The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1913-10-30
CHAPTER TX.
In Which We Plan to Escape Together
From the Ship.

From the Ship.
bad no idea that it was morning
already, the night had passed so
quickly. The eastern sky was
already gray, and although the
day bade fair to be an unpleasant one
there was already light enough to dis.
tinguish land off to starboald We
had run quite near ii in the night. 1t
was still too gray to make out much
more than the existence of the land
itself, but | thought | saw beyond the
nearest island others rising At any
rate, there it was where it ought to be.
and didn't make any doubt but that
it was the island which we had been
seeking these weary months at sea.
The whole crew was on deck /
didn't see any signs of Captain Mat
thews' body, although | looked hastily
about for it. learned later that they
had tumbed him overheard without
a prayer or word after they had
knocked him on the head. Pimball.
Glibby and one or two others of the
older seamen were on the quarterback,
the rest being strung along the leerail
in the waist staring at the island
Two hands were at the wheel The
ship was pitching and laboring heavily.
and it required two hands to hold her
MP to It.
During the night they had taken a
second reef in the tops'ls A whole
gale was now blowing Everything
above the tops'l yards had been fured
of course The Rose of Devon was a
wet ship in seaway. and she was
making heavy weather out of it.
| noticed one thing with sa atisfaction
They had evidently not thought 1t
worth while to break open the arms
chest or to force the key from me.
which they could easily have done
and none of them was armed
Well" | began. as climbed over
the hatch comhing and turned aft
II sent for you, Hampton" began
l'imball insolently. and his failure to
mister me or to give me any title
indicated our present relations. be
cause Of that" and he pointed to the
leeward toward the island
at looks like land" said
II IL ldDu w udl iduu
How can ! tell?" answered 81
have never been in these seas before"
We'll, you took an observation yes
lerday, didn't your"
Certainly"
And where were WEI"
| named a latitude and longitude.
not exactly what ! had worked out.
It,t
ruffians to know exactly where we
We're He pulled out the chart as |
spoke and compared its figures with
what had given them He could
read fignrPs if not letters
AT any rate" he said, after study,
ing over the map for little time.
that is not far from the point we are
baking for is it?''
NO" ! admitted. mot very"
DO you think that can be it?"
Il can't tell for certain" | replied
until ! get another shot at the sun
should think the latitude about right.
hut AZ to the longitude
And you can't get no shot at the
sun until noon. can you?" unceremoni
ously put in Glibby. casting long look
10 the eastward where the sky was
thick and cloudy already
Il can't even get an observation then
unless we have clear weather." | an
Twered.
"Fhere'll be no clear weather today
take it." said an old seaman standing
With the other two
Il don't much think it." | assented
We'll, what do you advise them
asked Pimball.
THAT we stand on SLOWLY during the
day and heave TO at night, and If we
can't get a shot at the sun stay here
abouts until the sky is clear and the
sun visible, then we will know just ex
actly what course to take and just
what's best TO be done"
The advice was so self evidently
good. In fact the only practicable ad
vice, that there was no hesitation in
accepting it. The boatswain stepped
up TO the horseback. grabbed the trum.
pet and shouted his orders Presently
the. ship was hove to with the island
well under her lee, distant perhaps a
league and half or maybe two leagues
Personally | should not have hove to
a ship on a lee shore. should not
have advised it, and indeed would have
protested against II had | not sudden
ly developed plan-a plan, as desper
ate as ever came into mans head. Bul
then the situation required desperate
remedies. And for the accomplishment
OF the plan the ship was now in the
very best position | could have put her
l was minded to desert the ship with