Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-12-02

tralia, until the economic pressure of
an unSentimental age had relegated her
to the drudgery of the nitrate trade.
She had made better passage than
we to old Cape Stiff; but then we'd
been windbound for fortnight, any
way.
Before we had sufficiently absorbed
this item of news we saw her more
clearly-and a pathetic sight she showed
to that stark day. She had lost her
masts in a sudden cataclysmic squall
that had caught her all aback in mo-
ment's drowsy alteration on the part of
her watch officer; and as she fell into
the trough, a sea pounded her rudder
into hopeless ruin.
She was suffering agonies-that was
easily apparent-for, Notwithstanding
the fact that she had rugged a sea
anchor out of the wreckage of her
sparS, whole water was deluging her so
that she looked like nothing so much
| bounded tide The mastS, ere they
were mastered had pounded her sides
like titanic battering rams; and her
bulwarks were torn gapingly open in a
dozen places. Presently we could see
that her boats had been riven from
their skids-the davits swinging CANT
ly free to every sick roll of the sodden
hull.
WE ourselves had lost one of our own
w lifeboats, smashed to matchwood
by a boarding comber off Diego Rami-
req; but one remained in more or less
working order, though what its sea-
worthy qualities might actually be we
did not know-and here it was blowing
the father and mother of Cape Horn
cyclone
She's flying N. c." observed the
skipper, working away valiantly with
his glasses. IN. c." meant-probably
still means-"in distress; want assist
ance." 1t is an urgent call that seems
somehow to stimulate the best fighting
blood of every deep-water seaman.
she doesn't need bunting to tell us
that!" growled the tough old mate;
who, although he never mentioned it,
had been leader of half a dozen forlorn
hopes in his battling life. She's for It,
if ever ship was"
We underlings had invaded the
sacred poop without shadow of repri-
mand, for when humanity's call was
broadcast all old inhibitions automati-
| cally ceased, and deck crowd and after
guard alike became welded in closer
| bonds of comradesllip. The skipper
even unbent from his awful dignity to
the extent of asking forecastle hand
true, he was the oldest and most ex-
perienced man aboard - what he
thought Of the situation.
1T might be worse" grumbled old
Rhys. She might have gone under
afore we spotted her!" There was nc
question in his mind: having seen her
and recognized her plight, it was ma
tural sequence that we should take OF
her distressed people.
Captain and mate, both trained men
and tried, stared at one another ques-
tioning. The onus of decision was on
the senior; the actual work would fall
to the junior-as was his right, al
though he was perfectly at liberty to
demand exemption on the score of his
| age, without risking any stain on his
escutcheon of courage. The captains
point of view was a troubled one, his
| every instinct being to help to his ut
| most capacity; but also his duty was
primarily to his own ship, her owners
and her consignees, who looked to him
to bring the fabric safely home with
an unchanged freight. But if the boat
were sent away and failed to return
with six men short in a spare crew
what would the effect on the ships safe
Voyaging be? The mate had none OF
I GAACoC 0SOoAo W bAOuOAC
Get the boat cleared away, sir?" the
mate asked as nlatter-of -factly as If he
were merely discussing some trihing
detail of shipboard employment
II suppose so-why, yes, OF Counsel
Clear away your lee lifeboat!" blared
the mate. Don't PANEL" We ha6
awaited this call with fearful eager
ness. Some of us had never been away
in boat in such seaway; others had
But we all knew what the sea was
capable of doing; we had no false no.
lions on that score If we felt coward
ly we did our best to disguise it. L
we felt heroic we equally disguised il
under an affectation of indifference.
We fastened on to the griped ant
thrice-lashed boat like hounds on to /;
fox: and working nimbly, notwithstand
ing the evil movements of the ship, VIC
ridded her OF her pgotectNg covers an!