Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-08-24

dish? 1t amt his wheel now. 1t was
'''S sM isS' Gawar shouted another,
sprinGinG up. ITS my wheel. 1 for
got. 1 was so bleedin' cold"
"OP Wispy's been at the wheel
Observation-Disclosures four heels O. the
first watch. That's-thats-" said
said one.
That's seven hours an over" said
another. Good Gawd!"
X X
~ clipper, tossed seas about her,
J astern; the sky low hung above her
slender skySail mastS, tormented and
tormenting.
"A berg to starboard, a berg to
port. She has passed bergs in the
night-many of Them" said the skip
per- on the bridge.
Were abeam of the Diego Rami-
rez," said he. looking at the chart
upon the charthouse table.
Upon either bow bergs rolled and
rumbled.
THE winds going to come out of
the easterIy. It'll meet the current
and the bergs. It'll be awful" said
the skipper, looking out of the chart
house door, shaking his head.
IF l head her northerly I must
cross their path. If 1 stay astream
of them it will prolong the peril"
thought the skipper, watching the
dashed water break high upon the
lowered bergs, hearing the thunder
of the fragments at their ponderouS
feet.
The skipper blew his whistle, CALL
ing the mate to the charthouse.
I'm going to head her northerly,
sir. One fast days sailing will take
her out of the ice region. Check in
the starboard braces, sir"
"Starboard cross jack brace" shout
ed the mate, the watch crowding from
The fo'c'stle to the drenched decks.
Steadily the wind shifted from SOU
westerly to south, and through south
to easterly, the gale driving against
the opposing currents, the sea becom-
ing hourly more savage, more madly
tormented.
Eight bells was struck, all hands
gathering on the stopped fore deck,
gazing at a berg close down on the
lee bow; the mates watch starting to
go below, to rest at length after a
full nights duty.
"Clew up the fore lower topsl,"
said the skipper; Its going to blow"
Fore lower topsl" shouted the
mate.
Again all hands stood at the frozen
gear. bunt lines and clew lines in
their cold fingers.
Watch yourself" roared the mate,
clinging to a lifeline as the sea
swept her; Watch your chance
now
Leaping through the water smother
of the fore-deck, he battled to the
topsail sheets, to ease them away, the
no m
"Hi-leee-yo-ho-ho, haul away-oh!
Hi-lee-yo-ho-ho." sang the singing
apprentice, fore-hand at the weather
Clew-line.
"Aloft and make her fast" beloved
the mate, the second, and the bosun,
all together, the bosun fighting into
the shrouds to lead the way.
Above, the topsail crashed
and bellied at the bunt-lines: below,
the quivering clipper staggered blind
ly, her main and -topsails
the sea shouting around her, savagely
wrathful.
"Aloft" roared the mate, his voice
lost in the tumultuous morning.
"Aloft!" roared the second, his face
to the gale, his voice beaten back.
"Aloft-get that sail slowed
roared the mate.
Look" yelled a sailor, his finger
pointing, where ahead of the bosun.
ragged burlap about his feet, Wispy
Cavendish fought up the reeling rat
lines toward the topsail-yard.
"A sailor-by-." said one. swarm
ing to the shrouds, wind flied.
Way for sailor" shouted a
young voice amidst grown warriors,
the apprentice sprnging to the
shrouds. aloft, higher and higher. de-
flying wind and sea and hail, follow
ing where an old man led, passing
the bosun.
AN that's the way wen pay Daddy
Doyle for his boots" sang Wispy Cav
endish. in the beating bunt of the top
sail, his knuckles broken to bleeding,
his arms waving, his burlapped feet
upon the frozen foot-rope.
AN that's the way we'll pay Daddy
Doyle for his boots" sang the row of
sailors on the fore lower topsail-yard,
their voices drowned in the turmoil.
"A day, and she'll be safely through
the ice" said the skipper. staring at
the Horn chart upon the table, his