The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-10-20

whether we can save it till we try. Gives
drink of that water"
He held the glass to my lips, and ]
took big draught and went on. he
eeeming all the time to be stopping to
humor me in my madness.
"That's, better, Doctor" I saws.
"Now look here, sir, speaking as one
who has sailed the seas, it's terrible
stormy time with me there's g. lee
shore close at hand, the fires are drown
ed out, and unless we can get up bit of
sail there's no chance for me. Now,
then, doctor, can you get up bit of
sail2' ~
"I'n go and send something that will
quiet you, he said, rising.
Thankey, DOCTOR" says, smiling to
myself. "And now look here, I'm not
going to give up till the last and when
that last comes, and the ships going
down, why, shall have try if I can't
swim to safety. If that fails, and I can
really feel that it is to be, why, Il hope I
shall go down into the great deep. calm
", like hopeful man, praying that
Something above will forgive me all I've
done amiss, and stretch out His fatherly
hand to my little ones"
He went away, and I dropped asleep,
worn out with my exertion.
When woke, Polly was standing by
the bedside watching me. with bottle
and glass on the little table.
As soon as she saw my eyes open, she
shook up the stuff, and poured it into a
wine glass.
"Is that what the doctor sent2" I
says.
"Yes, dear you were to take it di-
rectly."
"Then I shau't take it." I saws.
"He's give me up, and that stuff's only
to keep me quiet. Polly, you go and
make me some beef tea, and make it
strong"
She looked Mortified, poor old girl,
and was about to beg of me to take hold
of the rotten life-belt he'd sent me, when
I held out my shaking hand for it, took
the glass, and let it tilt over-there was
only about couple of teaspoonfuls in
it, and the stuff fell on the carpet.
I saw the tears come in her eyes, but
she said nothing-only put down the
glass, and ran out to make the beef
tea.
The doctor didn't come till late next
day, and I was lying very still and
drowsy, half asleep like, but was awake
enough to hear him whisper to Polly,
" Sinking fast ;" and heard her give
such a heart broken sob that as the
next great wave came on the sea where I
was floating, I struck out with all my
might. rose over it, and foated gently
down the other side.
For the next four days-putting it as
a drowning man striving for his life like
true-hearted fellow-it was like great
foaming waves coming to wash over me,
but the shore, still in sight, and me try
ing hard to reach it.
And it'was grim, hard fight n dozen
times 1 could have given up, folded my
arms, and said goodbye to the dear old
watching face safe on shore but look
at that always cheered me, and fought
on again and again, till Mt last the sea
seemed to go down, and, in utter weari-
ness, I turned on my back to hont rest
fully with the tide bearing me shore
ward, till I touched the sands, crept up
them, and fell down worn out, to sleep
IL the warm sun-safe n' ...''...'
That's curious way of putting it, You
may say, but it seems natural to me to
mix it up with the things of sea- going
life, and the manner in which I've seen
so many fight hard for their lives. 1t
was just like striving in the midst of a
storm to me, and when at last did fall
into deep sleep, I felt surprised-like to
find myself lying in my own bed, with
Polly watching by me and when /
stretched out my hand, and took hers,
she let loose that which she had kept
hidden from me before, and, falling on
her knees by my bedside, she sobbed for
very joy. ..
"tAs much beef tea and brandy as you
can get him to take" the doctor says,
that afternoon ; and it wasn't long before
1 got from slops to solids, and. then was
sent, as / told You, into the country to
get strong, while the doctor got no end
of praise for the cure he had made.
[ never said a word though, even to
Polly for he did his best but L don't
think any medicine would have cured
me then. - r..rt .lr..yr>
was saying little while back that /
pulled my wife regularly out of the
hands of death, and of course that was
when we were both quite young, though
for the matter of that I, don't feel much
different and can't well see the change.
That was in one of the Cape steamers
when first tookto stoking. They were
little ram shackle sort of boats in those
days, and how it was more weren't lost
puzzles me. 1t was more due to the
weather than the make or finding of the
ships, i can tell you, that they used to
find their way safe to port /; and yet the
passengers, poor things, knowing no
better, used to take passage, ay, and
make a voyage too from which they
never got back.
Well, was working on board a steam
er as they used to call the Equator, and
heavy laden and with about twenty pas
sengers on board, we started down chan
mel with all we'll, till we got right down