In this story we have a ship aptly named The Storm, lulled in the tropics when a frigate comes barreling down on it seemingly out of nowhere. What is most striking about Running the Gauntlet is the high level of writing for an anonymous story. The dialogue among the characters is very believable. The author was not a newbie. Take this example:
Wild, affrighted looks were seen upon our decks, looking in the sickly light, like ghastly spectres from the tomb, but not a voice was heard, nor a breath drawn as, with the silence of the dead, we were whirling against the ship, until the captain waived his arm wth startling quickness, shouting,
"Hard up—h-a-a-r-d !"
While terror is present throughout this fine story, the lack of true horror brands this tale as the 40th best short story from 1800-1849. I would love to have input from the Web community on your thoughts. The next post will provide hints to the 39th best horror short story.
No comments:
Post a Comment