The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1918-02-07
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TOuiu Ut OnCt uuu ie uoNhs
"But you will stay on deck all
nightT
"Not unless the storm increases. In
an hour or so I'll cal. the others, and
lie down myself. Come, dear, you be-
long in the watch below"
That certainly seemed lonely deck
after she had disappeared down the
ladder. l had served many quie,
watch at sea, many memorable one,
but that hour taught me the real les
son of loneliness. We were driving
forward recklessly into wall of dark
ness, utterly impenetrable to the eye.
| What horror might be lurking just
ahead of the plunging bow, no imagina-
ton could picture. From where i
stood, clutching the spokes of the
wheel, could not even trace the yards
of the mainmast, nor could l perceive
on either side the water through which
we drove. Yet it was not this which
pulled so at my nerve. l had stood at
the wheel often before guiding n great
ship through impenetrable blackness,
and amid the immensity of the ocean.
But then / was one of n crew, alert and
ready, merely performing my part of a
given task. But now i could not drive
from me the consciousness that l stood
there alone; that on all that space of
deck forward only one solitary man
crouched in the blackness; that below
in the englneroom, and stokehole, only
two more; already worn and weary
with toll. stuck grimly to their work ;
that under my control this great
freighter, loaded almost to the deck
beams, was flying before the storm,
piunging through the wild waters Of
the mid-Atlantic, with death lowering
above in the shrek of the storm. let
clung to 1t grimly, no longer making
any attempt to hold any settled course,
but merely choosing the easier way in
which to meet the force of the storm.
1t was two o'clock when, too thor
oughly weaBled to stand the strain
longer, I sent Dugan below to call the
mates. Leayord was the heavier man,
and the more experienced sailor, so, at
my suggestion, he took the wheel, while
Olson went forward. can recall
creeping down the ladder, and stag
gering down the stairs, but nothing
more. / must have been asleep even
before reached the berth in the cap
taln's stateroom.
,, A hand shook me, and I opened my
eyes. For an instant was too dazed
to comprehend. The port was closed,
: but daylight streamed through the
thick glass Illuminating the stateroom,
,, and recognized Olson bending over
me,
II had to call you, sir" he explained
kindly. 'The main royal has broke
loose, an it'll take all hands ter stow
!, 1t again in this wind; besides that fell
Ter Dugan he's gin out entirely, an
there's got ter be another hand sent
!, below to the stokehole."
; sat up, already thoroughly awake.
, "What time is iti"
"Goin' on half after four, sir"
"Why l thought l had just dropped
off. Any increase in the weight of the
gale, OlsonT
= "No, sir; / don't think the wind Is
quite so heavy, and it's gettin' more
steadylike, but there's considerable
sea-"
II can tell that the way the shiI
pitches; she's taking water forward"
'Tons o. it; the damned hooker is
loaded so deep she's more like wharf
than a ship"
1t was n wild scene enough when
emerged from the companion ant
paused a moment in the protection OF
the cabin to view the deck forward
Huge crested waves burst over thu
forecastle heads, cascading down ontt
the main deck, and sweeping aft to the
scuppers amidships. The vessel stag
gered under the repeating blows, ye
i recovered with buoyancy which gave
me renewed courage, plunging forward
| again to meet the next assault. Tn,
| continuous boom as they struck agains
| our bows, the mad Tapping. Of thu
| loOsened canvas aloft, the ceaseles
shrieking Of the cordage, made a pan
demonium Of noise which rendered tn,
human voice almost useless. put IN.
lips to Olson's ear.
"Can the three of us pass those gas
| kets?"
| 'Tt's got to be done, SIR unless W,
J let the sail go but it's goin' to be n,
boys job"
"Where's DuganT
''Hangin' there to the shrouds, a
I waitin' for u.s."
It "Then come on; the sooner it's owe
with, the better"
o We went up the ratlines like snails
n every burst Of wind driving us fla
p against the ropes, where we hung OF
grimly. Dugan was first to lay ou
upon the footropes, and felt no regre
when Olson slipped past me in the top
q bawllng In my ear:
'Let me go next, sir, you haven
!. been at this sort O. job lately"
r However, made 1t In my turn. tn
IS wind driving me fiat against the spar
n tho fOofrona dapciuU fua1lv hapao III