The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1910-01-28
"But everybody felt near that

deck scrubbed, her skirts gathered
up behind her, and stepping off
ahead of six-knot breeze.
But ice-as soon as we got in
to the mouth of the strait, ice was
everywhere, as far as we could see
Not field ice, but bergs, high top
pers, too. a. we ran farther in
it looked as if all the bergs coming
down from the pole had shot off
into the strait for farewell game
among themselves.
A likely lot, cap n said Alec
Peoples to me.
III stood watching them sail
along before supper, and II realized
that to put into the strait at this
time OF the year was the most fool
ish thing had ever done in all nv
life.
"Outside was the Prindall
though, wallowing for home, I felt
sure, with handy twenty -four
hours start r gulped it down as
it was; twas no fisherman that
would put back then before his
crew.
After supper [ went on deck to
sniff the weather before smuggling
away for the night in the cabin. A
heavy mist had settled down, and
it was beginning to rain, and II
could smell true northeaster in
the air. I felt a little chary
as l watched her shy and duck in
and out amongst those mountains
of ice. The strait seemed full of
them, and they doomed up in the
deep dark so sudden and often,
scaresome to stand there and watch
them sail along that tide.
L 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 handy
ing.
L could hear the lookout for ard
every once in a while sing out
steering orders to the man aft at
the wheel, and feeling the Nancy
running smooth, I dozed, in spite
of my determination to keep awake.
eyes, sir, Toby I family heard
Buster Plummer say, when we
chunks that rat overheard a 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 set
ting one wing up for a mainsail
and tother for a jib, he beats into
port ahead Of the ship, and when
we get up to our dock he was there
waiting for US
"But [ must have slept in spite
of myself, for seemingly right on
top of Buster IS yarn [ heard thun-
dered on deck
Up with her Let her come
up quick, man, | say = And though
I could swear T had not been
asleep, I landed all standing as Il
felt the craft careen to port before
short helm.
II shot a glance around the
cabin, and was dumfounded to
find the cardboard deserted and
the light turned down low. I
looked at the clock before me and
read half past two, and as I made
toward the companionway | noticed
all the aft hands sound asleep in
their hunks.
Il felt her strike easy as [ STUN
bled on deck, and then shivering
and quivering 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 I pushed by him.
Surely Peter Hanscom and his
dory-mate took the deck as [ lay
down. | must have slept.
Il 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. [ could almost reach out and
touch it with my hand.
. All hands now = [ heard the
man at the wheel roar with all his
might, and before I could collect
my wits from the surprise, every
man of that crew stood round me.
Not a word broke the deep ST.
lence 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.
y Cap "a, we Ire high and dry On
an iceberg Y came a trembling voice
from for ard, and for the first time
[ was able to fathom our true sit
uation.
Il had been up on the rocks,
hove down on Georges, and with a
coaster poked clean into our wind
lass, but high and dry Oh an ice
berg L never was before in all my
life