Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1875-10-08

it was to see them fighting hard at first
and clinging to the side, but only to grow
weaker, half-drowned as they were; and
saw two sink down at last and hang
drooping-like from their lashings, dead
for not soul could do them turn.
| was holding ON by the shrouds wher
the mate got to the shippers side
| and [ saw in his blank, white face wha
| he was telling him. Of course we couldn't
| hear his words in such storm, but We
didn't want to, for his lips said plain
| enough:
/ "She's sinkingp'
Next moment there was rush made fol
the boats and two of the passengers cut
loose couple of the women; place was
made for them before the first boat was toe
| full, and she was lowered down and cast
! off and a big wave carried her clear of the
| steamer. | saw her for moment on the
| top of the ridge and then she plunged
| down the other side out of sight-and thai
| of everybody else; for how long she1ived
| who can say? She never was picked uI
| or heard of again.
Giving bit of cheer our chaps turned
| to the next, and we're getting in when
there came wave like mountain,
ripped her from the davits, and when /
shook the water from my eyes there she
was hanging by one end, stove in, and the
men who had tried to launch her gone
skipper and mate as well.
| There were only seven of us now, and
I could see besides the three women
dashed to the side, and only one of them
was alive; and for bit no one moved,
everybody being stunned-like with horror
but there came lull, and feeling that the
steamer was sinking under our feet
| shouted out to the boys to come on, and
we ran to the last boat, climbed in, and
were casting off, when happened to catch
| sight of the women dashed under the bull
warks there.
"Hold hardp I roars, for / saw one OF
| them wave her hand
"Come on, you fool" shouts my mate,
"she's going down."
| pray may never be put to it again
| like that, with all a mans selfish desire
for life fighting against him. For a mo-
ment I shut my eyes, and they began to
lower; but I was obliged to open them
again, and as I did SO I saw a white,
scared face, with long, wet hair clinging
round it, and pair of little white hands
were stretched out to me as if for help.
"Hold hardp' shouts.
"No, no,'' roared two or three, there
| isn't moment;" and as the boat was being
| lowered from the davits I made Jump,
| caught the bulwarks with my hands, and
climbed back on board just as the boat
kissed the water, was unlocked and
| floated away.
Then, as crept, and-over-hand, to the
girls side, whipped out my knife, and was
cutting her loose, while her weak arms
IalY1 To Il al hi "a fnnlI n
despair come over me, for the boat was
leaving us; and [ knew what a coward
| was at heart, as I had to fight with myself
leap overheard to swim for my life. got
the better of it, though-went down on my
knees so as not to see the boat, and got the
poor, trembling, clinging creature loose.
Now, my lass,' | says, "quick"
and I raised her uphold on by the
side while I make fast rope around
YOU"
And then I stood up to hail the boat
the boat as warnr therefor in those
brief moments she must have capsized,
and we were alone ON the sinking steam.
er, which now lay in the trough of the sea-
AS soon as I got over the horror of the
feeling sort of stony despair came over
me; but when / saw that pale, appealing
face at my side looking to me for help
that brought the manhood back, and in
saying encouraging things to her | did
myself good.
My first idea was to make something
that would float us, but gave that up di-
rectly, for I could feel that was helpless
and, getting the poor girl more into shell
ter, took bit of tobacco in sort OF
stolid way, and sat down with a cork life
buoy over my arm, one which / had cut
loose from where it had hung forgotten
behind the wheel.
But never used it, for the storm went
down fast, and the steamer foated still,
waterlogged, for three days, when we were
picked up by passing vessel, half-starved
but hoping, And during that time my
companion had told me that she was the
attendant of one of the lady passengers on
board; and at last when we parted at the
Cape she kissed my hand and called me
her hero, who had saved her life-poor
grimy me, you know.
We warn't long, though, before we met
again, for somehow we'd settled that we'd
write; and twelve-month after Mary was
back in England, and my wife. That's
why I said / took her like out of the hands
of death, though in a selfish sort of way,
being far, you know, from perfect. But
what l say, speaking as Edward Brown
stoker, is this: Make good fight of it,
no matter how black things may look, and
leave the rest to Him.-G. M0noalle Fem,
IN Cdsselrs Magazdne.