The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-04-24
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coeyrishs 1908 By A. 8 s.rn.. Z. Co.

W0SSIs Ueeu ny tue luuteIu uSuI, was
the color Of chocolate, streaked and
marbled with lines and eddies of foam.
Half past I. The captain put his
watch In his pocket and wiped his fore
head.
N know how It feels when you're
waitin' to be hung" he observed.
"Thlrty minutes for the frm to live.
Brad; them
A mighty blow from wave. a trem-
BILE and then q roll The lanterns In
the rigging spun around In circles. The
men ON the deck and below fell In
heaps. The Freedom lifted. straight
ened and then began to rock In her
cradle. The cables sagged into loops.
Their silent partner. the tide. had
come to the firms rescue.
: Bradley got upon his feet. "Hau!
taut!' be screamed Before the order
was given Bearse was back at his en-
gine. The windlass shrieked.
Captain Titcomb roared through his
speaking trumpet. The towhoat shot
forward. then back. her screw thrash
Ing the water. The little You and
bobbed beside hss. She was pulling
too.
And then q long. scrapins, breath
lsss interval A halt, a shock, and,
pushing q wall Of sand before her. the
Frsedom plunged Into deep water.
There was no cheering. A subdued
murmur. nke Sigh. came from the
crowd on her deck. Men drew sooty
arms across wst foreheads and looked
at each other without speaking. She
was Oh the shoal but fur from being
out Of danger get She must be got
over into the deep hole behind the
Point whore she could safely ride out
the coming gale. And to get her into
this haven there was only the little
tug to depend upon Could the tiny
craft do II In that wind and seaf II
not then the barge would almost sure
y drag her anehora. would strike
again. and then-well then an the
work and the triumph 70 nearly won
would count for nothing.
They brought her up to her anchors
out In the middle Of the channel.
There they waited for the tide to turn.
The silence was heartbreaking. Only
now and then did any one speak. In
clusters BY the rail they stared at the
big waves and the foam streaks GID
Ing by. At last Captain Titcomb snap.
ped his watch case shut and shouted
through his trumpet. The towboat
puffed into position. The anchors
were lifted from the bottom. The time
for the nnal test had come.
Then the little tug showed what she
was made Of. Coughing. painting like
q bulldog straining at q chain. she
pulled at that hawser. and, slowly at
nrst but gaining headway as she
moved In the dead water of the slack
OF the tide. the Freedom followed her
through the channel around the edge
Of the shoal into the cove and safety.
At ten minutes to 4 that morning the
last big anchor was sent down.
'There!" shouted Captain Titcomb.
''She'll stay where she Is now II It
blows hard enough to frazzle out q
handspike. Boys. the Jobs done.
Knock off~
They answered HIN with cheer that
woke the cat from his sleep beneath
the stove at the lighthouse.
The tug took them to the Point.
They perched oil over her. Needless of
the cold and the flying spray. The
men were wildly excited over the un.
expected good luck. They cheered the
partners again and again and gave
three groans for the CUTTERS" mean
Ing Mr.. Clark and his friends. Peleg
Myrck was bearing his concertina to
safe quarters In the shanty.. and they
Insisted that be should play 1t. Peleg
protested that II was too wet for music
on board that tug. but they threatened
to heave the push and pull pianner"
overheard II he didn't play.
play somethin' we can sing" order
ed Bill Taylor.
Peleg struck up a doleful dlrge Of
the sea. 1t was loaded to the gun
vale with wrecks and disasters.
Delay thatr' cried Barney Small.
I'VE don't want no come-all-ye's.
That's the tune that soured the milk.
Give US o hoe down."
The musician considered: then he
burst into the air that every fisherman
knows:
"Ths grub II In the galley. and the rum
is In the jug
Storm along. joint John. storm along!
Tho skipper's from Hyannis. and he gives
US bully mug
Storm along. storm along. Johnw
Chorus" howled Barney. waving
MS cap. They Joined In with a whoop:
storm along. John! John. storm along,
Amt glad my days works done!
storm along. John! John. storm along!
Amt i glad my days works done!''
Bradley stood by the back door Of
the big shanty. looking out at the
storm. The first sickly light of morn
Ing was streaklng the dingy, tumbled
sky. Inside the building the men