The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1914-07-02
WEIRD TALE OF THE SEA.
when pssth Mas Cheated BY . Ropes
End In q Raging Gale.

when Death Wss Cheated by . Ropes
End In . Raging Gale.
Few living men have v looked
death 30 square In the face ~ a GER
tain Captain Hodson. who was for
years connected with the customs
service at Honolulu. Before that he
was a ~shipmaster. and the remarkable
adventure Of which he was the hero
occurred while he was In command OF
a schooner that traded In the Pacific.
On this occasion the vessel was sew
eral days out from land, In the midst
of the Geo when IL vas overtaken
by a severe gale and thick weather.
For q time Captain Hodson tried TO
keep the schooner's head up into the
wind, but the storm became no violent
that there was nothing for II but TO
u before the gale. He bsOusht the
vessel about and. purued by q heavy
following sea, scudded II under almost
bare poles to the poexhward-
The captain himself gtood by the
wheel to give the helmsman direc-
lions. The rest Of the crew, having
made everything az EUR as possible,
were crouched In the lee Of the dock
house.
A Jaw In the wind took the schooner
abeck for a moment and In that In
slant a tremendous wave that vas fol-
lowing close behind mounted over the
bulwarks and swept several feet deep
from stern to bow.
Every one but the captain hsd some
thing at hand 70 cling 10. although the
wave wrenched the man at the wheel
from his hold and threw him on his
face. However, he brought up against
the deck house ana scrambled TO his
feet Just In time to re the rushing
water carry Captain Hodson over
board.
Hodson's a . was M nearly hope.
less a. II could well be, for II was, OF
course quite Impossible to put out a
boat In such q sea or even 70 bring ths
schooner about to pick him up. Bot at
the very moment that the catastrophe
happened the ropes that held the gan
Of the foremost in place broke and lie,
the stick drop to the deck. One end
hung out over the hide Of the sehoon.
or, and several broken ropes dangled
from II. As Captain Hodson swept By
these rope ends struck him on the
head. Instinctively he seized one OF
them and chung to It with desperation
The schooner tore on through the
water, and her master at the end o.
the dangling rope was drawn In clos
under her buiwarks and dragged alonl
through the waves. He could not hav'
long withstood this sort OF treatment
for the sea beat him about f3srcely ant
fung him again and again against thu
side Of the vessel.
But presently a gust OF wind lurch
ed the schooner well over. hsr lee raj
plunged beneath tina water. ana ut tn
same instant another wave picked tn
captain up and tossed him sprawlinl
on the sloplng deck. Battered a. b
was. he mad enough strength left b
seize the standing rigging and cling .
II, while the water poured back asai
into the sea.
The heimsmaA had seen Csptsi
Hcdson swept away TO death, ~ b
firmly believed, ana his astonSahmsu
at seeing him back again % dsek ma
be imagined. H0dson was mot scr
ouaiy injured By his sxpens0cs. an
his vessel weatheEsd Tho stexm m
hsoushf hsr cargo sa8s isas port
YOUTHS CsmpanioaL
Renee no Dnnmssa.
.xsu ere going 30 t4s wse6An8, Jsal
P1pxse. and you look 20 sa4f"
~ aAmalA fhiuk - N q. Mg owl