The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-07-17

One of our men went mad the day
after that, and, with horrid shrek,
plunged overheard. We tried to haul
him in, but could not. The same night
another died, quietly enough, for we
found him as We thought asleep. Then,
it might have been day, or it may Lave
been two days after, there was absolute
ly nothing left to eat or drink, and death
seemed close up us. What followed is
like a dream. I have visions to this day
of cleaning knife and rush of blood
and a wild struggle to tear each other
like wild beasts, and of Jacob lying in
sensible at my feet. And L, too, was
soon like him.
Strangely enough, as it seemed to me,
I revived, though not to full conscious
ness. / was as if I had awakened out of
a dream. I did not realize my situation
in the least, but sat drowsily looking at
Jacob, and, if [ thought at all, wonder
ed he should be so still. And this con-
tinued for I know not how long. Unut-
terable content, as it were, had stolen
over my whole 5eing-that I do know.
And so the end came.
The end, but not as I had expected.
There rose up out of the horizon sail
I looked at it without even curiosity.
Tall masts crowded with canvas grew
into sight, but I was past thinking that
| here might be hope. The hull of ship
drew out of the offing, but if it were ship
OF iceberg, Indifferent. The ship came
over the waves toward me, lookout men
aloft gazing, knew, at my frail tub, but
why they looked I did not even dream
| They told me afterward that I laughed
when they hailed me. Perhaps 1 did
[ do not know.
So / was saved-I alone of all the
Polls crew. Oh God Death had been
| busy with us poor creatures. When /
came to myself, not until after many
hours, [ learned the fate of all There
was story of boat crushed to atoms
| by ''nip"-the meetin of two foes of
ice-and one mangled body, and that
was all. The other boat was never heard
of more. Jacob lay at the bottom of the
sea, as they told me, not without tears,
for sailors are tender-hearted as they are
brave.
All this has been stated very briefly,
| for ] don't like to dwell upon it overmuch
l pass over, too, my slow recovery, and
only pause to add, that if ever men were
angels of kindness, the men who had
saved me were. 1t happened that their
ship was frll-it was the second season
of her cruise-and she was homeward
bound for Nantucket. Her captain knew
me, but him only on board. And in the
middle of October we fetched the lights
off the shoals of the way home.
Home I shuddered at the thought
and the task before me- The fatal news
that I brought-alas would it kill the
poor woman who should hear it !?
Well, we were signaled, and when we
ran up TO the wharf there was crowd
enough to meet us, be sure. All my
own folks among the rest. The captain
had heard all my story, and had con-
suited with him as to how they were to
hear it too. As agreed upon, 1 was help
ed ashose by him, and placed in my
mothers arms, he telling her that had
come back sick-which I was, and very
wea.k-and must get home at once When
Lucy, and her aunt, and Jacobs people
pressed round us for news of their loved
ones he hurried on board, saying that I
would tell them all, and they had best
go along with me. And so they did in
procession of tenderness for me and of
expectation. Arrived indoors, I was
soon lying upon a lounge, surrounded
by crowd of questioners.
Friends" said my mother, 'sdon't
all talk at once. My boys back, and /
am thankful. Lucy Hoskins has the
first right to make inquiries.
All of a tremble she asked me, ssYou
left father at sea with the Polly %
''I did, with the Polly"
"And he was well, my dear father ?"
''He was-well."
'sNow my turn interrupted Mrs.
Strong. my Jacob, was he well too ?''
SsHe was
'"sWell, that's good tidings, Abner.
Captain Hoskins and my son and all of
them well and hearty. That's good
good. The Lord be praised p
Amen Amen returned many voices;
but even while fireworks sounded inmy ear
a new expression dawned upon Lucy's
face-a sort of indefnable doubt or APP
prehension. care you sure, Abner,'
said she, almost in a whisper, ''that they
were indeed and in truth all well %
Indeed and in truth I believe that it
is well with them all" / answered sol
emily, and then bent my head in utter
misery and anguish. And a great fear
came upon them-a speachless, dreadful
fear. "Abner Sildmore, screamed Mrs.
Strong, Immediately after, you are not
telling all /; you are holding something
DdCh III VI NOo NHtO 10 1T
But could not answer, and there was
no need For from the wharf came such
cries of agony and grief that with wild
shrieks, as though with prophetic insight
they knew what was the terrible cause,
they all rushed forth to where the crew
of nv preservers were relating to @ hor-
ror-stricken multitude of how the Polly
had been burned in the Arctic seas, and
how all hands had persisted save me.
I was spared the witnessing of what
followed, for dead faint came over me,
and that was succeeded by delirium.
For many days L lay tossing to and fro
in burning fever. When reason again
dawned, the intensity of my poor friends
grief had Gained somewhat, and they
could hear from me the terrible story.
All, how Lucy wept wher I told it and
truly I wept with her.
OF course there could be no illusions
to our bargain, for long time, if ever.
The Captain circumstances We're good,
and his doughter and her aunt were pro-