Arizona state miner., 1926-06-12

LET her bide on deck. Here we
can aid her at need. Haste, boy! We
must have the rope before the wind
strikes u.s.
l. l slid down a stay to the main
deck and dug the rope out of a chest
of spare gear which was bolted to
the cabin bulkhead. My great-uncles
last words had impressed me even
more than the spectacle Of that bale
full curtain across the northern sky ::
and l was thrilled, too by the task
Of preparing the ship to meet the
tempest. There was almost no noise
"a few shouts Of command and halls
Of acknowledgment! but every man
worked as if his life depended upon
it. When the jib-sheet fouled Martin
slashed it free with his knife and
the sail came down with run. By
the time I had regained the poop the
upper spars already were bare.
Murray was standing with Moira
and Peter beside the helmsman, and
while they stared. fascinated, at the
oncoming storm, his eyes were upon
the Walrus.
FLINT must be SOBER" he said bit
terly. "He is taking in sail. Stap me,
what a fit end to luckless day! In
the hollow of my hand, and now
Aye, twould be all ways fitting did
he escape, whilst we"
snarling moan, as of great winds
tortured and confused, came to us
from the belly Of the storm. The sky
darkened. A gust of air, sulphurous
and warm, ruffled my hair. The moan
became howl, a clamor.
My great-uncle snatched the clasp
knife from the belt of the helmsman,
splay-footed Easterling whose fiat,
gap-toothed face had remained impas-
sive during all the excitement since
Martins warning shout had announced
the storms approach.
"Give me that rope, Robert" he ex-
claimed. II am fool to stand talk
ing. Here, Peter!"
He flung the Dutchman a length of
It,
Bind Mistress Moira to those ring
as we'll She'll not be able to stand
alone. Aid me with this fellow here,
Robert. We must tie him to the
wheel"
One Of the clouds in advance of
the storm curtain reached out over
us with a crackle of lightning-bolts
and spatter Of rain, and our fingers
flew as we secured first the helmsman
and then ourselves. The voice of the
tempest was become a sullen, animal
roar, riven at intervals by the crash
of the thunder. And the immense cur
tain of its front overhung the James,
impenetrably sooty at the base,
opaquely purple as it toppled forward.
The Walrus was a specter ship to
leeward, and disappeared in the gloom
as 1 watched.
"Oh, holy Mother!" gasped Moira.
"'Twill be the end Of all things"
And so 1t seemed. The Walrus was
gone The northern coast of the
island dimmed and vanished. For an
instant the peak Of Foremost hill hung
in the upper air. Then that, too, was
blotted out. The purple twilight deep
ened Rain sheeted down from clouds
scarce higher than our mast-heads.
A lurid glare Of lightning flickered and
was quenched in the sea. And the
wind smote us with a mad howl of
exultation, sucking up into its en-
brace everything that was not fast
ened to the deck.
The James shuddered under the
blow, bearing down by the head and
heeling to starboard. My great-uncle
and 1 were pushed forward on our
faces. The helmsman was doubled
over the wheel Peter bent to cover
Moira, crouching above her on hands
and knees.
Presently the ship righted herself;
but as she neared an even keel there
was a prolonged craa-aa-ack! Of
breaking wood, and the wounded miz-
zenmast went by the board, crushing
a score Of men in it's fall and brushing
as many more through the hole it
stove in the starboard bulwarks
A wall of agony pierced thinly the
tumult of the storm, and the James
was Jared from end to end as the
big spar, with all it's litter Of yards
and top-hamper lunged at the hull
like a trip-hammer, it's dead weight
| dragging us broadside on into the
path of the waves which followed the
winds first irresistible rush. Steep
walls of water dropped on us from as
high as the mainyard, thudding hol-
e3s =s:s ~: sessas . -: ~