Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-30

few moments it ended by imposing itself on
my own fears. l began to be afraid the
island would sink. began to watch for 1t,
began to share the fascinated terror of
these men.
The suspense after a time became un-
bearable, for while the portent-whether
physical or moral we were too far under its
influence to distfnguish-grew momentarily,
spondence. We talked of towing Of kedg-
ing out. OF going to any extreme, even to
small boats. Then just as we were about
to move toward some accomplishment, a
new phenomenon chained our attention to
the shore
In the mouth of the arroyo appeared a
red glow moment later a wave of lava,
wh1te-hot. red. iridescent. cooling to a
black crust cracked In incandescence rolled
ma5estically out over the grassy plain.
Each instant 1t grew In volume, until the
ravine must have been flowing half foil
Before Its scorching the grasses even at
the edge OF the sea were smoking, and our
camp had already burst into flames We
had to shield our faces against the heat,
and the wooden railing under our hands
was growing warm.
Pull turned an aShy countenance toward
US.
MY God" he screamed Whats going
| to happen when she hits the sea?"
she hit the sea- and Immediately a great
cloud OF steam arose. and the kissing as of
a thousand serpents. We felt the strong
suction under our keel, and staggered un-
der the jerk Of the ships cable as she
swung toward the beach The paint was
beginning to crackle along the rail- We
could see nothing for the scalding white
veil that enveloped US; we could hear moth
ing for the roar of steam, the bombar dment
of explosions, and the crash Of thunder;
but our nostrils were assaulted by most
unearthly medley Of smells
'Helps loose" growled Thrackles
We were clinging hard as the ship reeled
Huge surges were racing in from seaward
civ hill
low.
Handy Solomon raised his head, listened
intently. and struck his forehead.
Wind" he screamed at the ton of bIa
voice and jumped for the halliards
Thrackles followed him. but no one else
moved. In an instant the two were back
striking and kicking savagely. rousing their
companions com AM to the , danger We all laid
had snugged down to a staysail and the
peak of our mansail. Thrackles drew his
knife and jumped for the cable, while
Handy Solomon, his eyes swapping, seized
the wheel
We finished just in time. I was turning
away after tying the last gasket on the
foresail when the deck appended and tipped
me headforemost into the starboard Soup
per. At the same time smother of salt
water blew over the port rail, now far
above me. to drench me as thoroughly as
though l had fallen overheard. 1 brushed
out my eyes to find the ship smack on her
beam ends and the wind bowling by from
the sea.
1 had company enough in the scuppers.
Only Handy Solomon chung desperately to
the wheel. jamming his weight to port in
the hope she might pay up; Thrackles, too
his eye squinted along some bearing of his
own, was waiting for her to drag. Pres
emily it became evident that she was doing
so, whereupon he drew his knife across our
hawser.
MY God" chartered Pull at my ear "If
we go ashore"
He did not need to finish. Unless the
Laughing Lass could recover before the
squall had driven her to leeward a scant
half mile, we should be cooked alive in the
boiling cauldron at the shores edge.
For an interminable time. as it seemed to
me. We lay absolutely motionless The
scene Is stamped indelibly on my memory
the buiwarks high above me, the steep.
sleek deck, the pratical figure tense at the
wheel, the snarltng water racing from be-
meath US. the lurid glow to landward crawl
ing up on us inch by inch like q hungry
wild beast. Then almost imperceptibly the
brave schooner righted. The strained lines
on Handy Solomon's carven features re-
Taxed little by little. Thraekles staring
over the side, let out a mighty roar
"Steerage way" he shouted, and executed
an awkward clog dance on the Keeling deck
She moved forward, there was no doubt
of. that. for gradually We were eating to-
ward the wind-but we made considerable
leeway as well. Handy Solomon taut as
the weather rigging. took his little advan-
there was none: the land was blotted out
by the steam and murk which had crept to
sea and now was hurled back by the wind
All We could do was to hang there tasting
the copper of excitement. waiting for chese
different forces to adjust themselves. Irch