New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-12-07

castaway.
shouted. but nv voice seemed lost in
the great space. The wind carried it up
the river, blew it away into stifed trag-
ments. 1t was useless to cry. No one
would hear me. How long should l have
to iye9 Was there any chance that might
vet escape ! could not swim; the channel
on either side was, therefore, an impossible
barrier. Even had l been an excellent
swimmer, doubt if, in my enfeebled state,
l could have won the further hank of the
channel, where the current was running
the least swiftly. How long would my
island remain uncovered by the sea!
Six or eight feet above my head tangled
masses Of seaweed hanging in the interstices
of the woodwork showed the highest reach
of the tide. The ebb had commenced an
hour before l started from Abermaw.
Allowing an hour for my subsequent adven
lures, the ebb would still have three hours
to run; then another three hours food
would elapse before the tide would once
more reach me. ! remembered that had {.
flask of metal in my pocket which still con-
tanned dram OF brandy, and that had
few fragments of biscuit in my pocket, re-
naming Of some that my wife had packed
up for my use a couple of days before. |
drank the brandy and munched the biscuits
and felt again hopeful. Six hours! Why,
in that time help might come. Death was
no longer imminent.
But / was entirely wrong. The strong
southwesterly gale had piled up the waters
about the mouth of the estuary, SO that the
ebb was checked, and the food increased,
and the tide ran out only some three hours.
l must have been longer lying on the sand,
too. than l had calculated, for, as l watched
the waters hurrying down on each side of
me, l noticed that the current seemed to
slacken all of sudden; then it stopped, SO
that fragment of bleached wood that was
floating downward came to rest, then
moved slowly once more upward. The
tide had turned.
In very short time the vast expanse of
waters before me, that had just now seemed
with sandbacke, assumed the appearance of
agitated sea. Short waves hurried along,
their white crests cleaning in the moon
light; they came in serried lines, tier over
tier; the hOarse roar of the advancing tide
reverberated in the air, mingling in my
brain with the strange rattle as of bells
that never ceased to jingle therein.
How remorseless they seemed, those
waves, hurrying up, like hounds who view
and what there was of dignity and grandeur
in the sight half reconciled me to the
thought that my life would be swallowed
up ere long in these advancing battalions
OF serried waves; for now the bitterness of
death was past; it's terrOrs had vanished
felt profound sadness-that was all.
How far could climb up the Shiny, slip
perry posts and buttresses, that seemed TO
mock me with their lying proffers of safety!
A couple Of crossbeams or ties which bound
together the lower ends Of the piers afforded
ut their intersection a sort of angular rest
ing place, where l could, for a time, per-
haps, find refuge from the waves. This
was far below high water mark, so that to
reach it would only give me short respite
from my final agony; but, for all that, de-
termined to attempt it. As soon as tie
water covered the little island on which l
stood l would try to climb this slippery
beam, that rose from the sand, in which it
was partly buried, at an angle Of about
forty five degrees.
With the tide rose the wind; with the
wind came rain and fog. The moon, blurred
and indistinct, shOne family for while,
and then vanished altogether, although her
ditfused light still made everything darkly
visible. Soon the waves were dashing at
my feet, the sand a pulp beneath. Now
was the time to make my last effort for
little more life. But l found that had
Overrated my own powers. l crawled few
feet up the slippery timbers; then l fell
back. Again l tried, and again; but it was
OF no use. Strength does not come of eager
desire to be strong. All that l could do |
was to clasp my arms round the beam and |
stand upright, awaiting the coming of the
waters.
The water rose, not gradually, but in |
pulses. Smaller waves came and went, and |
left no change Of level; but every now and |
then some heavier, fiercer billOw would |
come in with devouring sweep. covering |
me with its foam and spray, receding gain, |
but at each recession leaving greater |
depth of swaying. lite-like water. These at
Jacks, like bullets from the hands Of some |
skilled boxer, left me weaker and weaker at |
avery blow. And it was so treacherous, too,
he water. 1t would draw away for a time.
eaving me free almost to my knees; and
hen, as if driven by some sudden impulse,
would gather itself up, and return in
,reat seething swathe Of water that would
wallow me up from head to foot.
The end was fast coming now. had
ceased to feel anything. Only a logged de-
erminatiOn to stick to life to the last kept |
ne clinging to my beam.
But what was that sound A long and
'ierclng scream, a roar and rum bic and
attle-lt was an engine!
An engine coming along the completed
art of the bridge, shrieking and screaming
nd screaming and dashing out great watts
I white steam into the stormy air. The
ound gave me fresh life and vigor. Human
FEATURES were within reach at all events
could make them hear me l might vet
q saved.
The engine came slowly along, and |
card the voices of men shouting to one
mother Why, then, should they not hear
ne l tried, too, to shout, but my voice
tuck in my throat. l couldn't make
Dund louder than whisper; no, not with |
Ii the good wnl had to shout like an arch
NIGEL.
The engine came so near at last that |
ould see the glow Of her fires through the
lterstices OF the flooring of the bridge.
nd now there were men standing with
lnterns at the very extremity of the
ridge, and still l could not make them
ear. ,
For an instant the glad thought had
ruck me that had been missed, and that {
lese men had come to look for me; but the |
ext moment l saw the folly of the idea !
avs might elapse before my fate was {
n0wn. L was not even yet beyond the time a
had fixed tor reaching home. No; the men
ere railway workmen, perhaps going to !
} nights shift Of work on the brid ge,
Id couldn't make them hear. I
Suddenly l heard sharp, quick bark. 4
I'd then growl as of anger or inquiry, | 4
I'd was conscious that there was a dog s
it'll the men above. The dogs faculties /
ere keener than the mems; perhaps it was
'ssible might make him hear; so l barked Y
shrill swapping bark. with which l had h
ten deceived my own terrier jock The 1
g acknowledged the challenge, and re- Q
led furiousIy. Then l heard the voice of {
man shouting to the dog to be quiet; but h
Q dog barked still more furiously, stand. D
9 at the very verge of the platform. as t
ough it would throw itself over Then e
me men came to the edge of the plat 1
I'm, too, and peered over, and then in nv "
tremity gave cry-a wild, despairing II
?. Then huge hoarse wave dashed over Il
J. | n
If it had not been for the consciousness "
1T help was near, l could not have held :.
against that furious rush of water; but -.