Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1874-06-20
LIFE FOR LIFE.

"Savc him! save my son, He cannot
swim - The mothers eyes were wild, her
grav locks streaming on the wind, her hands
claSpcl.
She was aboard little schooner. bDlnd
from Ax,iA to ST. Domingo, on the island Of
llayti-onc of the West Indies. There We're
aboard, besides the distracted woman. several
passengers, among them Herbert Went
worth, a iinc-looking mid>hipnan of eighteen
on his war to his sloop-ot-war, the Congress
then at anchor in the larh,r Of st. Domingo
Hearing the cries of the woman, he turned
round, to see her amiship-, now wildly ad-
dressing herself to Il Spanjard, one Of the
passengers,
"Pclro, for the love of God, save my poor
boy, You can >wim,'
"Ay," answered the Spaniarl Struggling
his shoulders, 50 can the sharks. There are
plenty Of them hcrcabolt. and, SAINT, Maria
don't want to get in their .inw- i sides,
the schooner has no boat to pick lis up.
Wentworth, rushing to the rail and look
ing aSteril, as the schooner wuS now brought
mp into the wiul saw the woman : son vino,
as it aiterward appeared, had been knocked
overheard hy the jibing Of the main-b ,onr,
struggling in the sea.
Near the Young mi,l>hipman lay coil Of
rope. He fastened an end about his breast.
beneath the armpit>, and, throwing of his
shoes, >prang overheard. Reaching the spot
where he had last seen the drowning yoUth,
hc dove. and was fortunate rnouSh t. clItlh
his hair and bring him up to the surface
Soon the men aboard the schooner had hauled
him and his burden to the vessel. and Il few
minutes later, the youth waS c!a~ped to his
mothers breast.
"God bless you, sir" SIC said, to the
young officer, and overwhelmed him with
her thanks.
That slmr day the schooner arrived at ST.
Domingo, and parting from the mother and
her son, Wentworth hired a boat and board
Cd his vessel, the Congress.
.,s may be imagined, the yout!i in a few
years was promoted.
Five Years after the adventure above re
corded he found himself in command of the
Argus, a neat little gnn-Mig, making one
of the iret undcr Commodore Porter, sent
out to break up the nest Of pirates at that
time among the West India Islands
With him he took his hrautGul Young
wife. Florence, who, having relatives at
Cuba, was to remain there until her hls-
bands cruise was ended.
At length. as the vessel ncnrcd the coast
Of Cuba, in the ncighborhood of old Bahama
Channel, whittier she had been driven by
head winds, Florence, standing on the quar-
ter-deck by lIrrhert's side, could not rcpress
her tears at the thought OF their coming
parting. She tossed her long, rippIng tre-sls
of brown hair back from her glorious
shoulders, and her supple. wc!l-daycloprd
form quiyered. Had she and her husband
been screened from observers, She would
have thrown herself into his arms and wcpt
upon his breast
Ahead Of the Argus was low, suspicious
looking schooner, standing, under fall sail.
for the shallow water among the reed>,alonr
the coast. Wentworth, who had been watch
ing her keenly, crowded canvas in pursuit.
Meanwhile the san dimmed by yellow
ish mist, and dark, lowering clouds rolling
along to windward bctokencd gale at hand.
so the captain made every effort to overtake
the schooner before the storm Just as she
was within a quarter Of mile of the reefs.
he sent shot across her bGws. compelling
her captain to heaye to, the breeze having
moderated so that at present he could not
hope to escape his pursucr.
Wentworth kept on, until within half a
mile of the schooner, wien, not caring with
his vessels draught to stand up any closer
to the reef rocks, he lowered his cutter, and
manning it with a good crew pulled along
side the schooner.
just as he sprung aboard, a Squall struck
the vessel, and down she went almost on her
beam ends, driven with roaring bows toward
the rocks.
''Brace forward :" screamed Il tall. fierce
looking fellow, evidently the captain. who.
at the same time casting loose the cutter :
warp, thus left the boat with its crew far
astern.
Wentworth laid his hand on tho hilt of
his sword