The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-28
GopuRGE, lg08 BY BENDNG NP1G AEl RNGHV0 REgERVEno

the wind fell upon the Bristol trader.
 Keep the helm a-weather! Jam it a.
 weather for your life!e cried Wilder,
 believing through the roar of the gust.
 The veteran helmsman tried in vain.
 The vessel lay almost on her side. Twice
 her graceful masts raised themselves
 mighty pressure and the whole machine
 lay prostrate on the water.
 "Cutn' shouted Wilder to the mate, who
 had already sprung into the mizzen rig
 ging with an ax Down came the imple-
 ment. No sooner had the lanyard parted
 before the rest followed. The cracking
 of the spar came next. The whole fell
 like tree that has been snapped at it's
 foundation
 She yielded little. but new squall
 brought her down. Again Wilder gave the
 order to cut. The mainmast broke away With the crash the vessel surged from it's recumbent position and rolled up, far and heavily to windward.
 Keep her dead awayl'' ordered her
 captain. "Hatchets and knives menl Cut off all! Clear away wreckage!"
 The ropes that held the broken spars were severed swiftly. The Caroline dead before the gale by this time, appeared barely to touch the foam in her flight. The only sail left was the distended
 sail on the foretop, which threatened to
 carry away the one remaining mast Will
 der. seeing that the lower mast itself was
 sprung, leaped for the spar with an ax
 in his hand The mate was ahead of him.
 Tt is my duty he said.
 The man jumped into the fore-riggins,
 every strand and rope-yarn of which was frightened nearly to snapping. He struck a blow at the rope that confined one of l the lower angles of the bursting sail The
 canvas flew away with a sound like an l explosion.
 At the same instant lanyard of the l lower rigging parted Rope after rope l followed it. For a moment the maze of l timber and ropes wavered. Then it fell with a mighty crash.
 1 Wilder sprang to the rail. He saw the victim hanging to the wreckage. Then 1t was swallow up astern. Helpless, he /, had to let the dismantled ship drive on
 At this moment there came the cry, Sail hor'
 , A ship came through the mist with a swiftness that nearly equaled the wind Not thread of canvas was aboard of her. Each line of spars, even to the tapering and delicate top-galant masts was in place. Not a soul was on her decks ap- parently Under her bows rolled a great volume of water. She drove by like dark vision, and in another moment her form grew indistnct in the spray to leeward. It was the Red Rover.
 All night the Royal Caroline drove be- fore the strom. As the wind decreased the sea rose, until the despoiled fabric labored dangerously It demanded all her captains consummate skill to save her. When dawn came at last she was still afoaf, but her lower hold was full of water, and it was evident that she could not escape laundering.
 The wind went down quickly when the sun began to rise. The sea subsided with it. By the time the broad golden light i was shed in full on the ocean it lay un- ruffled and polished, though still heaving in long, heavy swells.
 Wilder ordered the men to the pumps; 
 of those who spoke of the vessel that had followed them without living hands to work her. mutinied fatly, lowered away the stern boat into the water and pulled away, leaving aboard only the big launch which was too heavy to move without tackle.
 Wilder, having threatened them in vain, let them go without the two passengers for he saw that they were overloaded and almost surely doomed if the sea should rise again. Calmly he told the two wo- men to get into the launch, where it lay 1 between the stumps of two masts Hasti- | ly he supplied it with provisions stepped | the two masts, cleared every flashing and waited for the vessel to sink under them | Hollow sounds soon issued from the l depths of the ship. The water broke through her divisions. Suddenly the for ward part of the deck was blown up vio- lently by the pent air.
 The vessel plunged It's stern went high. | The boat was lifted with it. As the wreck descended the launch met the sea, nearly burying itself, but recovering bouy antly and darting lightly away. Then, l as the water ruSneQ lnIO the vortex made ] b ythe disappearing wreck, it surged back as if it would dive down the glassy decliy- l ity into the gaping whirlpool. But it rose rocking and hung quiet on the surface 1 at last till the sea slept again. 1 Wilder shaped his course for Long Is- land and sailed smartly till the middle of I the night Then change came over the l sky. Wild looking, long, narrow clouds ! gathered in the west Quickly he reefed rest of the night. Day showed green and | angry waves with large crests of foam | beginning to break on their summits It l was plain that gale of wind was com l ing.
 l Already the boat was laborng heavily l in the seas Just as the craft shot into a deep vale of water between two rollers. l Wilder saw black form drive past on l the glittering top of a wave. He recog- nized it at once as the ships boat over- turned.
 "The pinnace has filled and all her crew | Is lost said Wilder, in answer to the frightened cries of the women. Silently the castaways sat, while ffe boat Iabored on in a sea that grew wilder every min- ute.
 Suddenly his eyes caught sight of an- other object, as the launch rose to crest