The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1859-11-09

/ ing to himself. | did not trouble him
again TIL morning. After breakfast / went
to the hatchway and called out to him
once more. heard nothing from him, nor
could see him had not seen him since
put him down there. called out several
times but he would make no reply-and vet
the same men told me that they had heard
him talking that very morning. He seemed
to be calling on them for help, but he would
not ask Tor me. | meant to break him into
i. Hell beg before he'll starye." thought,
anu so determined to let him stay there. |
supposed be had crawled forward to the bulk
head, in order to make the sailors hear him.
Some OF the men asked leave to 90 down and
look tor him, but | refused. threatened
TO punish the first man that dared to 90
down.
AT noon went again, and as he did NOT
answer me this time, | resolved that he should
come to the hatchway and call for me ere I
went any more. The day passed away. and
when evening came again began to be start
led. thought Of the many good qualities
the boy had, and of his widowed mother. He
had been in the hold thirty-six hours, and All
oi forty without food or drink. He was too
weak to cry out now. II was hard for me to
give up, but it he had died from absolute star
ration, II might so harder with me still. So
at length made up my mind to 60 and see
him. II was not quite sundOwn when had
the hatch taken of, and jumped down from
the boxes alone.
little way forward saw a space where
Jack might have easily gone down, and to
that point easily crawled on my hands and
knees. called out there but could get no
answer. A short distance farther was space
which had entirely forgotten, but now re-
numbered had been lett open on account Of
break in the flooring Of the hold, which
would have let everything that might have
been slowed there rested directly upon the
thin planking Of the ship.
10 this place made my way, and looked
down. heard the splashng of water, and
thought could detect sound like the in
coming Of tiny jet or stream. At first |
could see nothing. but as soon as / became
used to the dim light, could distinguish the
faint outline of the hoy. at some distance be.
low me. lie seemed to be sitting on the bro-
ken foor, with his feet stretched out against
the cask. ] called out to him and thought
he looked up.
Jack, are you there ?"
And he answered me in faint weary
tone:
Yes. help me! For heavens sake help
me! Bring men, and bring a lantern. the
ship has sprung leak !"
| hesitated. aud he added in a more hur-
ried tone
!" Make haste-I will try and hold it till
you come back"
waited 10 hear no more, but hurried on
deck as soon as possible, and returned with
lantern and three men. eaped down be-
side the boy, and could scarcely believe the
evidence Of my own senses. Three of the
tlmbers were completely wOrm eaten to the
very heart. aud one Of the outer planks had
been broken, and would blrs, in any moment
the boy might leave il, whose ieet were bra.
ced against the cask, before him. Halt.a.do-
zen little jets Of water were streaming in
about him, and he was wet 10 the skin. |
saw that the plank must burst the moment
the strain was removed from it, so made
my men brace themselves against il befpre
lifted him up. Other men were called down
with planks, and spikes, and adzes. and with
much care aud trouble, we finally succeeded
In stopping the leak, and averting the dan
ger. The plank which had been stove in was
six feet long BY eight inches wide, and would
have let ia a stream Oi water Of that capae-
III. II would have been beyond our reach
long ere we could have discovered il, and
would have sunk Us IN a very short time.
knew it must be where tie iceberg struck
us.
Jack Wiihers was taken to the cabin there
he managed % tell us his story. shortly az,
ter | put him in the hold he crawleJ forward,
and when he became used to the glimmer
that came through the desd.lights, looked a.
bout for snug place in which to lie, Tor his
limbs were sore. lie went TO sleep, and when
he awake he heard faint sound, like water
streaming through . small hole. lie went to
the open place 10 the cargo. and louked down,
aud lie was sure that lie saw a small Jet of wa.
ter spfingins up from the ships bottom. lie
leaped down, aud in few minutes found that
the timbers had wholly gyeu away, and that
the water without was pressing inward. lie
had sense enough 70 see that II Il gained an
inch more Il must all 20, and the ship be lost,
and perhaps sll hands perish. And lie saw.
too, that u he could keep the broken plank in
its proper place be might stop the incoming
flOuI. 30 he sat himself upon il. and bra
IFu nls trtt u ardlNst ltt StsAg dUu AltH Cdtl-
Ell for help. But he was 50 Ear away, 50 Low
down. with such dense mass Of cargo about
him that his voice scarcely reached other
ears than his own. Some of the men heard
hin bot thought be vas talking TO himself.
And there he set. with his feet brseed for
four-snd.tSenty drrary hours with the wa.
ter squirting IN tiny streams all over him,
drenehing him 10 the skin. lie thought sew
eral times Of going to the hatching and call.
ing for help but be knes that the broken
plank would be forced in IL he left IL, for he
could feel il hsave beneath him. Ills strength
was failing him-his limbs we're racked with
pain--but he would NOT give up. asked
him II he would not have gwen up IL had
not come as did. lie answered that he could
not have done il while he had life 10 him.
lie said he thought not Of himself-he was
ready TO debut he would save the rest if
he could--and he had saved Us, surely saved
ue all from A watery 0raVp