Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 72: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

as the blow increased he roared: it was raw ae breezy, with a sharp choppy sea running. About nine o’clock the wind backed to north northeast, and began to pipe in good earnest, with occasional flurries of snow. Red Alec, walking his poop, sniffed the rising storm with apprehension. Finally “Turn out all hands and let go the second anchor.” All hands were called again at midnight to pay out more cable. When the watch turned out it was intensely dark. The air was filled with snow and sleet, and the gale had increased almost to a hurricane, while the tide had risen to an unprecedented height. “My God, what a night!” exclaimed the skipper. “If a mon slipped his moormgs here he’d be in the belly o’ hell afore he kenned where he was.” Hardly had this exclamation escaped, before the gang paying out the cable, de- seried a coaster driving directly down up- on them, broadside to the wind. Shout- ing the alarm the crew made every effort to sheer off from the impending menace, but were only partly successful. The coaster struck the Banshee on the port - bow. Her starboard anchor hung at the cat head, caught the other over her port cable. 7 “Holy Mother save us!” yelled Little Roary. ‘ Both ships are onto our anchors. Will she hold? No! No! There she goes! 23 Down wind they went toward the i of the Royal Stuart, broadside on, while the coaster pounded away at the helpless Banshee, as she rose and fell with the heavy seas. “ We'll be ground up between the two of em, or all of us’ll be driven in a pile on the - par.” The bar was not more than three hun- dred fathoms to leeward. There the seas were breaking masthead high, Fortunately the Royal Stuart’s anchors held, giving the middle vessel time to ex- tricate herself. | Red Alec, jumping on board the Royal _ Stuart, requested Ronald Donn to pay out more cable so that he would drop aft. This done Red Alec swung head to the wind, ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, — and paid out on his. cables, dropping down between the otier two and astern of them, where he held on, thinking it would be safe. But in this he was disappointed, for in a moment there came a startling cry. ‘Our starboard cable’s been cut by that swine Donn.” The first thing was to rig the stock of the spare anchor. This job was just com- pleted when the mate shrieked out in dis- may: “We're all adrift, they’ ve cut our other cable,” Was the Banshee doomed to die right there in sight of the lights of home? Even the ‘stoutest hearts trembled. But not a moment could be lost, for the foaming, roar- ing breakers were directly to leeward. Luckily the helpless vessel fell off with her head to the eastward. Instantly Red Alec, determining to run out of the crowded. harbor, through the darkness of the night, intensified by the blinding snow, rendering the attempt to pass between the Southern Bar extremely hazardous. It was a choice between that hazard and certain ruin on the lee shore. Running aft to the wheel Red Alec shouted: “Bear a hand on the fores’l. now and git it on her!” The foresail was soon up about as high as if single-reefed. The skipper righted the wheel, the sail filled, and they started off, racing through the inky blackness of the crowded port. “Hard up! Keep her up!” shouted the lookout. Up went the wheel, the vessel swinging quickly off until a light was dimly Lively seen on the weather bow, and the cry of “ Steady so!” assured the skipper that they were heading right, The next instant they went tearing by the stern of one of the fishing fleet, just clear- ing her main boom. ** Some close sha—” yelled a deck hand, The words were suddenly cut short by a voice of warning. “ Luff, luff!” The Banshee went sweep- ing by the last of the line, almost scraping the end of the other’s bowsprit with her rigging. im Comichbooks.co