The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-08-20
(COntinued)

know. What is certain that the
mooring of the yacht had either
broken or she had been cut adrltt.
On board no ore noticed that de-
tail. The land breeze was strong
and the schooner, caught by an
outgoing tidal current, began to
run toward the high seas.
When the cabin boy woke UP,
the Sloughi was being rocked by
a surge which could not be mis-
taken for the usual swell. Moko
hurried on deck. The yacht was
adrift.
At the cries of the cabin boy,
Gordon, Briant, Doniphan and
few others. throwing themselves
out of their hunks, come out OF
the hatch. Vainly they called for
help. They could not even see a
Eingle light in town or the port.
The schooner was last drifting
toward the open sea; It was about
three miles from the coast already!
On the advice of Briant, first Of
all the cabin boy, joined by these
young lads, tried to Sc; sail to
tack back to port. But the sail
was too heavy to be properly
trimmed and it only took them
further, owing to the resistance it
offered to the west wind. The
Slough turned Cape Col lille,
sailed through the straits which
separate it from the islands OF
the Great Barrier, and soon was
several miles from New Zealand.
The gravity Of such n situation
was easily understood.
The boys could no longer hope
for any help from land. Il some
ship we're sent after them. several
rours must pass before it could
reach them, even if the schooner
could be found in the night. There
was only the chance Of meeting a
ship going toward New Zealand
port That is why Moko fixed a
lantern atop the main mast.
So they must wait the coming OF
dawn.
At school he often protected the
younger children from the abuse
of the older boys, and he never
had submitted to the obligations
of Tagging" His spirit Of reslS-
lance had caused fights and bat
ties which his strength and cour'
age had always turned to his ad-
vantage. So, he was generally
liked, and when the question Of
command aboard the Slough
arose, his comrades, with few ex-
ceptionS, did not hesitate to obey
him, especially since he had some
nautical knowledge.
The younger brother, Jack, had
been considered the most mis-
chievous boy in the third form.
He was always inventing jokes and
playing tricks on his companions,
and getting punished more than
any of them. But after the depar.
ture of the Slough, Jacks char
acter changed greatly, and no one
knew why.
These are the young boys that,
with Moko, the storm had so dra'
matically cast away on an I'M
known island in the Pacific Ocean.
Under command of Captain
Garrett, one of the most auda'
cious yachtsmen in Australasia,
the Slough often had been seen
near the coast of New Caledonia,
New Holland from the straights
of Torres to the southern point OF
Tasmania. right up to the seas
of the Moluccas, of the Philippines
and of the CelebeS, so fatal to
ships of far greater tonnage than
the Slough! But she was Solidly
constructed and known for her
seaworthiness in the worst OF
Weathers.
The crew consisted Of a mate,
six sailors, cook and a cabin-boy,
Moko, the young negro lad whose
family had been in the service OF
a planter in New Zealand. There
was also the dog, beautiful
hunter of American breed
Phann. who belonged to Gordon,
and never left his master.
The day of departure had been
fixed for February Is. Meantime,
the Slough remained moored at
it's stern to the end of Commercial
pier, and consequently it was
partly free in the harbor.
Meantime several unsuccessful
efforts were made to bring up |
the Slough into the wind. Sud-
denly white light at the head of
a mast, which is the distinctive
sign of steamers at sea, was
sighted two or three miles away.
Soon the two position lights could
be seen, red and green. The steam.
er was coming straight towards
the yacht.
The boys shrieked for help. But
the noise of waves and wind,
which had become more violent.
drowned their cries.
At least if they could not hear
them, the sailors on watch would
surely see the lantern of the
Slough. 1t was a last chance.
Unfortunately, at that moment
the pitching of the ship broke the
halyard and the lantern fell into
the sea. Nothing now indicated
the presence of the Slough toward
which the steamer was running
full speed. And so the crash came.
The yacht would have sunk in
a few seconds if it had been
caught broadSide, but the collision