A Runaway Brig;

gnorance of nautical matters; yet in Jim's estimation he formed,

Bonita's quarter-deck alone in the night; and even with an assistant it seemed necessary for him to whistle very loud during several m

at was intended to

t blows in our favor. By mornin' Bob oughter be strong enough, if he keeps on eatin'

he knew must be mourning his absence, and the word "home" caused such an uncomf

direction, for he began to whistle once more, and continued to do

as we are, do you think it's goin

below," Jim replied in surprise, understanding by the

up the whistle. It'll bring a

the speaker had returned to the cabin,

a feller did; but I never saw any come true. Tom Downey, the mate, allers fussed when birds flew 'round the schooner,

at

again, if I happened to whistle, no matter how calm it was, I'd get a rope's endin' 'cause they think a

ften on the Mary?" Walter a

mething to do they'd stir me up, an' it makes a feller dance when he gets a good stout heavin'-line across hi

would have been a positive pleasure. The lightest word in reference to home caused him to realize more keenly each

brig through the darkness on a course indicated only by the wind, and then the yo

were gathering, until now it seemed as if they actually enveloped the brig as with an impenetrable vapor, and the waters dashed against the bow with that peculiar sullen sighing

ind and wave, and he roused himself sudd

he said grimly, clutching yet more tightly the spokes of the wheel. "You'll have to go below an' tell Bob t

ice rather than in the elements; but that was

eir watch below, after which it was an affair of only a few seconds to arouse them. Bob sprung to his fee

eed the whole workin' force unless

en so near death a few hours previous. The necessity for action seemed to call back all h

looking out into the darkness. "I never knew much good to come of

sudden change in the weather; but long and sad experience had taught h

re goin' to have

way we're fixed now makes things different, an' we'd better get her snugged down. I'll take the two boys

hour the Bonita was plunging heavily into the rapidly-rising sea with nothing save the foretopsail drawing. She had no more canvas than might have been shown in the m

n', an' then try your hand at makin' tea. I reckon this will be an all-night job

ing him closely, for the stuffy galley was preferable to the deck, where the

disturbed by it, however, for in his mind was the knowledge of that greater peril concerning which his companions were ignorant. The brig was dashing on literally at the mercy of the

er boys in the galley awaiting his return, Bob said in

o to storm along like this without a little smatterin' of what's ahead, an' we

against the vessel's furious plunging as to hold her before the wind, and

ey made no effort to join the young fisherman at the helm, a

he charts?" Jim

he brig was a hundred miles off the coast when I came aboard there's nothin' between us an' the Bahamas. W

ly, heaving the wheel down to port as

ef glance was sufficient to cause h

rse, less than half a cable's length away, a huge fabric of canvas and corda

would have been fatal to the smaller craft because

wheel had been jammed hard down for a second, and the Bonita heeled over while

he two vessels swept past each other on a heaving, screaming se

ran into the galley with the basin of alcohol-saturated

spirit was sending up a blue flame which illumined the entire after-part of the brig; but the stranger had va

e been nearer to her than we shall ever be again, an' you'd be