New Britain herald., 1925-05-22

The man dropped tn the dech ano ldy moti0nless just as success came. The shat tered spars ceased to gore sayageIy at the brigantines side; with wild rush that swept the f1 'c's le head clean, the fore rig gng carried over the bow and the MaybeLe ran free!
 The effect was instantaneous. It seemed as though each separate bit of planking iD the brigantines hull thrilled with joy. But what was this? What had happened to McCreery and the Finn? The mate was waving frantically over the bow, and the two sailors were gone! Old Martin swung the Maybele little to starboard, There was huddled mass of wreckage faintly visible in circular pit beneath her quar- ter. Even as he looked q wave broke over il and 1t was gone
 Two hours later the sun shone out and the wind died down, only the torn and jagged surface of the ocean telling of the hurricanes passing Then the mate undid , his captains lashings and the two survivors of the storm looked at each other.
 "Hcayy weather, Mir. McRae," said old Martin, slowly feeling his numbed forearms. The old girl was hard to handle with that wreckage hanging over her bow, He gazed out over the surface of the ocean, still dancing like witch's caldron, and a pug zled look came over his ruddy face such as might creep across the countenance of n lover who witnesses an unexplainablg harsh action on the part of the woman ne loves II wonder will any man ever under stand the sea-:
 The mate shook his head. Dunno sir!' he remarked dOubtfuly.
 "The hard part isn't the fight lt gives you," old Martin went on. "I like 10 take all lhe sea can give and then come back for more. Tt's--the-the-damn it, man, you know what I mean! The breaking the news to the women folks when you make port! There's cookies old nother-shes fair wrapped up in him. Wrote me letter from Cape Breton about him last voyage and made him take out insurance,
 Peter carries some, too, suggested the mate. But I guess nobody else'
 "Mother'll get it. O'Brien was mar ried wasn't he? Now I remember bis wife that little woman that used to come down on the wharf when we were loading.' Old Martin sighed. The uniyersal tragedy of the sea touched him deeply Then, with a start, he came back to the realities of their situation and took the wheel from the mates weathcr-beaten hand. Better try the well, he suggested.
 The mate made his way forward and presently reported the Maybele to be bone dry, after which the silent figure in the waist, which still lny where the deadeye had feed him, was shrouded in canvas and lail upon latrhway covered with a flag until the sea should moderate enough to permit the holding of a funeral service Then the mate made coffee, spping of which seemed to mark the definite passing of the storm.
 The sea grew calmer and the Maybelle made her way slowly north. It was now possible 10 lash the wheel so that the two could work at the bending of an impromptu jib on the stump of the forcmast, There was no thought in the mind of either of fly ing signal of distress That would have been confession of weakness on their ItIl, utterly NuWUTtny or lle COGe the 0iu weatherbeaten city of Halifax had taught them
 ''When they signal us from Citadel Hill they cant say we had a yellow streak, car'n.'
 live only flown a signal of distress once in my life, |" said old Martin slowly. That was when l ran on Thrum Cape shoals in s fog and gale began to break her up But n0w-with her hull sound and plenty of rauyas-Lord! They'd think us crazy,'
 "Cra1y's the word for it." agreed the mate. Why those old shcll-backs that hang around the shipping office and HoI. Ioway's Block Shop and Buffers Wharf and A. C. Jones would call us-" He paused sn instant to think of fitting epjthet
 "They'd say we weren't sailormeu Al ur declared old Martin, Just steamship officers You know the kind of fellow in yachtiug cap that crosses the Atlantic thousand times and never has his little feet wet and crowds you when you re close hauled just because he has to get bunch of stockholders into New York in time for business next day: The swobs .'
 He paused 10 contemplate the far-of hnr- llou, where feCcy clouds traced arahcsqucs uron sky of deepest blue. T wonder what $ over the rim, Mir. McRae, be sad