, 1926-05-12

Let her bide on deck. Here we
can aid her at need. Haste, boyl We
must have the rope before the wind
strikes us"
| 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 bulkhend. My gr%eat-uncle's
last words had impressed me even
more than the spectacle Of that bale
full curtain across the northern sky
II | 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
1t. When the jib sheet fouled Martin
slashed 1t free with his knife and
the time | had regained the poop the
upper spars already were bare.
Murray was standing with MORA
and Peter beside the helmsman, and
while they stared. fascinated, at the
oncoming storm, his eyes were upOn
the Walrus.
"Fllnt must be sober" he said bit
terly. "He is taking in sail. Slap me,
what a fit end to a luckless day! In
the hollow of my hand, and now
Aye, 'twould be all ways fitting did
he escape, whilst we"
A snarllng moan. as of great winds
tortured and confused. came to us
from the belly of the storm. The sky
d%arkened. A gust of air, %sulphurous
and warm, rufled my hair. The moan
became n howl. a clamor.
My great-uncle snatched the clasp
knife from the belt of the helmsmnn.
a splay-footed fostering whose fiat.
g~ap-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. 81 am a fool to stand talk
ing. Here, Peter!"
He flung the Dutchman a length Of
it.
Bind Mistress Mora to those ring
bolts-and best knot her to yourself
as well. She'll not he 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 l~ightning-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, rlven at intervals by the crash
OF the thunder. And the immense cur
tain of It's front o%verhung the james,
impenctrably sooty at the base.
opaquely purple as it toppled forward.
The Walrus wss a Npecter ship TO
leeward, and disappeared in the gloom
as l watched.
"Oh. holy Mother :" Gasped Molra.
twill be the end of all things"
And so II seemed. The Walrus was
gone The northern coast of the
island dlmmed and vanished. For an
instant the peak Of Foremost hin 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 flckered 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
heellng TO starboard. My great-uncle
and l were pushed forward on our
faces. The helmsmnn was doubled
yer the wheel. Peter bent to cover
Molrn, crouchlng above her on hands
and knees.
Presently the ship rlghted herself
but as she nenred an even keel there
was n prolonged c~rnH-na-ack. OF
breaking wood, and the wounded mlz.
zenmast went by the board. crushing
a score Of men In Its 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 n trip-hammer. Its dead weight
dragging Us %brondside on into the
path Of the wnves which followed the
winds first Irresistible rush. Steep
walls Of water dropped on us from as
high as the mnlnynrd. thuddlng hol-