Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1908-11-04
THROUGH THE STRAIT
OF BELLE ISLE.
"a sees Szsza.1zsss psss sa.szsszszs soss ua.s
By JOHN Z. COTTON.

szssszzsS eeSG M1aszE13 5000 raS
( or a farewell game among tham
selves.
! "A likely lot, capn, said Alec
Peoples TO me.
| Il stood watching them sail alons
before supper, and I re I'd tha
to put into the strait at line O.
the year was the most thing
had ever done in all my life.
Outside was the Prindall, though
wallowing for home, I felt sure, with
a handy twenty-four hours start.
gulped it down as it was; twas nc
fisherman that would put back ther
before his crew.
AFTER supper I went on deck to
sniff the weather before smuggling
away for the night in the cabin. A
heavy mist had settled down, and ii
was beginning to rain, and 1 could
smell true noTtheaster in the air.
felt little chary as I watched her
shy and duck in and out amongst
those mountains of ice. The strait
seemed full of them, and they loomed
up in the deep dark so sudden and
often, white and ghostlike, that twas
scaresone to stand there and watch
them sail along in that tide.
II went below, and stretching out
on the port locker before my bunk,
with my boots and watch-coat on,
watched the hands at their games and
listened to their bandying.
81 could hear the lookout or'ard
every once in a while sing out steer
ing orders to the man aft at the
wheel. and feeling the Nancy running
smoo-,, l dozed, in spite Of my de-
termination to keep awake.
Yes, sir, Toby I family heard
Buster Plummer say, when we chucks
that rat overheard big gull swoops
down and grabs him, and you may
not believe me, sir, but what does
that rat do but turn round and grabs
that gull, and setting one wing up for
mainsail and tother for a jib, he
beats into port ahead of the ship, and
wlle:l We got UP to our dock he was
there waiting for u.s.
But must have slept in spite of
myself, for seemingly right on top of
Busters yarn I heard thundered on
deck:
UP with her! Let her come up
quick, man, say!' And though l
could swear 1 had not been asleep, I
landed all standing as felt the craft
careen to port before short helm.
II shot glance around the cabin,
and, was dumfounded to ind the card
board deserted and the light turned
down low. I looked at the clock be-
fore me and read half past two, and
as I make toward the companionway
L noticed all the aft hands sound
asleep in their hunks.
Il felt her strike easy as I stumbled
on deck, and then shivering and quiv-
erWg she rose, as on sea, but in that
second I felt twas no sea she was
riding. In fact, she didn't ride at all;
up she went and stayed there.
Long Jack at the wheel thought
I, as pushed by him. Surely Peter
Hanscom and his dory-mate took the
deck as I lay down. I must have
slept.
II stumbled round the house, and
clutching the starboard rail, seemed
to be staring into a great white wall
that ran straight up higher than
could see. 1t was ice. I could almost
reach out and touch it with my hand.
"'All hands now!' I heard the man
at the wheel roar with all his might,
and before 1 could collect my wits
from the surprise, every man of that
crew stood round me.
"Not word broke the deep silence
that held there. We could see the
green glare Of our starboard running
light reflected against the glistening
wall, and could feel the cold air from
the sides.
'Cap'n. we're high and dry on an
iceberg.' came trembling voice from
for'ard, and for the first time I was
able to fathom our true situation.
Il had been up on the rocks, hove
down on Georges, and with coaster
poked clean into our windlass, but
high and dry on an iceberg l never
was before in all my life.
I'VE needed 10 torches to see how
we lay. Dark as it was all round
US, every inch of that ice shone out
as plain as day. Up on the starboard
side like great crystal cliff tcwered
that mountain, awful to look at. its
great top pinnacles leaning out into
the air, seemingly ready to drop down
on us at any minute.
"At its foot spread out shelf, its
breadth go great that we couldn't
see or form any idea of it's size, run
ming from below the water at its edge
up steep grade to the base OF the
berg, allowing us, under our head
way, to slide fair upon it, high and
dry, for mere than. our length, and as
truly flush with the face of that berg
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