The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-12-24

( h must promise solmenly to forego nj
violence, or he should never come on
board alive.
NsckIntosh opened his mouth 10 re-
| ply; but at the same moment, his eyes
suddenly dilated in a fearful way, anc
he went under water, with gurging
cry. Yet. not like one drowning, bui
with jerk.
The next moment there was grent
| bubbling of the water, as If displaced
by some large creatures struggling be,
low, and Ihon the surface WAS stained
with blood.
And, lest there should be my doubt
as toitho wretched mans fate the huge
black fin OF monstrous shark came
soon after, gliding round and round
tho rolling boat, awaiting the next
victim.
Now, while the water was yet stained
| with his life blood, who, hurrying to
kill, had met with violent death, the
unwounded sailor, Fenner, excited by
the fracas, broke forth into singing,
and 80 completed the horror of a wild
and awful scene; for still while he
shouted, laughed, and sang, the shark
swan camly round and round, and
the boat crept on, her white sail be-
spattered with blood, which was not
so beforehand in her bottom lay one
man dead as a stone; and two poor
short-lived fsud composed forever, sat
openly sucking their bleeding wounds,
to quench, for moment, their lntoler-
able thirst.
o, little do we, who never pass n
single day without bite or sup, know
the animal man, in these dire extrem-
tiles.
CHAPTER NNII.
AT last Cooper ordered Feuner to hold
his jaw, and come aft, and help sail
the boat.
But the man, being now stark mad,
to6k no notice OF the order. His mad
ness grew on him, and took a turn by
no means uncommon in such cRses.-
He saw before him SumptuouS feasts,
and streams of fresh water flowing.-
These he began TO describe with great
volubility and rapture, smacking his
lips, and exulting: and SO he went on
tantRliZing them till noon.
Meantime, Cooper asked Mr.. Hazel if
he could sail the boat.
az can steer" said he, "but that is
all. Ny right arm is benumbed."
The silYery voice OF Helen Rolleston
then uttered brave and welcome words.
~ will do whatever you tell me, Mr..
Cooper"
"Long life to you. Miss!" said the
wounded seaman. He then directed
her how to reef the sail, and splice the
sheet which he had been obliged TO cut;
and, in u word, to sail the boat; which
she did with somelittle assistance from
Hazel.
And so they all depended upon her,
whom some of them had been for kill
ing: and the blood stained boat glided
before the wind.
AT two T.. NJ. Fenner jumped sudden
ly up, and, looking at the sea with rap
ture, cried out, AHA my boys, here's
n beautiful green meadow; and there's
a sweet brook with bulrushes; green,
green, green! Let's have n roll among
the duisies." And, in moment, ere
any OF his siiN and wounded shipmates
could put out a hand, he threw himself
on his back upon the water, and sunk
his corpse like face.
a feeble Hroan was the only tribute
those who remained behind could afford
him.
At three Il. NJ. Mr.. Hazel happened to
look over the weather-side, as she heel
ed to leeward under a smart breeze, and
he saw shell or two fastened to her
side, about eleven inches above keel.
He looked again, and gave loud hur-
rah. "Barnaclesi barnAcles !" he cried.
II see them sticking"
He leaned over, and, with some diff.
Guilty, detached one, and held 1t up.
1t was not barnacie, but curious
oblOng shell fish, open at one end.
AT sight of this the wounded forgot
their wounds, and leaned over the
boats side, detaching the shellfish with
their knives. They broke them with
the handles of their knives, and de-
Youred the fish. They were as thick
as mans finger, and about an inch
long, and as sweet as nut. 1t seems
that in the long calm these shell. fish
had fastened on the boat. More than a
hundred of them were taken OFT her
weather side, and evenly divided.
Miss ROlleston, at Hazel's earnest
request, ate only six, and these very
slowly, and laid the rest by. But the
sailors could not restrain themselves;
and Prince, in particular, gorged him
self so liercely that he turned purple in
the face, and began to breathe very
hard.
That black speGk on tho horizon, had
grown by noon TO beetle. and by three
O'Clock TO something more like an Gle
plant, and it now difiused itself into Il
huge black cloud, that gradually over
spread the heavens; and ut last, about
haitian hour before sunset, came a
peculiar chill, and then, in due course,
"a drop or two fell upon the parched
than like plants, all stretching towards
their preserver.
Their eyes were turned up to the
clouds, so were their open mouths, and
their arms and hands held up towards
it.
The drops increased in number, and
praise went up to heaven in return.
Patter, patter, patter; down came a
shower n rama heavy steady rain.
With cries of joy they put out every
vessel to catch it; they lowered the
sail. and putting ballast in the centre,
bellied 1t into great vessel to catch it.
They filled the water-Task with it they
filled the keg that had held the fatal
spirit and all the time they were suck
ing the wet canvass, and their own
clothes, and their very hands and gar
kept falling.
Then they set their little soil again,
and prayed for land to Him who had
sent them wind and rain.
ITo BE CoSTISUED.l