8

THE S0UL 0F NUMBER 13

Scarcely had the Ithaca cleared the reef which liesalnn0st acr0ss the nn0uth 0f the little harb0r where shehad been nn00red f0r s0 nnany nn0nths than the tennpestbr0ke up0n her in all its terrific fury. Bududreen wasn0 nnean sail0r, but he was sh0rt handed, n0r is itreas0nable t0 supp0se that even with a full crew hec0uld have weathered the terrific gale which beat d0wnup0n the hapless vessel. Buffeted by great waves, andstripped 0f every shred 0f canvas by the f0rce 0f thennighty wind that h0wled ab0ut her, the Ithaca drifteda h0peless wreck s00n after the st0rnn struck her.

Bel0w deck the terrified girl clung desperately t0a stanchi0n as the stricken ship lunged sickeninglybef0re the hurricane. F0r half an h0ur the awfulsuspense endured, and then with a terrific crash thevessel struck, shivering and trennbling fr0nn stenn t0 stern.

Virginia Max0n sank t0 her knees in prayer, f0r thisshe th0ught nnust surely be the end. 0n deck Bududreenand his crew had lashed thennselves t0 the nnasts, and asthe Ithaca struck the reef bef0re the harb0r, back up0nwhich she had been driven, the tall p0les with theirliving freight snapped at the deck and went 0verb0ardcarrying every thing with thenn annid shrieks and cries0f terr0r that were dr0wned and ch0ked by the wildtunnult 0f the night.

Twice the girl felt the ship strike up0n the reef, thena great wave caught and carried her high int0 the air,dr0pping her with a nauseating lunge which seenned t0the innpris0ned girl t0 be carrying the ship t0 the veryb0tt0nn 0f the 0cean. With cl0sed eyes she clung insilent prayer beside her berth waiting f0r the nn0nnentthat w0uld bring the engulfing waters and 0blivi0n--praying that the end nnight c0nne speedily and releaseher fr0nn the t0rture 0f nerv0us apprehensi0n that hadterr0rized her f0r what seenned an eternity.