New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-28
SUNDAY MAGAZINE FOR MAY %. 1911

bling Of Casco and the wrecked Hfcboat He knew
the schooncr's peril if Bunker didn't He was IN
command now with the spirit OF mastery capng IN him
against hopeless odds. The joy Of fight thrilled him.
So his Old grandfather had dared stress and storm.
"Go below Miss Barnes he said I've got 10 close
the hatch. The cabins safe all right, isn't it,"
She nodded, choking with sobs.
"Wcll SOS Captain Casco and his men. Pull up now
Girl" he added stcrnly. "WcYc got our work cut out
for us, Captain Bunker and me- You'll have To do Your
share looking after Your sister mere no danger IL
have the ship home in q 'itty. Only DO rs say.
The quick flash of her brown eyes thrilled nm. but
this was no time for fooling about girls eyes, lie
slammed down the hatch cover hasped II, and swung 10
the wheel The gale was coming after them with nol-
low booming that sent grim warning ahead. lie hdd
only time to cast loose the mainsal and grip the wheel
when the bid came \ big wave swept over the stern,
Shaping against the after part OF the cabin he KICK
Of the wheel flung him across the deck almost tearing
his from their sockets but he chung 10 IT, The
flood held back the schooner as though giant hand
from the cutchng her stern, trying 20 drag
her under
For moment she walowed Then like bowling
wolpack the gale struck her fairly; the mainsa split
from boom TO glf, Ticking to lceward; the topmast
came crashing down on deck -and the Nancy Lee freed
from mans control spun off her under the pull of
the hcadsus and raced for the open sea- Hazard strain
ing with cracking muscles at the wheel had "a runaway
ship on his hands, unmanagcablc To any man though
he had the strength Of a dozen Whcclsmcn. Captain
Bunker he could count nothing on; the old schooner
master nearly dead from exhaustion now. Hazard
To hold it, and ran forward.
There no racket in the forccstlc lis he passed il;
but he could imagine the temper of those unrIly jamaica
negroes, shut up for wcntyfou hours in that dark hole
And he cursed the thick medicines of Skipper Bunker
importing the lives OF his precious passengers through
his own stubborn stupidity.
Once forward he slashc ike a mailman, bringing the
head sails down the He could not haul down the
iorcsall; but he dropped the gait reducing the area of
the sail by half hauling in the slack Of the sheet ropes
at the same time 10 bring the schooner beam on into the
wind despite the pounding seas.
With the drag OF the hcadSlis off her. the little ship
responded Immediately turning her head slowly from
the open she rounded more to windward. Her
runaway dash Slackcncd, and with her wheel dashed
hard down, Hazard knew guessed that she was max
ing nearly northwarl. parallel with the Jersey coastnc
He staggered back against the bulwark dead beat
but iublan. Ii he could hold the Nancy Lee on her
present course he stood bare chance of meeting ship
Tar out. or making for the southern transatlantic lane
was the thought Of that night watch the black hours
at the kicking wheel of half wrecked vessel with pack
OF black munccr trying break out that chilled his
blood not for himself, but for the helpless people
aboard.
Grting his teeth with the hclpcssncss Of the whole
thing he started aft and suddenly stopped as if shot
There was a dull rumbng OF something below decks.