The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-10-29

Z ly know. About three or four A, M o
] Friday asked permission, TO lie down 70
an hour. promising to resume, my place al
(. terwaTd. Ny friends consented Reluctantly
! had hardly stretched myself on a bert
u and closed my eyes, when | fell the dark
d ness gathering itself into iorm-I felt
d growing weight Oh my caest-I felt an in
creSsing tightness about my throat--I knew
3 what it meant; twas my dream returning
f I sprang out Of bed and rushed on deck
twas pitch dark; and the north wind blew
so that ! could no! keep my footing withou
holding on. The steamer was working
slowly. The officer of the watch and the
crew looked very anxious and were unusu
: ally alert. I'd. ..--..-.. ... ...-...,.-......
From that moment 1 torekasto our fate!
Iwent below, and declaring that / wOulC
play no more, l drew from my. belt my win
nings, Ind laid th m on The table.
"Gentlemen," said J., twill any of you
cut for these, or shall 1 give them to the
Orphan Asylum at San Francisco!"
M-=-77(Poor, fellow! he is gone, / fear
had besn losing and drinking freely; he ac-
cepted the challenge. .r, a.. .t .--.g-
I cut a ten, but held it in my hand so that
4 he could not see il; he cut u seven. ,........
i ,s 'fLost!' said to hin, pushing him the
money. .-.f.. i-. ...;3 g.. .....,fs. 90. ...-.
WHATS your card!" ID, a,e.5.. =. ..
"a six.'' e.f--..,g ..,..,.t..s. a..
i Throwing the cards into heap. walked
out of the state room and proceeded to make
my arrangements for the catastrophe. They
were few and simple. ! had large amount
in gold with me, and several drafts-the
product nf years of arduous and persever.
ing labor in the hardest Of felds--C Calif6r-
MIA. The former rolled into bundle, and
threw into corner of the state Groom.
could not help laughing bitterly at this.
Here were, several-no matter how many
thousand dollars In gold, which had cost
me years Of hard work to earn. a few
hours before, those. who know me w II not
need to, be told that | would not have shrunk
from spilling blood to defend it. Patent
locls,aEevolvers, and extra prudence had all
been calleq into play to transport it thus
far safely; ani now ! kicked it into the cor.
ner of the state,roem with as little ceremo-
my as i it had been a dirty shirt, walked
our and left the door open. ,s, .,g,.,.,a
Before the day was oyer ceased to think
myself singular. On, Friday. night man
might have had a fortune for the gathering;
several poor fellows went to the bottom
with rolls Of stolen gold round their waist
s.c 1t was about mid.doy on Friday, as near
as can recoilect, that the steamer became
unmanageable, and the pumps we're rugged
Sails Of various kinds were set to try to
keep her head to the storm, but without
success. Then the fore yard with an an.
chor fast to it, was put overheard TO act as a
drag; but it had no effect beyond impeding !
the working Of, the forward pump. We lay |
fairly,in the trough Of the sea, which wash
ed over rs and into US. Under the direc.
ton Of Captain Herndon, gangs OF men
were formed TO work the pumps. Joined
one Of them, and wrought, hope may |
say, zealously and faithfully, as long as my
strength lasted. Some on board said
they were out of order, and thrsw out no
water; others, again-and among these the
ships otticers-encouraged US to presevere,
with many assurances that we were gaining
on "the Leak" lam not a sailor, and can
not undertake 10 decide among these con.
ficting opinions, Inever had much belief
myself in the theory of ..The Leak. and I
was prepared to, believe that the pumps
threw out no water. We were in the |
trough of the sea, and could not keep our.
head to windward. What more need
say! 81, .,.t..s.g .uaf ,;...s s..-..
US ! bud not slept on Thursday night; need
% no sleep, on the following one. Went
down below and talked to the ladies' abou,
the prospect Of our being saved, striving to
encourage them. The storm ragged more
turiously than ever, and the steamer career.
ed over almost on her beam ends. The
poor creatures lay huddled together in heaps,
few silent and thoughtful, but the most
Of them nervous and restless. Went to-
" 3 room, and found him asleep, with
the money ne had won from me under his
pillow Sat down on chest, and began to
recall the stories Of shipwrecks I had read
in idsyys gone by. Captain Bligh's was the
one remembered best WhiIeI was sit.
ting there the steamer gave sudden lurch,
and threw some one upon me. .i
1twds the Spanish boy. He was crying.
1suppose he was not d manly boy, but his
feeling was quite human. He was very.
much afraid Of being drowned, and he. like
myself, foresqD our fate. tried to cheer
him up. He took d little cross from his
neck, and. showed it to me. saying that bis
sister had givenit to him when he LEFT home,
and begging me to let her know, If he were
drowned and escaped, that all his thoughts
| al that terrible moment @aers about her. 1d
+ On Saturday morning those who, unlike
myself had derfded the storm, began to look
] serrioas.o % .2. 1:aac aaccosted me with assahm
1.st,NI I. ,t.TAfsiap ,An .e $40, ist3kgig aas,i