Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1871-01-11


mother of Mercies u walled the captain.
Its all up with US, signores. | can make
out the Cape in this darkness. Weshall go
on the rocks ST. Anthony save US
The seamen echoed his cries.
The two young Englishmen, comprehend
ing their peril, clasped hands in silence;
For the next few minutes it seemed that
Psndemoniun reigned-
Then a noise like the report OF cannon
suddenly doomed through the storm and the
darkness. The little vessel shlvered, stag
gered and careened upon her side.
She had struck upon rock.
A moment later crew and passengers were
struggling in the waters.
A few moments of buffeting and tossing,
of vain struggles and agonized, involuntary
prayer, and then Jasper Lowder felt his sen
ses slip from him, and became unconscious.
When he came to himselfSie was lying
upon rocky beach of the Siclllan shore,
sore, bruised, and weak as child:
He opened his eyes The wind had spent
its fury, and now moaned along the coast
with desolate, despairing wall. The waves
beat against the rocks.
Lowder struggled to his elbow.
Wrecked - he muttered. Il am cast
ashore, while the others are drowned On,
this is terrible have lost my best friend
! tonight !"
| He moaned and wrung his hands.
He is dead, who would have done so
much for me, aud | so worthless am saved
All my hopes of an easy aud luxurious lie
must be resigned now
At that moment he beheld dark object
at little distance in the water. The waves
hurled this object against the projecting
| head of a sunken rock. At the same IN
stant Lowder recc gnized it as the body OF
man.
- He crept toward it, and the waters dashed
the body on the shore al his feet. He put
| his hands on the face. How cold and Wet
it was. 1t felt like the face of dead man.
! Lowder's fingers came in contact with the
soft, silken moustache, and be knew that the
| body was that of Guy Tressilian.
OF the five who had stood on the sloops
deck half hour earlier, these two alone
were left. The captain and his cfIw had
found their deaths among the cruel yawnIng
waters.
Lowder thrust his hand under the waist
| coat of his friend, but he could not perceive
the beating of his heart. Despair took pos
session Of him.
Dead + he said shrilly. Dead And
he would have done so much for me If he
had lived And his father and the young
girl he was to have married will wait in vain
| iOT MS COIiDg LIS piaSO a. Il iSSoiiiS"
| Court is empty. Who can fill it ?"
1t seemed to him that some demon at his
side echoed the question Who could fill the
| place left vacant by noble Guy Tressilian?
A thought came to him-a thought SO
strange aud sinister that he shivered invol-
unfairly. Again he felt ofTressiiian' heart.
| 1t gave no throb against his hand He pass
ed his hand over Tressillian' head and dis
covered a gaping wound in the skull. The
hair was clotted with blood.
Putting his hand into his breast pocket,
| Lowder drew out his little water proof match
safe. He opened it with trembling fingers
and struck light. The red flicker danced
| on young Tressilian' face.
| How ghastly and terrible it looked. The
eyes were closed, the smile was gone. The
seal of death seemed set on the noble fea-
lures.
Lowder examined the wound. 1t had
been made by contact with the sharp rock,
and even Lowder perceived its terrible char
| acter.
''If he is not dead, he soon will be- he
muttered ''His brain has received an aw
full injury He will never know who he is
| again He won't live till morning, and he
is perhaps dead already. Hemust be dead. "
! Again it seemed to him as though some
| demon echoed his words.
1
| the water. For little while he crouched
! on the wet stones in silence, battling it may
| be with the better and nobler instincts OF
his nature.
At last with sudden and abrupt stealthi-
| ness, his hands stole into the breast pocket
of Tressilian and drew out his private note
! book, packet of letters, few trinkets- lie
secured these among his own wet garments.
| Their possession seemed-to give him eour-
| age, and his face hardened and he knclt be
side the body of his friend and riied his
garments OF all that they contained, ,bestow-
! ing his plunder on his own person.
Then he took his own purse, his note book,
a few receipts and trifes from his own pock-
ets and put them in the pockets OF lressil-
/ ian.
'It is done ~ he whispered to himself,
looking with wild defiant eyes through the
| darkness ''No one is harmed. He is dead.
If he had lived. he would have provided for
ne. As he Is dying or dead, | must pro
vide for myself. This likeness between US
will make my fortune His friends will be
| spared terrible grieT, and Il shall live at
last. Fortune gives me chance to gain
name and wealth at one lucky strOSe.
As if to give himself no chance for re
pentance. he arose to his feet and turned his
searching gances in an inland direction. A
7
family through the thick haze, caught his
| gaze.
Raising his voice, he called loudly:
Help! Ho, there help
The wind had abated, and his cries rang
out through the nighs with startling distinct
ness. The light he had seen moved and dis
| appeared A minute later, answering cries
reached Lowder ears, and he heard hasty
steps, and saw the approaching light of a
lantern, borne aloft by mans appraised arm.
This wayr' shouted Lowder We
/ are wrecked on the rocks For the love of
Heaven, hasten !"
The bearer of the lantern, attended by a
male companion, came running to him, and
was soon at his side. The lantern bearer
was a rough Sicilian fisherman, grade
above his class. His companion was also
Sicilian, but evidently of somewhat higher
degree. Both were all excitement, astonish
ment and sympathy.
In as few words as possible Lowder told
the story of the shipwreck. and called at
tention to the condition of his noble young
employer.
Il think he is dead p he said, in a cho-
king voice. Garry him to your cabin Let
everything be done that can be done to save
! him I ui1l nov vou well for LinJpacO