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Mr. Trunnell

Chapter 8 No.8

Word Count: 3060    |    Released on: 06/12/2017

tsail. The Pirate went smoking through it under the pressure, trembling with each surge, and throwing a perfect storm of water over

n boats, for the sea was too heavy until late in the afternoon to venture out in our only one left. We could no longer see her

wore ship, and found that we could just ab

he lee rail. Then, watching a chance, she was let go with Hans and Johnson in her to keep her c

h hove her first high on the Pirate's quarter, and then down until our faces were below the copper

ter, and several times I turned to look back at the ship, where Trunnell stood beside the skipper, watching us through the glasses, and

reaking up the heavy oily clouds into long banks between which the sun shone at intervals.

n, Liverpool," were painted in gold letters on her stern, and on the circular buoys hanging upon her quarter-rail was the same name in black. A group of men stood

n you come abo

ngside," I bawled. "St

ilor, who was pulling bow oar, seized it as it fell across and took a turn around a thwart.

t man, who was the captain. "Ca

ard here as quick as yo

ooked as if there would be something of a panic. The short skipper, however, flung t

hip's stern. A bridle was rigged from the spanker boom and made fast to a life buoy. Then the lady who had appeared at the taffrai

strands of curly blond hair blew across my face, and gave me a most peculiar feeling as I brushed them aside. Then she turne

n," she said, with a smi

a little wetting, you

nsw

boldly around the body, trying to keep her from being th

oung lady aft. "You've been squeezed

her daughter in the stern, expostulating in

ut, who was evidently the ship's carpente

l swim?" I asked of the mate, w

them out now,

e've got a big eno

o the Pirate, making good headway before t

he peninsula had kept her from going to the bottom. She was homeward bound to Liverpool, and it was the captain's wife and daughter we were bringing aboard. The hurricane had caught them aback and dismasted them during the night, and after six hours of plunging helplessl

id a sailor who was old and grizzled and had the bearing of a man-of-war's

were not getting your boat

r a bit longer as in many a bleedin' cra

first to leave her," said the

em without huntin' any more. Howsumever, if I see any chance o' gettin' the bleedin' craft in port 'way out here in this Hind

he had just deserted. What was in the old fellow's mind? I really felt sorry for him, as he sat there gazing sadly after his deserted home. Captain Sackett would stay aboard until the last, his wife informed us, but as there was no necessity o

irate and then began the job of g

d held the tossing craft away from the ship's side unt

of different stuff. She insisted that she could grab the mizzen channel plates and climb aboard. I begged her to desist and be hoisted on deck properly, but she gave me such a look that I held back and refrained

o a footing. The ship rolled down until they were knee deep in the sea, but the little mate held tight, and then, with one

st way they could, and the boat was dropped astern wi

wling tone that he was 'most glad that their boat was wrecked, inasmuch as it

madam," said he, "if I am lying when I says t

Captain Thompson. The fact is, we have heard so much about your gallantry in saving life at sea that we are sure anything we could say would sound weak in comparison

the young girl's answer, but he hid hi

thes, etc., regretting over and over again that he was a single man, and consequently h

them, and his soft voice could be heard in conversa

ng the "doctor" to serve them something hot, as their galley fire had

. It was evident that he would try to save her if possible, and now that his family were safe he cared little for the risk. Captain Thompson still held the Pirate hove to under easy canvas, drifting slowly with the wind, which was now no more than a moder

look around. The Sovereign was a mere blur

nd then if the skipper doesn't care to leave her,

I had better come forward after supper and take a smoke in his room, for they were going to come to some conclusion about the fellow An

ween the crack of his door and the bulk

med Spurgen, who had quite a swagger for a merchant sailor, was

tween, decks widout nothin' to hoist i

ol wid it." This made the bos'n angry, and he opened with a fierce harangue, accompanied by a description of t

Chips to make myself easy, during which time the bos'n had gained sufficient ground to enforce silence upon his adversary, and relinquish the subject of

ips. "It's old man Green's sure remedy, sah, yes, sah. I hearn him to

wry face. "Supposen they didn't die? They would make a most eternal disagreeable cargo shiftin' about amongst your ribs.

'em in er pint er water-an' then fling 'em o

do is to throw th' critters to lor'ard. Sink me, though, if I sees th' benefit av a me

white man? yes, sah, drink the water for the acid in the critter. It's salt in yer blood makes scurvy, from libbin' so long er eatin' nuffin' but salt junk. Lime juice is good, ef the ole man gi

ps who stood in too thick with the shipping commissioners, and whom he swore were in league with each other and the devil. He was an old sailor, and his seamed face was

doped?"

s's mates for a spell, until th' Irishman, God bless him, knocked hi

want to hear,"

fficer of his watch. Then he fixed himself comfortably on the chest by jamming himself

ake a look out, I did so to see if the men obeyed his orders, and found them rather slow slacking the line. This made it n

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