Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-03-28


Indeed, as I gazed at the heavy sea
| through which we were running, l
doubted that there was a boat afioat.
1t did not seem possible that such
frail craft could survive such stress
of wind and water.
For an hour | saw nothing but the
naked, desolate sea. And then, where
Vagrant shaft Of sunlight struck the
ocean and turned it's surface to wrath
| full silver, l caught small black speck
thrust skyward for an instant and
swallowed up. | waited patiently.
Again the tiny point of black projected
itself through the wrathful blaze cou-
pie of points Off our port-bow l did
not attempt to shout, but communi-
Gated the news to Wolf Larsen by wav-
ing my arm. He changed the course,
| and / signaled affirmation when the
! speck showed dead ahead.
1t grew larger, and so swiftly that
for the first time l fully appreciated
the speed of our flight Wolf Larsen
motioned for me to come down, and
when stood beside him at the wheel
gave me instructions for heaving to.
Expect all hell to break loose" he
cautioned me, but don't mind it.
Yours is to do your own work and to
have Cooky stand by the fore-sheet."
The boat was now very close, and
1 could make out plainly that it was
lying head to wind and sea and drag
OinO ifo soL L. \
been thrown overheard and made to
serve as a sea-anchor. The three men
were bailing. Each rolling mountain
whelmed them from view. Then, and
with black suddenness, the boat would
shoot clear through the foaming crest,
bow pointed to the sky, and the whole
length of her bottom showing, wet and
dark, till she seemed on end.
The Ghost suddenly changed her
course, keeping away. Wolf Larsen
was preparing to heave to. I felt an
abrupt easing of the schooner, a loss
for the moment of all strain and pres
sure, coupled with a swift accelera-
ton of speed. She was rushing around
on her heel into the wind
AS the Ghost wallowed for an in.
slant, broadside on and rolling straight
over and far into the wind, beheld a
huge sea rise far above my head. 1t
descended, pandemonium broke loose,
everything happened at once. was
struck crushing, stunning blow, no.
where in particular and yet every
where. My hold had been broken
loose, | was under water, and the
thought passed through my mind that
this was the terrible thing of which
l had heard, the being swept in the
trough of the sea. | brought I'D vio-
lently against what I took to be the
rail, breathed, and breathed the sweet
air again. AS l scrambled out on all
tours passed over the body of
Thomas Mugridge, who lay in a groan-
ing heap. There was no time to in
vestigate. 1 must get the jib backed
over.
On all sides there was rending and
crashing of wood and steel and cam
vas. The Ghost was being wrenched
and torn to fragments The foresail
and foretopsail were laundering into
ribbons, the heavy boom threshing
and splintering from rail to rail- The
air was thick with flying wreckage.
ropes and stays were kissing and coil
ing like snakes, and down through it
all crashed the gait of the foresail.
The spar could not have missed me
by many inches, while it spurred me
to action. Perhaps the situation was
not hopeless. remembered Wolf
Larsen's caution. He had expected
all hell to break loose, and here it
was. And where was he? l caught
sight of him tCiling at the main sheet,
heaving it in and fat with his tremen-
dous muscles, the stern of the schoon-
er 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-in
possibly fifteen seconds had seen and
heard and grasped.
did not stop to see what had be-
come of the small boat, but sprang to
the jib-sheet. The jib itself was be-
ginning to slap, partially filling and
emptying with sharp reports; but
with a turn of the sheet and the ap-
plication of my whole strength each
time it slapped. l slowly backed it.
This l know: l did my best. | pulled
till | burst open the ends of all my
fingers; and while 1 pulled, the flying
jib and staysail split their cloths apart
and Numbered into nothingness.
Still pulled, holding what gained
each time with a double turn until the
next slap gave me more. Then the
sheet gave with greater ease, and
Wolf Larsen was beside me, heaving
in alone while was busted taking up
the slack.
Make fast!" he shouted. And come
on"
AS l followed him l noted that in
spite of rack and ruin a 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 jib, backed
to windward, and the mainsail hauled
down fat, were themselves holding,
and holding her bow to the furious sea
as well.
looked for the boat. and, while
Wolf Larsen cleared the boat tackles,
saw ii lift to leeward on a big sea
and not a score of feet away. And.
so nicely had he made his calculation.