drenchlng spume was almost unbeara-
BILE.
"After we got the sheets hauled aft
the vessel seemed easier, but she was
drifting badly to leeward, and pitching
heavily, for the cargo Of coal was just
as dead as pig iron.
"eHhat'll do the watch sang out the
mate, and then our side took it In
turns to jump below for dry dunnage
"You should have seen that foksle
The main deck seams were on the loose,
and leaking like sleeves. There wasn't
a dry bunk anywhere lee ones
were nearly a1oat.
"SIlent as 'hggerheads' the fellows
were sitting on the chests some smok-
ing, the others looking wild. 1 knew
then that we were In for dose Of hard
times, but it was my own fault, for
had shipped without even a look at the
old hooker, and all 1 said was, 'Sarves
you right, Jim! You were an old fool !
"Upon reaching the deck the second
mate sang out to man the pumps, and,
after longish spell at them, he fetch
ed the sounding rod, while the boy
brought along one Of the pinnacle
lamps. When the rod was hauled up,
and the light turned on it, that sailor
mans face was a picture-yOu bet!
"It's all wetv said he, in a half
alarmed, half doubtful kind Of way,
sand nv All THAT'S good If the line