St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-11-17

hours before my heart grew warm
enough to beat again and then look
ell about the cabin in Il sort of stupid
amaze to see the same people in the
same position they had filled so long
ago, and wondered in a d;iZed way
whether death bad not come and chain
ed us all in our places, instead of seat
tering our diSmembcrcd bodies far and
wide over the brazen SEA. as an explo-
sion should have done.
Miss Gordon ut was little Nellie
pulling at my dress ''MiSs Gordon.
please come up stairs with me to look
for joe"
Thus brought back to consciousness.
and finding that no one was likely to
disturb the register, we aScendcd the
companion-way, Nellie to look for Joe.
ana to see If any one had gone into
the hold
we were just i'll time to see Joe'S tiny
ilgnre flaming up from the hold, grasp
@".e arp 'S-l"n"th flashing mass of
side INTO the kissing sea. The chief mate,
running after the boy, caught him in
his arms and eXtinguished the flames 10y
pressing the bIave little fellow against
his own broad chest. while IL sailor
quickly threw IA blanket around the
two. The poOr boys hands and arms
and chest and one side of his face and
neck were found to be fearfully burned.
but for awhile his intense excitement
made him inSenSible to the pain, and
he declared he was not hurt.
The sudden confusion on deck arous-
ed even the most exhausted of the pas-
sengcrS, and all came thronging up to
b,.
slonS, but full of the aimlcSS curiosity
which Is the stimulant of the idle The
ships officers and the middics, pale and
excited, gathered around poor little Joe.
eagerly questioning. The general with
sob caught and pressed his little daugh-
ter closely III his arms.
You see. sir," said Joe touching his
cap with the piteouS, ragged brave right
hand, ~ hen felt the iron so hot | re
membercd all ut once " hat was in the
hold. and how | s;Iw somebody going
down III there a while ago with light
ed candle in his hand. So just ran
down and found the hold wasn't locked.
and the candlcStick, all aiiIc. was on
top of one of the queer barrels. sir. close
up under the cabin floor"
The captain gave Il startled glance |
ar"nnd to see if Joc's intimatinn of
something dangerous in the hold at
tracted attention: but all those who /
had not previously known it were too
to heed the almsinn.
here WAS nothing particular in the .
hold. Joe. You know; ; nothing very
Partlcular. said the captain. with an
uneasy hlustcr of unconcern. But the T,
candleStick all atire, How WAS that F.?
andlc>tlcks are not made of wood ol
pastehoaId."
Il don't know how il was done. sir.
but suppose it was 81 hot in the hold /
that the candle melted and ran down. |
for the bottom of the candleStick WAS
full of fire. and | just grabbed it and .
ran. and that's
just here, poor brave little Joe he /
came conscious of his pain. and. turning
white. fell into the captains ready arms. .
lhe fearful Surgeon-hiS ewes were
;ull of tears, though no one would have
dared t" tell him pronounced the
hoy : burns To he very bad. but not of .
themselves dangerous. if only the
weather would cool and he could have
perfect quiet The results of the ncrv-
nus shock. he said. were moIe to Ice
they Were.
| could not do much, but ut least |
r"uld give him more quiet resting
place than his own. and ut my urgent
request he was carried to my Statcroom
itteI his cruel burns had been dressed
IN deck. He tainted twice during the
operation. but gave no groLm or cry. |
WAS glad when AT last he luy umtor-
mented III my berth, and quicted by II
opiate.
NclN few of the passengers knew the
peculiar danger from which we had been
saved 10y the wonderful presence of
mind and active courage of the noble
boy: but all knew that if the ship. dry
ts 1t WAS from the long continued. rain
less heat. had once taken fire. there
would have been hardly Il possibility of
nNtIngui>hing it. and that we should
then have had to take to the boats.
| That the caSk. already charred hN con-
tact with the intensely hot metal can
-ilc>tlck. held guupowder. WAS tortu-
natcly known to but few
Al last the oplatc took its effect. and
listened quietly tanning him the " whilc.
To the troubled, heavy. unconscious
breathing of the narcotized boy. The
stood looking at him with Il
working face
Miss Gordon" he said after a little.
'Ire no son; I'll adopt that boy if |
AN get him. DO You know if he has
parents living ?"
did not know. and said 50. The
too. had come in. though il
VAS close standing for us all in the
Il - h.,
parents hope not, poor little
hap"
"Do you mean
The general spoke huskily. drawing
Ills thick eyebrows down hard with the
fort to look calm.
"Do you think
at was the nervous strain and shock.
'ou see" proceeded the surgeon. ''Ht
Knew what there was in the hold. and
believe he felt that all the lives ON
'oard were i'll his hands. | don't think ,
le thought of his own. He might have, ,
TODD the shock without the burns, or
he burns without the shock but both ,
md this awful heat, no.
Poor brave little Joe. ,
While we were talking sudden COM
notion came on deck, and the vessel
'cgan to rock heavily. The hurried .
tampIng of feet, the rattle of cordage.
nd shouting of orders, portcndcd Il
Witty coming storm, though there WAS
ot yet breath of wind. and we still
weltered i'll the little airless stateroom.
trough which no draught could br
oaXed. Soon the headlights were put
n and hatches battencd down. tn, y
ne spelm-"il lamp in the cabin flicker
Il heavily, as if oppressed 10y the life !, ,
rss atmOsphere, casting only the dim