American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-07-03

ien thousand black eats. WHAT'S the
matter with your
"Can you see the light. Bilg I cant.
I'm blind 49, fhc steward. or I'm
drunken
no l. il me- whereof The men
say they're blind too.
Here. furrafd end o the table"
The captain reached this end. search
% with his hands aud burned them
"a the hot glass ~ a lantern. lie re-
moved the bowl aud singed the hair on
lls wrists The smell came to his
n%osirila
I'm blind, too" he groaned. "An
gel It's the moon We're mOonstruck
moon blind And we're ndhft IN a
.4untl
"ltll only last q few days, boys,
said the captain bravely. I'VE
shouldn't have slept IN the moonlight
Ia these l%afitndes Drop the lead over
q ~ you weather side. The devil
knows where we're drifting, and the
small anchor won't hold now. Wen
ave o." one man, more self pos
sesscd than the rcat. had dropped the
lead over the side An able seaman
needs no eyes 20 heave tho lead
"a quarter siN'' he sang out. and
then plaiutiyely Wen fetch up on
the Barrier. captn s'pose we try an
get the other hook over"
"lct the anchor alonef' roared the
captain "No anchor chainIl hold In
this Keep thai lead IA going Tom
Plate II irs You what bottom do
You nnd1'
quarter less six" called the leads
man soft bottom We're shoaling
Angel said the captain 10 his mate.
who stood close To him. we're blow
ing ou the south channel We've been
drifting long enough to fetch up on
fhe reef II II was Ia our way There's
hard bottom Ia the north channel. aud
he twenty fathom lead wouldn't reach
Il half a length FROM the rocks.
And the south channel lay due
southeast from our moorings.'' con
tlnucd the captain Winds nor'weat.
/ should say, right down from the hill
tops. and I've known these blasted
West India squalls 10 last three days.
blowing straight and hard This has
tho smell ~ a gale Ia Il already. Keep
That lead "a going. there
"NO bottom wns called repeatedly
until the captain sang out. ''ThatU do
the lead" Then the leadsman coiled
up the line. and they heard his rasp
lne. unpleasant voice. cursing softly
but nercely a. himself. Captain SwArth
4 descended the stnlra. silenced the stew
nri With a blow. felt OF the clock
hands. secured hls pistols and return
ed 10 the deck
We're at sea, lac said. Two hands
10 the wheel Loose aud set the fore
topmast staysails and the foretopsail "
What forg" they answered complain
lngly.
NO arguments yelled swarth.
They knew their captain, and they
knew the ropes on the blacklist OF dark
nights blind men climbed aloft and
felt FOR foot ropes and gaskets. Blind
men on deck felt FOR sheets. halyards
and braces. aud Ia ten minutes the
sails were set aud the brig was charg
lng wildly along before the gale. with
two blind men at the wheel endeayor-
ing TO keep her straight by the right
aud left wind on their faces
Keep the wind as much on the port
quarter az you ran without brOachlng
to- yelled the captain In their ears,
and they answered aud did their best.
"where're ye goin'. Biill" asked the
s..s. m.akfn -. ~. uaraHskfNa. f4k q.
him
Right out "a sea and. unless we get
our eyes back soon. right across TO the
Right ~ Benin. a.OOO miles FROM here
We've no business on this coast In
this condition What alls you. Angelf
Lost your nerve1 Brace up Wen get
used 20 e. Get a couple OF hands aft
and heave the log, We take our de
parture from Klttrcdgc Point. Barba.
dos ISLAND. az o o'clock this morning
% the 10th October. Wen keep a
Geonile's log book with a ~jackknife
aud a stick
They hove the log Tor him Il was
marked Tor a now useless twenty eight
sctond sand glass. which Captain
Swarth replaced by a spare chronome
Ter held 90 his ear IN the companion
way Il licked even seconds. and
when twenty eight u them had passed
be called stop The markings on
the line that had slipped through the
mates duEefs indicated eight knots
Seven. allowing FOR wild steering.
ssid the captain when he had slowed
away his chronometer and returned e.
the deck Angel. we know we're 80
ing about sou'east by east W knots
There's practically no variation o the
compass IN these seas. and thai
course1l take rs clear % Cape st
Rogue Just a. fast "a the men car
stand Il az the wheel Well pile on can
vas aud get an We can out o this good
wind. II Il takes as into the south
east trades. well aud good We car
feel our WAY across On the trade wine
unless we hit something. ~ course.
MNnst 40. 4f Nfnsvs afu4,sF snrf - ~.