The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-08-18

Meanwhile, at the cost Of Su
perhuman efforts, Brisnt wa
able to reach tho forehatch. He
called. A feeble cry reached him
and he rushed forward to the
capStan, in the uprightS Of which
was encaSed the foot Of the bow
spirit.
There, his hands outStretched,
he ran into the struggling cabin
boy, caught in the angle created
by the joining Of the bulwarks at
the PROV. A halyard. which Mo
kos efforts frightened more and
more as he struggled, had caught
him by the throat. Throttled by
the gear when the enormous sea
was washing over him, he was
now being choked to death.
Briant opened his knife and cut
the cordage which held the cabin
boy in its grip.
Moko was then pulled back, and
when he had recovered enough
strength, thanked Briant. They
returned to the wheel where all
four dashed themselves together
to resist the enormous seas which
aSsailed the Slough.
Speed Endangers Ship
Contrary to what Briant had
thought, the speed of the yacht
had been reduced slightly since
there was nothing left Of the fore
mast sail. That constituted new
danger. AS a matter of fact the
waves, running faster than the
schooner, could catch her by the
stern and fill her. But what could
be done? It was absolutely impoSSi-
BILE to rig out even the smallest
piece of sail.
In the Austral hemisphere the
month of March corresponds to
September in the Boreal hemi-
sphere, and the nights have only
a mean duration. Therefore, as it
was about four o'clock in the morn
ing, it would not be long before the
horizon would tighten in the East.
towards which the storm was driV-
ing the Slough. Perhaps with a
new day, the storm would lose some
Of it's violence. Perhaps, also. land
would be sighted, and the future
of the crew of children would be
decided within a few minutes.
Storms Fury Unabated
About half past four, diffused
light slid towards the zenith. I'm
fortunately the mist still limited
the line Of vision to about a quarter
of a mile. The clouds were passing
by with terrible speed. The storm
had lost nothing Of its force. The
schooner. at times caught up on
the crest of the waves, at others
plunged into the trough OF the sea,
would have capsized had the storm
caught her broadSide.
Land Sighted
The four boys looked on the
chaos Of this raging sea. They felt
that If the storm did not ease up,
their situation would be desperate
indeed. Never would the Slough be
able to resist for another "a hours
the pounding seas.
It was then that Moko cried
Land! Land!"
Through a rift in the mist the
cabin-boy thought he had seen the
outline Of coast towards the east.
Was he not mistaken?
Nothing is more difficult than to
recognize these vague outlines
which blend themselves so easily
with the woolly appearance Of the
clouds.
"Iand?" Briant queried.
eyes," shouted Moko. Land, to-
wards the east.!"
He indicated a point on the hori-
zon which was now hidden by q
mass Of mist.
"Are you quite sure?" asked
Doniphan.
Eyes! Yes! Certainly" cried the
cabin-boy. IF the fog lifts again
look close over there, a little to
the right of the foremost. Now,
now, look!"
The mist was beginning to lift
from the sea. A moment later the
ocean appeared clear for a space
Of several miles ahead.
Eyes, land! It's land!" shouted
Briant.
And a low land at that" added
Gordon who had been carefully
scanning the signalled shore.
There was no doubt this time.
A land, either continent or island,
could be seen five or six miles