The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1862-03-28

looked down. ! heard the splash.
ling of water, and thought | could
detect a faint sound like the incom
ing ofa tiny jet or stream. At firs,
| saw nothing, but as soon as | DO
came used to the dim light, | could
distinguish the faint outlines OF the
boy at so,ne dis ance from the. lie
seemed to be sitting on the broken
floor, with his feet stretched ont
against cask. called out to him
and thought he looked up.
"Jack ATE you there9'
"Yes, help mel For Heavcn'a
sake help mel Bring men and a
lantern-the slip has sprung leak!
| hcsitated, aud he added in a
moro eager lone: ...
Mako haste I'll try and hold it
till you come back" .. 4. ...
| waited to hear no more, but hur.
ried on deck as soon as possible, and
returned with o lantern and three
men. Three OF the timbers were
completely worm. eaten to the very
heart, and one of the outer planks
had been broken and would burs,
in any moment the boy might leave
it, whose feet were braced against
the cask before him. ualf.a-dozen
little jets Of water were streaming
in about him. and he was wet to the
very skin. I saw the ylank mus,
burst the moment the strain was re-
moved from it, so made my men
brace themselves against it before
| lifted him mp. Other men we're
called down with planks aud spikes,
and adzes, and with much caro- and
trouble, we finally succeeded in
stopping the leak, and averting the
danger. Tho plank which Stove in
was six feet long and eight inches
wide, and would have let in a stream
Of water OF that capacity. 1t would
have been beyond our reach long
ere we conld discover it, and would
have sunk US in very short time. -
| knew it must have been where the
iceberg struck US. ....
Jack Wi,hers was taken % the
cabin, where he managed to tell his
story. Shorty after / put him in
the hold he crawled forward, and
when he became used to tho dim
glitter that came from the dead
lights, he looked abont for a snug
place to lie in. for his limbs were
sore. lie went to s'eep, and when
he heard faint sound, like wat e,
streaming through Il small hole, he
went to .ha opan place in tn, cargo
and looked down, aud he WAS sure
ho saw small jet of water spring
ing up from tie ships bottom, lie
leaped down, and in u few minutes
found that tho timbers had given
wholly asay, and the stream was
increasing in size. lie placed bis
hand upon the plank and found il
broken, and discovered that the
pressure of the water without was
pressing it inward. lie had sense
enough to see that if it gained an
inch moro it must all 60, and the
ship would be lost, and perhaps all
hands perish. He saw, too. that if
he could keep tho broken plank in
it's placs he might stop the incom.
ing flood. So he sat himself upon
it and braced his feet against the
cask, aud then called for help. Bu,
he was so far away, 80 low down,
with such O dense mass OF cargo
about him, that his voice scarcely
reached othcv ears than his own. -
Some men heard him, but thought
he was talking to himself.
And there he sat, with his feet
braced, for fonr and twenty h urs,
with the water spulting in tiny
streams drcnching him to tho skin;
he had thought several times OF go
ing TO the hatchway and calling for
hip; but ne knew that the plank
would bs forced in II he left il, TO,
he could feel its heave beneath him
His strength was filling him-his
limbs were racked with pain--bu'
he would not give nr. asked him
! If he should not have given up If
had not come as did. He aus wer'
Cd tina: he should not have done i,
while he had life in him. He said
he thought not OF himself --he wat
ready TO die--hut he would save the
rest if he could--pnd no saved ua
surely saved us from watery grave
Tat boy lay sick almost unto
death; but | purscd him with my
own hands -nursed him through al
his delirium; and when his reason
returned, and he could sit up anc
talk, bowed myself before him
and hunbly asked his p,rdon for al
the wrong hid done him. ii,
threw his arms about my neck. ant
told me that II ! would be good tt
him, he would never givo mo cause
Tor offence; and ho added as he ga
up again, II am not a coward
could not be dog"
Il From that hour ncycr Torgo