Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-06-20

cred her spirits by coiling down
tackles and halyards and all stray
ropes. Then there were meals to be
cooked in the galley, beds to make,
Wolf Larsen to be attended upon, and
she finished the day with grand
housekeeping attack upon the cabin
and steerage.
All night | steered, without relief,
the wind slowly and steadily increas-
ing and the sea rising. At five in
the morning Maud brought me hot
coffee and biscuit she had baked,
and at seven a substantial and piping
| hot breakfast put new life into me.
Throughout the day, and as slowly
and steadily as ever, the wind in
creased. 1t impressed one with its
sullen determination to blow, and
blow harder, and keep on blowing.
And still the Ghost foamed along.
racing off the miles til was certain
she was making at least eleven knots.
1t was too good to lose, but by night
| fall l was exhausted. Though in
| splendid physical trim, thirty-six-
hour trick at the wheel was the limit
of my endurance. Besides, Maud
| begged me to heave to, and / knew,
If the wind and sea increased at the
same rate during the night that it
would soon be impossible to heave
to. So, as twilight deepened, gladly
and at the same time reluctantly, /
brought the Ghost up on the wind.
But l had not reckoned upon the
colossal task the reefing Of three
sails meant for one man. While run
ming away from the wind l had not
| appreciated it's force, but when we
ceased to run l learned to my sor-
row, and well-nigh to my despair,
how fercely it was really blowing.
The wind baked my every effort, rip
ping the canvas out Of my hands, and
in an instant undoing what l had
gained by ten minutes of severest
struggle. At eight o'clock l had sue
ceeded only in putting the second
reef into the foresail At eleven
o'clock l was no farther along. Blood
| dripped from every finger end, while
the nails were broken to the quick.
From pain and sheer exhaustion I
wept in the darkness, secretly, so
that Maud should not know.
Then, in desperation, l abandoned
the attempt to reef the mainsail and
resolved to try the experiment Of
heaving to under the close-reefed
foresail. Three hours more were re-
| uuired to gasket the mainsail and jib,
and at two in the morning, nearly
dead, the life almost buffeted and
worked out of me, ! had barely suff1-
cient consciousness to know the ex.
pertinent was success. The close
reefed foresail worked. The Ghost
chung on close to the wind and be-
trayed no inclination to fall of
broadside to the trough.
was famished, but Maud tried
vainly to get me to eat. / dozed with
my mouth full of food. | would fall
asleep in the act of carrying food
to nv mouth and waken in torment
to find the act yet uncompleted. So
sleepily helpless was that she was
compelled to hold me in my chair to
prevent my being flung to the floor by
| the violent pitching of the schooner.
OF the passage from the galley to
the cabin I knew nothing. 1t was
a sleep-walker Maud guided and
| supported. In fact, | was aware of
nothing till 1 awoke, how long after
l could not imagine. in my bunk with
my boots of. 1t was dark. l was
stiff and lame. and cried out with
pain when the bedclothes touched my
| poor f1nger-ends.