Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1908-02-21

/ Htcdlle eNlueul tlidl sue WAS uOllS bO
whereupon he drew his knife across
our hawser. w
MY God" chartered Pulz,at my ear
''if we 60 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 caldron at the
shores edge.
For an interminable time, as it seem,
ed to me, we lay absolutely motionless
The scene is stamped indelibly on my
memory-the bullwarks high above me,
the steep sleek deck, the piratical fig
ure tense at the wheel, the snarling
water racing from beneath us, the lurid
glow to landward crawling up on us
inch by inch, like hungry wild beast.
Then almost imperceptibly the brave
schooner righted The strained lines
on Handy Solomon's carven features
relaxed little by little. Thrackles, star
ing over the side, let out mighty roar.
"Steerage way!" he shouted and ex-
ecuted an awkward clog dance on the
reeling deck.
She moved forward. there was no
doubt Of that, for gradually we were
eating toward the wind, but We made
considerable leeway as we'll Handy
! Solomon, taut as the weather rigging
took his little advantages one by one
like precious gifts. Light 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 these different forces to adj
just themselves. Inch by inch we crept
forward: foot by foot we made lee
way. The intensest of the lava glow
worked its way from directly abeam
Of the quarter. By this we knew we
must be nearly opposite the cove. At
! once new doubt sprang up in our
minds.
A moment ago all the energy of our
! desires had gone up in the ambition to
avoid being cast on the beach. Now we
saw that that was not enough. 1t was
necessary to squeeze around the point
where lay the Golden Horn in order to
avoid the fate that had overtaken her
Handy Solomon yelled something at
us. We could not hear, but our own
knowledge told US what 1t must be,
and with one accord we turned to
on the foresail. With the peak of it
hoisted We moved trile faster, though
the schooner lay over at perilous
angle. A moment later the fogs parted
to show us the cliffs looming startling
~ near. There were the donkey engine
and the works we had constructed for
wrecking, and there beside them,
watching us refectively, stood Percy
Darrow.
For ten minutes we stared at him
fascinated, during which time the
ship labored against the staggering
winds, gained and lost in its buffeting
with the great surges. The breakers
hurting themselves in wild abandon
against the rocks sent their backwash
of tumbling peaks to our very bilges.
The few remains of the Golden Horn,
alternately drenched and draining,
seemed to picture to us our inevitable
end
I think we had all selected the same
two points for our bearings" rock
and drop of the cliff holder than the
ordinary. II the rock opened from the
cliff to eastward, we were lost; If it
remained stationary, we were at least
holding our own; if it opened out to
westward, We were saved. We watch
ed with a strained eagerness impos-
sible TO describe. At each momentary
gain or rebuff We uttered calculations.
The niger mumbled charms. Every
once in awhile one Of US would snatch
q glance to leeward at the cruel white
waters, the whirl Of eddies where the
sea was beaten, only to hurry back to
the rock and the point of the cliff |
whence our message Of safety or de- |
struction was to be flung. Once l |
looked up. Percy barrow was leaning |
gracefully against stanchion, watch |
Ing. His soft hat was pulled over his |
eyes. He stroked softly his little |
l caught the white puff of |
his cigarette. During the moment of |
my inattention something happened. |
A wild shout burst from the men.
whirled and saw TO my great joy a
strip of sky westward between the
cliff and the rock. And at that very
instant a billow larger than the or
binary rolled beneath US, and In the
back suction Of Its passage / could
iimly make out cruel, dangerous rocks
wing almost under our keel.
Slowly We crept away. Our progress
seemed inflnitestimal, and yet It was
real. In awhile we had gained sea
room: In awhile more we were fairly
under sailing way and the cliffs had
begun to drop from our quarter With
one accord We looked back. Percy
barrow waved his hand in an indie
'cribably graceful and ironic gesture.
hen turned square on his heel and
'auntered away TO the north alley. out
II the course Of the lave. That was
he last ever saw Of him.
As we made our way from beneath
he island the weight Of the wind
eemed TO lessen. We got the foresail
N her. then standing jib: finally. lit
le by little. all her ordinary working
anvas. Before we knew It we were
owing along under a stiff breeze. and
10 island was dropping astera.
From q distance It presented truly
IMPOSING sight The center shot inter
intent blasts Of rudy light; explo-
ions. desdened By distance. stiIl rever-