Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-01-09


rather coolly, and do now. But at this mo men
| was nearly knocked down by the carpenter, wbc
appeared at full speed from forward, and who
seemed to be mad. The American sailor turned
| round and joined US at this moment; and We
either did say something, were going TO Say
something, to one arother, when We were Ii ter
rupted by Voice. voice from the quarterback
w..ich seemed TO divide the dark night Of deaIh
| like flame of fire, and send despair like howl
ing ghost to wander over the desolate ice-ridden
sea. which was ready to ingulf US. A voice loud
shrill, and clear. audible in every syllable, even
| IN expression, though so loud that every one
h eard it plainly above the wash of the waves, and
the beating OF the floating wreck upon the iron
sides of the ship. 1t was heard by every man
aud woman upon that deck ; for at the hearing oi
it, the parting, wailing groups broke up, and the
men came staggering aft toward the quarterback,
pushing one another aside in their contest to get
nearsr TO II.
Tie voice shri led out this upon the night and
ruin, " the ship IS rot sinking; the ,ore compart
ment has been stove, but the next is perfectl,
day. Men, if you ever want 10 see England
again, get to work and cut away the wreck OF the
masts."
Whose voice was il had never heard it be
fore. l looked up e, light which bu ming
the binnscle, tie fore part OF the quarterback
aud saw the face of our Brown Passenger Halter
ton, peerng down into the darkness. The voice
was his. The American sailor, Eliza Dshmore-
and myself Immediately adjourned TO that same
onnicle for orders; and | we'll remember hat the
American sailor bowed precedence TO bDtr Of us,
as went up the ladder.
Carpenter" he said. approached him,
" go forward and give the young men their orders.
Have the wreck OF the foreulest and The mizzen-
mast cut away; that will do till daylight. Tne
mainmast must lie on deck at present that /.
d for tonight. Be sharp, now, or We shall have
auotte hole knocked in the ships side. " e are
the leewari of the ice now, but snail DRIFT
into the swell again directly, and tasn would n,
give Two pence-hafpenny for US, with that wreck
hanging overheard"
| went toward him, and | said, 90 " Lat shall
d., S;r?"
''You! Let me see Who the devil is it Ah !!
see You ale very popular fellow, with glft
of the CAB. a very gool gift mind you; wish
had it. You let see; you go and animate
them. Tell them am going to take the ship to
Valparaiso, and that there is not the least fear OF
my not doing SO. Have you seen the skipper? .
" No sir"
Did he go of in one of the boats ,"
"Of course be did not,' | said, indignantly.
"Of course not, answered the Brown Passen
ger. Now, sir !? >
This was to the American sailor who replied
that he wished to be 6 told of TO something
special.
want you when zig jury mast. You are
noble fellow, and the only seaman L have LETT
20 forward, sir.
He went forward There remained Eliza Dish
more, who said,-
And what am | to do, sir ?
8 90 to yoar BERTH madam, and thank God for
your sa:ety."
~ can do more than that. Come, use me
fairly, SIR or YOU and shall quarrel. Tell me of
for something
Can yoa keep those women quiet? Can yo4
orsrulze : hos pita. For whel DAY dawns snail
hnd long list OF killed and wounded, l fear.
There were many OF deck.
= There Swele very few, she answered. Bu.
! can do what you want. If could not, who
could ?"
"Were you on deck, madam, when this hap
pened "
- was"
Ibid you see the skpper,-the master, mad
am? -
-. did not But | saw the boats push oti,
and he in neither OF them. de IS lying dead
somewhere; under the wreck OF the malnmast.
How utterly mean you must be to suspect that
man -
Mean, madam"
"tYes, mean. Aud why do you suspec; and
dislike me SO, that your gentle breeding hardy
keeps YOU civil ? You gentleman, but you
have goue the ed dge OF your gent;hty in your
treatment OF me. What have done that you
should treat you have done?
MADAM, humoy beg your pardon. May |
beg that YOU would be kind enough TO proceed |
about what you undertook
| believe that this was the only explanation ever
ontered into by this queer pair. But the next
lime saw them together they seened perfect |
devoted TO one another, and remained tor the |
whole voyage. lie not only got really to respect
her, from seeing ali her noble qualities shine out,
n spite of her fantastic appearance and odd man
ners, but his delicate conscience told him be had
been more brusQue with her on somej occasions
.han he should nave been. He made the most
perfect amends.
Meanwhile day crept up over the busy scene,
and the snow-storm ceased, giving way to gior-
ous, clear, sparkling morn. Engaged as was,
could not help looking round with the most eager
Curiosity to c3tch sight of the iceberg,-shat hid
sous gray mass on which we had struck in the
lead of the wild night. l. was close 10 Us sill,
scarce five miles off at sunrise, and of ali the
beautiful objects | have seen think that Tas
he most beautiful. Il lay floating upon bright
blue sea, fecked with flying purple shadows, and
very crystal and pinnacle was blazing Ike The
brightest silver against an intensely blue sky.
while the shadows on the berg Itself we're Of the
oaiest, most delicate green. 1t was the only one
near us, but TO the south could q long line
r them, stretching across the horiz ~, much like
mother Bernese Oberland.
We found the poor captain, struck down on
ieck, with both his legs broken, entirely helpless.
But we had need of his ,eEvices, poor fellow,
or our brown friend turned out 10 be the finest
ailor We had sailed with mast of his
profession in every branch, apparently knowing
much of details as The Carpenter. surgeon TOO,
md no bad one, for he set the captain legs, and
he Scotch stewardess and Edmund s wife nursed
im into convalescence. a man of resource, for
e and the carpenter go: sail over the bows. and
o far stopped the leak to get the fore compart
nent pumped out, which IN ide her sail better.
\ man perfectly accustomed to command, and {
efore We had been four days our new voyage
Ie saw that We should have been lost after all
'ithout him. a
To say that Mrs. Dishmore turned out per- a
,ct tramp may be familiar, but it Is certainly
rue. She disc vered next DAY that the cook aae
rowned SO she instantly established herself at /
be coppers, and worked there and among the .
rounded like slave. The instant it was posi- c
le, to do SO she suggested the propriety of offer
,g up thanksgiving. And this led me 10 the
judging from his splendid intonation.
nat our wonderful brown friend had been accus- |
'med to read prayers in public. Another person 4
tho turned out real hero was the solitary yong i
,idshipman whom we had first seen. His for