Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1869-07-23

1 have sailed the lakes for eleven At. la
seen a good deal Of hard service, and [ made
up my mind not to knock undor until the
last foot of cable had run out. I had on
heavy clothes, and q big pair Of brogans, and
when popped up among the white caps l
immediately commenced trying to diyest my.
self of the heavy weights. With the i
knocking me right and left, and Tho (
waters rolling me over and over,
easy task, but at length I got Ind
coat of, and thon l fclt moro like O swim. /
had by this time driftcd far to the lceward of
the scow, but the excited voices Of tho men
came over tho water to my ears. 1 know that
l had been missed, and that search would be
made for me as soon as the force of the squall
had passed away. The water seemed like
ice, | had hard work to keep my arms and
limbs in motion. | tried floating, but the
ugly whltccaps filled ny mouth in spite Of all
| could 90, and | had to confno my excrtions.
to simply keeping my head above tho angry
waves. | halloed several times, but realizing
that the screaming wind drowned my voice,
saved my breath for a swim. Drifting and
swimming, [ went farther and farther into the
gloomy blackwatcr to leeward, and the rat.
Ting OF the cordagc and the shouts of tho
mon soen died away in the distance. I am a
married man and have a wife and two ohil-
dren at Saugecn, Ontario. We sailors look
rough, and some of US have a bad habit Of
swearing and drinking; but then we that
have a mate and little onos don't entirely for.
got them. Going into that black darkness,
half a mile u leeward, I began to SEQ that l
was drifting further from help and nearer
death. The water was getting thoroughly
stirred up, and the way the Gaps raped me
backward and forward made me weak. IL
Of Lizzie and the two little girls, and
my heart tightoned up like a string, when 1
that my dead body might go floating and
washing about among tho breakers for q
month before being picked up. Whom wo
'ame 6cwr before and laid at this dock over
an old gray-hoaded man gave mo a
whichtold something about-@ell, Mis-,
or, you've seen 'em, and you know we would Z
II DO better to read moro Of 'emY Well, evs
~ word of that little tract seemed to some {
up before my eyes, and went ringipg J
my brain.
Gator a time tho wind went down, the
"a got a little smoother, and ! felt sure !.
Guild soon hear from tho soow. I was feel. =
g moro courage, and striking out with awiD, .
a sudden oramp catohed me all over, =
i'd I could n1t do another stroke. i felt .
ke a lump Of load. My head began to epin 9
ound, a great lump rose up in my throat : J
ID choked mo, and my eyes closed az if =
eight had been hung on the lids. I began ?
drown--I felt it; then came a feeling 8
moslhing like a red hot rod being drawn y
rough my brain, my head felt like fire. A q
roaring noise went through my q !,
rs, and my body felt as light as asfsather. :
10 waves. carried mo about VIE tsatp an effort :
my part, and i iaughsds4it seemed 80 On, \,
JUS that / %sotually laughed. didn't care
be picked ~ppt~dtdn't caro- for Lsasier-only
atoas TO float and drift forever on therolot.
10 water came into my FADE and mouth bit %
lever triodto keep my head up r wontaas II
moved ~ aanugsss to have boon sboa4a +
i seow. III grew dsrker and darker the Isl
lbro.feseHNN ggil coaassde through fmysslhesa again
nothing alutched me by tba 1y y