The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1915-03-13

ward. ! had no fear OF death. 1
had no doubt but That 1 should
come through somehow. And q
this idea OF fulfilling Wolf Lar
sens order persisted In my dased
consciousness, I seemed 10 see him
standing at the wheel In the miduf
OF the wild weller, pitting f,is will
against the will OF the storm ana
dcfying Il.
! brought up violently against
what took to be the rail-. breath
ed, and breathed the sweet air
again. ] tried to rise, but struck
my head and was knocked back
on hands and knees. by some
freak OF the waters / had been
swept clear under the forecastle-
head and into the eyes. AZ I
scrambled out on all fours. l pass
ed over the body of Thomas Mug
ridge. who lay In a groaning heap.
There was no time to investigate.
| must get the lib backed over.
When emerged on deck II
seemed that the end OF everything
had come. On all sides there was
a rending and crashing of wood
and steel and canvas. The Ghost
was being wrenched and torn to
fragments. The foresail and
fore topsail. emptied OF the wind
by the maneuver, and with no one
to bring In the sheet in time.
were laundering into ribbons, the
heavy boom threshing and splin-
tering from rail to rail. The air
was thick with flying wreckage.
detached ropes and stays were
Kissing soiling like snakes, and
down through II all crashed the
gaff of the foresaiI.
The spar could not have missed
me by many inches while Il
spurred mo to action. Perhaps
the situation was not hopeless. l
remembered Wolf Larsen's eau
tion. He had expected all hell
to break loose, and here Il was.
And where was he? I caught
sight OF him toiling at the main
sheet. heaving II in and flat with
his tremendous muscles, the stern
OF the schooner lifted high In the
air and his body outlined against
a white surge OF sea sweeping
past. All this, and more,-a
whole world of chaos and wreck.
lin possibly fifteen seconds
had seen and heard and grasped.
did not stop to see what had
become of the small boat, hut
sprang to the jib-sheet. The lib
itself was beginning to slap, par
TALLY filling and emptylng with
sharp reports; but with a turn OF
the sheet and the application Of
my whole strength each time IL
slapped, l slowly backed Il. This
! know: did my best. I pulled
till ] burst open the ends Of all
my fingers; and while / pulled,
the flying-jib and staysail split
their cloths apart and thundered
into nothingness.
Still / pulled, holding what
gained each time with a double
turn until the next slap gave mo
more. Then the sheet gave with
greater ease, and Wolf Larsen
was beside me, heaving in alone
while l was busted taking up the
slack.
Make FAST" he shouted. And
come on!"
AS followed him. I noted that
In spite OF rack and ruin q rough
order obtained. The Ghost Was
hove to. She was still In working
order, and she was still working.
Though the rest of her sails were
gone, the lib, backed to wind
ward. and the mainsail hauled
down flat, we're themselves hold
ing, and holding her bow to the
furious sea as we'll.
looked for the boat, and, while
Wolf Larsen cleared the boat
tackles. saw It lift to leeward ON
a big sea and not a score Of feet
away. And, so nicely had he
made his calculation. we drifted
fairly down upon 1t, SO that moth
ing remained to do but hook the
tackles to either end and hoist 1t
aboard. But this was not done
so easily as 1t is written.
Continued Monday