Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 17, 1924 — page 125: what you’re looking at

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

THE ROARING FORTIES. all sail, Valkyrie slowly gaining on Guthrie’s darling, until she lost sight of her in a heavy squall. That squall was fatal to Dorothea. Being forced into shallow water, she let go both anchors, but in spite of this, she began to bump on the hard coral bottom, and a hole was soon stove in her. At daylight she was boarded by plunder- ing Malays, and her captain was forced to abandon his ship, setting off in boats for Gaspar Island. Meanwhile, Valkyrie had made a wonder- ful passage to Mauritius. After getting into the Indian ~Ocean, Forbes had a man stationed on the fore royal yard. The timely warning of this look-out enabled him to keep the horizon between Valkyrie and her rivals. Between Anjer and Mauritius, bowling along before the steady southeast trade, Valkyrie made her fastest time. Every kind of flying kite was set, and hung onto till the last minute. These were days of famous going. From Mauritius to the cape all kinds of weather was encountered from light airs to heavy storms. Just before making the African coast, Valkyrie spoke the Wanderer. A mighty cheer arose from each rival as they ranged alongside. The two clippers kept company for several hours, This was perhaps one of the most thrilling moments, with the leaders of England and America ramping along together, midway upon their world wide race course, Valkyrie, steering in toward the Natal Coast to make the most of the Agulhas current, actually sighted the cape, but the Wanderer, farther to the south, was luckier in her winds, and closed on the Yankee flyer. The Challenge, which had gained on them both, converging toward the cape, was steering a more southerly course, got caught by the westerlies, and had to tack up north again in order to get a favorable current. Off St. Helena light airs prevailed, and the Wanderer passed Valkyrie logging two feet to her one. With a continuation of baffling breezes northward to the equator, 275 the Valkyrie watched Westward Ho and Challenge steal ahead, in light air ghost- ing. Crossing the equator at fourth place, Forbes’ spirits kept descending, while the dread of light weather continued. As the ships neared the Western Isles, with strong breezes the ranks continued to close up, and on the twenty-seventh of August, the first four ships of the China fleet passed Flores within twenty-four hours, the Challenge leading, Wanderer second, Valkyrie forging ahead at third. The most remarkable incident of this stretch was the wonderful sailing Valkyrie, which had made up three days on the leaders. From the Western Isles, the racers had fresh southwest winds, in which weather Forbes, passing farther west, lost sight of his competitors. Six day’s later, at midnight, Valkyrie’s lookout sighted Bishop’s Light, and with ‘all sails set they tore along for the mouth of the channel. At daybreak, a vessel was seen on the starboard quarter running in for the Lizard, under a tremendous press of sail. By instinct Forbes muttered: “That’s the Wanderer!” The two rival clippers were about five miles apart, beam and beam, steering on slightly converging courses. It was a glorious September morning in the channel, with a strong southerly wind, and both ships were driven at utmost speed. Forbes did not need the example of Captain Ferguson in order to send his ship along at her best speed. He had been driving her to the limit for ninety-eight days and ninety-eight nights, with sleepless and unending vigilance. As the two rivals raced up channel pass- ing the various headlands, they presented an immortal picture. Now one, now the other gained a slight advantage. At three A.M. when nearing the Pilot Station at Dungeness, Captain Forbes be- gan to send up rockets, and burn blue lights. At four A.m., after shortening sail, he hove to. An hour later the British clipper was close astern, also signalling for a pilot. To the consternation of Valkyrie’s crew, CORmMICLOOoks of - (C@