Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-04-12

plant disposi ion and more graceful con-
cession to those business arrangements, in
which solicited your cooperation, would
have led to very different results /; gentle
men, that gun is from vessel lying of the
ice-feld which we are now skirting that
vessel will take us up. How about that
blow now? We have money enough to pay
for our passage. Farewell. Lower the
boats there. Captain Ritson, / have the
honor of wishing you a pleasant voyage to
heaven"
Captain Ritson made no answer till the
boats were lowered. God will avenge US
if it seemeth good to him." was the only
malediction he uttered. "Men, | thank
God that | still trust in his mercy, and,
worse come to worst, | am ready to die"
$50 am l." said the purser, eff | could
only first look up and see that yellow ras-
cal dangling at the yard-arm."
It's all up with u.s." said the quarter
master. Il only wish the black Williams
had given us ole noggin round before they
| left"
An hour passed, the last sound of the re-
cedmg boats had passed away. The SAL
lors began to groan and lament their fate.
Have you any hope left, Captain Rit-
son, now? 2" said the purser in melancholy
voice. 90 Jenny, Jenny, my dear wife, |
shall never see you again
As for my wife," said the quartermas-
ter, "its no great loss. Pm thinking more
of myself. Oh, those Williams"
81 have to hope" said the captain, brave
| ly, but am ready to die. | trust in the
mercy of God He will do the best for US,
and he will guard my poor Chi dren."
! Just then, like a direct answer from
Heaven, the fog grew thinner and the sun
shone through with a cold yellow luster,
showing the line of land for miles alas it
was not land, but ice-pack, miles of it, ris-
ing into mountainous bergs, green as emer-
aid, blue as sapphire, golden as crysolite,
and stretching away into snow plains and
valleys. The nearest cliffs were semi
transparent, and glistened with prismatic
colors, but in the distance they merged
again into cold clinging fog. The nearest
ice was about two miles off.
The captain looked at his companions,
and they at him, but they did not speak,
their hearts were so full, for the water
could be now heard gurgling and bubbling
upward in the hold.
1--WE have two hours more to live, and
let us spend it" said the captain, braveIy,
"in preparing for death. After all, it is
better than dying of cold and hunger, and
it is only the death US sailors have been
taught to expect at any moment"
81 shouldn't care if it was not for my
poor old MOTHER" said one of the sailors,
'but now she'll have to go on the parish
0, it's hard, bitter hard"
"Fie, man." said the captain, with his un-
quenchable courage, "have | not my chill
dren, and the purser his wife. What must
be must be, must be,-bear it like a man"
At that moment shrewd boyish face
showed itself round the corner of the cabin
stairs, and the next instant up leaped and
danced Harrison, the ships boy, with a
sharp carving knife in his hand He ca
pered for Joy round the captain, and was
hailed with tremendous shout of delight
and welcome as he released the men one by
one, beginning with his master.
They thought | was in the hold, " he
said, 'dident they? but was hiding un-
der the captains sofa all the time, and there
| lay till was sure they were gone. The
vessels filling fast, Captain Ritson there
is no time to lose. Hurrah !"
ut is quite true" said the purser, as he
returned from below with the captain. eve
have one hour, no more, to rig raft in, so
to it my lads, with a will. The leaks too far
gone, and we've not hands enough to make
the pumps tell on it."
The MT n were shaking hands all round,
intoxicated with joy at their escape
"Come, men, enough of that Pm plain
man, and what say mean," said the cap
tain, already himself "We're not out of
the wood yet, so don't holler Come, set to
at the raft, and get all the biscuits and junk
those villains have left. | shall be the last
man to leave the vessel. | sha'nt leave
her at all till she begins to settle down.
Purser, get some sails for tents. Quar-
termaSter. you look to the grub. Harrison,
you collect the spars for the men Davis,
you see the work is strong and sure. 1t
isn't the coast | should choose to land on ;
but any port in a storm, you know and,
purser, you get two or three muskets and
some powder and shot. We may have to
live on sea-brds for day or two, till God
sends us deliverance, death, or a ship that
is our alternative Come, to work"
The raft was made in no time. But the
stores proved scanty. The scoundrel mate
had thrown overheard, spoiled, or carried
On all DuG lllIeG uays pIONl5lOu VI HlCdlJ
biscuit, and rum The captain had almost
to be forced from the vessel They had not
got half a mile away when the great ice
pack closed upon it, just as she was sink
ing. As the Shooting Star slow Y settled
down, Captain Ritson took off his cap and
stood for moment bareheaded.
"There," said he, "goes as good vessel
as ever passed the Mersey lights as long
as she floated she'd have done Messrs Da-
vid and Blizzard credit"
"Good by, old Shooting STAR" said the
men. ''If ever man deserved the gallows,
it's that first mate of ours"
The raft reached the shore safely.
81 take possession of this ERE floating
pack" said the captain, good-humordly, to
keep up the mems spirits, as he leaped on
the ice, Gin the name of her blessed Majes
ty, and beg to christen it Ritson's Island,
! If it is Joined on to the mainland, We'll wait
and see what the mainland is. wonder
if there are many bears, or pufins, or white
/ foxes, on it. And now let's rig the tents,
and then we'll measure out the food"
! The tday brought no hope. The pack
proved to be of enormous size, and deep
ce-fog prevented it's complete exploration.
; The food was fast decreasing. The few