The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1872-03-08
BOLIVAR, HARDEDlAN COUNTY, TENNESSEE, MARCH g. 1872

"sir, >, said I, "this woman is a
total stranger to me-"
"Ah, separate responsibilities,
ehi The hold story. Now, Iookee
here, ma'am, I amt a'goin' to search
you, because I've been properly
brought up /; but I'm a-goin' to
shake you to see if you rattle"
Miss FOrtescue made no verbal
reply, but pulled out a gigantic
clasp-knife.
can right" said she. "Come on,
policeman" He hesitated.
Look, policeman, I tell you what
I do. I walk out of this. Good
night" And she did.
The policeman turned pale and
civil.
"Ain't you goin' along with her,
sir said he.
al am not. I pass the night here"
He retired, swearing fuently, and
locked the door on me.
I could not sleep-but, at all
events, I was free at last from my
persecutrix. I was SO pleased that
1 sang a merry song, and carved
my name on the wall with a rusty
nail, as other prisoners have done
before me. The next day I was
taken before a magistrate, who dis
missed the case at once, and I re-
sumed my journey.
When I reached Glasgow, I found
that my ship was on the point of
sailing. My luggage had been
placed on board, and my haIf-cabin
was ready for me.
We had dreadful weather at sea !;
we were driven many hundred miles
out of our course and for three
weeks after leaving Glasgow I was
terribly i'll, and did not leave my
cabin. Ibelieve I should not have
left my cabin at all if 1 had not been
thrown bodily out of by tremen-
dous conclusion one very stormy
night.
1 rushed on deck and found every
thing in the widest confusion. A
fearful storm was raging, and the
ship had struck on a sunken rock.
There was absolutely no hope for
her, and it was impossible to launch
a boat, even if it could have lived in
such q sea.
/ don't want to harrow anybody,
so I will content myself with ex-
planning that, amid the shrieks of
three hundred people, the vessel
foundered.
I always take the precaution,
when at sea, of wearing little In
dia-rubber apparatus around my
neck, which I initiate, and in that
condition it prevents my head from
going under. I inflated it hastily,
and found that it answered admira-
bly,. 1 was tossed about violently
for some hours, and when the gale
at length subsidized was far out at
sea. No land was visible, and as I
rose and fell in the sulky, looping
sea, I felt that my hour was at hand.
I looked eagerly towards the hori-
zon on all sides in the vain hope of
seeing a distant sail, but saw none.
There was, however, one thing In
view-a dark, round thing floating
on the wave a mile or so from M e.
I struck out for it, and was horri-
fed to find it was alive. Still I ap-
preached it, rejecting that death
from a ses-monster was preferable
to death from starvation, and to my
amazement found that it was
making straight In my direction.
On approaching it. I was appalled,
to find that it Tesembled nothing SO
much as a human head in a floating
plate and coming within three or
four yards, I discovered that it was
the head of Miss Fortescue support
ed above water by a continuance
similar in character to the appara-
tus have already described. I
should add that her great, fat body,
and, no doubt, her legs, were still
connected with it.
"Not Miss Fortescue? ?" said L
BUNNY old passenger, by gar, y
said she. what are you doing
here, sar?"
d" [ am not here by choice. I was
wrecked in the Aurora Borealis." F"
"Me toe" said she.
"Youl Were you on board the
Aurora ?"
"-Borealis," added she. " Yes,
me stewardess. How are your"
"I am very cold, and this con-
founded thing has given me crick
In the neck.
Situation damp. Try this, you
queer one"
1t was a flask of brandy. She
held it to my lips until I had taken
a comfortable draught.
1.-TWO shiIlings," said she, hold
ing the bottle to the light to see how
much I had taken.
"Here it is.'
"Stewardess, a shilling-make
three
I determined to resist this extor-
ton, for on that line of packets the
stewards fee Is included in the fare
/ told her so-T
You mean old cussl" said Miss
Fortescue. "Give you nothing
more" ......-
I tried to look dignifed and In
different, but it was Of no use. YoT
can't look dignified when you are
perpetuaIly bObbing up and dowI
on looping sea, supported entire
ly by an India-rubber bag round
your neck. Besides, / was very
hungry, and she had large water
proof basket on her arm. So
gave her the shilling, which she bi
and pocketed.
"Now then" said she, whats t,
do next?"
What have you got there 2"
" German sausage, cucumber, car
! rot, bottle barley-Water, two tomR