Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1918-04-05
THE TRADE WIND
Continued from page 3

The eagro cook felt his way through
the preparing OF meals aud served
them on time. The watches wero set,
and sail was put on the brig as fast as
the men became accustomed TO the
new way OF steering. Before night
fall ON that tlrst day they were scud.
ding under f0resall, topsail and top
yallantsail and maintopSsil, with the
spanker furled as useless and the jib
adding Its aid TO the foretopmast stay
sail In keeping the brig before the
Quartering seas which occasionally
climbed aboard.
The men. with the exception Of few.
dropped into querulous. whining dis
content Yank Tate. the carpenter,
maintained through II ali a patient
faith In the captain and, In no far as
his influence could be felt. acted as
foil to the irascible, taultHndlng Tom
Plate, the forccastle lawyer, the man
who had been at the lead line at Bar.
bados.
Tom marked himself for future at
tention by lnsolent and disappearing
comments on the orders OF his su.
periors and a habit of moving swiftly
to another part Of the deck directly
he had spoken, which prevented the
lngry captain from finding him.
Dim as must have been the light OF
day through the pelting rain and storm
cloud, It caused increased pain In their
eyes. and they bound them with their
neckerchiefs, applying meanwhile such
remedies as forecastle lore could sug
gest. The captain derided these RENE
dies, but frankly confessed his ignor.
ance Of anything but time as means
Of cure, And so they existed and suf
fered through three days damp gale
and fourth days dead calm. when
the brig rolled scuppers under with all
sail set, ready for the next breeze. II
came. cool, dry and faint at first. then
brisker-the unmistakable trade wind.
They boxed the brig about and brac-
ed sharp on the starboard tack. steer
Ing again by the feel Of the wind and
the rafting Of shaking leeches aloft.
They took occasional deep sea sound
lngs with the brig shaking In the wind.
but found no bottom, and at the end
Of fifteen days longer heave TO the
ground swell was evidence TO Captain
Swarth's mind that he was passing
Cape ST. Rogue, and the soundlngs
were discontinued.
"No use bothering about st. Paul
rocks or the Rocas, Angel" said he.
They rise out o the deep sea, and II
we're TO hit, soundings won't warn US
in time"
One day Yank Tate appeared at the
captains elbow and suggested In a
low voice that he examine the treas.
ure chests In the tween deck. II was
down slowing away some oakum." he
said. ''an' | was sure | heard the lid
close, but nobody answered me, an
couldn't feel anybody"
Captain Swarth descended TO his cab
In and found his keys missing: then
he and the carpenter visited the chests
They were locked tight and as heavy
| IS ever.
Some one has the keys, Yank. and
has very likely raided the diamonds
We can't do anything but wait. He
ant get away. Keep still about It."
The air became cooler as they sailed
| on. and judging that the trade wind
was blowing more from the south than
he had allowed for. the captain brought
the wind squarely abeam. and the hrig
sailed faster. Still. 1t was too coo! for
The latitude, and It puzzled him until
man came aft and groaned that he
had lifted his bandage to bathe his
eyes and had Enthusiastically seen the
sun four points or the port quarter.
but his eyes were worse now, and he
could not do 1t again.
-Four points off, exclaimed Swarth.
-Four o'clock In the afternoon! That's
just about where the sun ought to be
heading due east and far enough south
o. the line to bring this cool weather.
We're not far from Ascension. Never
knew the sou-east trade to act like this
before. Must ha' been blowing out O.
the sou.west half the time"
"A "CCR iutEA tLSg "ClC uONC W Ou
the port tack, with cold gale of
wind screaming through the rigging.
II was the first break in the friendly
trade wind, and Swarth confessed to
himself that he was out of his reckon.
Ing, but one thing he. was sure Of
that this was a cyclone with danger.
Gus center
The brig labored heavily during the
lulls as the seas rose. Captain Swarth
went below and smashed the glass of
an aneroid barometer, which might
tell him roughly of the air density.
Feeling of the indlctor and judging by
the angle 1t made with the center,
marked by ring at the top. he found
a measurement which startled him.
Setting the adjustable hand over the
Indicator for future reference, he re-
turned to the deck, Ill at ease. A fur.
ther lowering Of the barometer Undue.
ed him to furl topsails and foretop-
mast staysail and allow the brig to
ride under storm spanker.
"Angel," said the captain, shouting