The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1875-07-10

crew and Birney, had manned the boats
yawl, and at the same moment when the
remainder of the crew and Raymond had
entered the life-boat, had breasted the
waves and pulled away from the sinking
boat. A coward at heart, Birney forgot
money, his prisoner, and all save his own
peril in the excitement and danger of the
occasion. He clung to the boat, aud with
emotions Of terror saw the boat become en-
tirely unmanagable and driven by the
waves farther and farther from the shore.
The little bark tossed and rolled ON the
waves, the wind drove it scudding before
1T, and each moment seemed to the i'm
perilled voyages to be their last. In the
face Of the gale they we're driven on, only
when the storm had sbated its fury, and
tempest had lulled, giving a brief respite
If rest
A dreary crew they were when the hot
rays Of the tropical sun beat down upon
them, and the lack Of food and water drove
them well-nigh wild with suffering hunger
and thirst, provisions had been thrown into
the boat and no water Towards evening
the men began to murmur.
''Hsh, hush! my lads, said the cap
tain. 1.-The sky betokens rain and we
shall not be long in reaching land. Stand
it little longer, growing will only in
crease your sufferlngs."
Its all on account Of that cursed rat
ever youder, said one of the crew pointing
to Birney.
"Ayee aye + struck in another, "he's
a regular Jonah that he is"
"Wed never have been wrecked if we
l. a lir,t, 4 Al
first speaker.
Overheard with him, say and end
our troubles, spoke up another.
The men made movement towards the
the object Of their superstitious anger as
they spoke, but Captain Scott placed him
self between the covering sky and the in
furiated sailors, whose feelings had been
wrought up to the highest pitch by their
superstition and sufferings.
Come, come my men" he said au-
thoritatively, don't give way to your
foolish fears. This man has no more to do
with the storm than | have.
But the men were not to be so easily
dissuaded from their purpose.
Stand aside, captain, said one Of
them, overheard he goes -
''Do you refuse to acknowledge my au-
thority to demand Of you to leave the man
alone N
Eyes, captain we obey you on board Of
ship, not here.
''But | am an officer Of the law-an Of
fetal of the realm ?" whined Birney, "and
any indignity or injury to me, will be re-
sented and you be properly punished by
the law"
1--WE know no law here and you"
The sailor stopped, for the mate had
sing out, land n
Sure enough, there ahead was a little
island-a desolate desert island The men
forgot the object of all their excitement
and hatred, and bent all their energies to
their oars. In an hours time they had
reached the island
At cooling spring of water they
quenched their thirst, while few shell
fish gathered on the beach served to satisfy
their hunger, for time at least.
Then they held a council. A large
quantity of shell fish was gathered A
large tarpaulin was tilled with fresh water,
and secured at the corners by rope, and
then the crew repaired to the boat again.
Birney the pollce-spy was the last one
to reach the waters edge, as he endeav-
ored to step into the boat one Of the sailors
confronted him.
"What are you going to do ? he de-
manded rougly.
81 am going into the boat" responded
Birney.
In reply the sailor gave the boat quick
push and it shot out into the sea, leaving
the object of the superstition of the men
castaway upon desert island