River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-10-25
A Sailors Yarn.

Capt. Rounceville's vessel was lost in
mid-Atlantic, and likewise his wife and
his two little children. Capt. Rounce-
Vile and seven seamen escaped with life.
but with little else. A small, rudely-
constructed raft was to be their home for
eight days. They had neither provisions
nor water. They had scarcely any cloth
ing; no one had coat but the captain.
This coat was changing hands all the
time, for the weather was very cold.
Whenever a man became exhausted with
the cold they put the coat on him and
laid him down between the shipmatcs I'M
til the garments and their bodies had
warmed life into him again. Among the
sailors was a Portuguese who knew no
English He seemed to have no thought
of his own calamity, but was concerned
only about the captains bitter loss of
wife and children. BY day, ke would
look his dumb compassion in the cap
tain's face; and by night, in the darkness
and the driving spray and rain, he
would seek out the captain and try TO
comfort him With caressing pats on the
shoulder
One day, when hunger and thirst were
making their sure inroads upon the man s
strength and spirits, a floating barrel was
seen at a distance. 1t seemed a great
find, for doubtless it contained food of
some sort A brave fellow swan to it,
and after long and exhausting effort got
to the raft. 1t was eagerly opened. 1t
was barrel of magnesia On the fifth
day an onion was spied. A sailor swan
off and got it. Although perishing with
hunger, he brought it in its integrity and
put it into the Captains hand The his
tory of the sea teaches that among starv-
ing, ship-wrecked men sclfishness is rare,
and wonder-compelling magnanimity
the rule. The onion was equally divided
into eight parts, and eaten with deep
thanksgiving. On the eighth day a dis
tant ship was sighted. Attempts were
made TO hoist an oar, with Capt Rounce-
ville's coat on it for a signal. There were
many failures, for the men were but
skeletons now, and strengthless. At last
success was achieved, but the signal
brought no help.
The ship fades out of sight and left de-
spair behind her. BY and by another
ship appeared, and passed so near that
the getaways, every eye eloquent with
gratitude, made ready to welcome the
boat that would resent TO save them. But
this ship also drove on, and left these
men staring their unutterable surprise
and dismay into each others ashen
faces. Late in the day still another ship
came Sp out of the distance, but the men
noted with pang that her course was
one which would not bring her nearer.
Their remnant of life was nearly spent:
their lips and tongues were swollen, par
ched, cracked with eight days thirst;
their bodies starved; and here was their
last chance gliding relentlessly from
them; they would not be alive when the
next sun rose. For day or two past the
men lost their voices, but now Capt
Rouneeyille whispered: "Let US pray"
The Portuguese patted him on the shout
der in sign of deep approval. All knelt
at the base Of the oar that was wavingthe
signal-coat aloft and bowed their heads.
The sea was tossing, the sun rested, a
red. ravIess disk, ON the sealine in the
west " ben the men presently raised
their heads they would have roared a
halleluian if they had a voice; the ships
sails lay wrinkled and tapping against
her masts; she was going about Here
was rescue at last, and in the very last in
slant of time that was left for it. No,
not rescue vet-Only the imminent pros
peet Of it. The red disk sank under the
sea and darkness blotted out the ship.
Bv and by came pleasant sound-oars
moving in boats row-locks Nearer it
came and nearer-within thirty steps, but
nothing visible. Then a deep voice:
+" Hol-I0r The castaways could not an
swer: their swollen tongues refused voice.
The boat skirted round and round the
raft, started away-the agony of tire
turned. rested the oars, close st hand, list
ening. no doubt The deep voice again,
8 nol-loi Where are ye, shipmatesG
Capt. bonneville whispered to his men.
saving: i" Whisper your best, boys. now
all at once y So they sent out an eight
fold whisper in hoarse conceIf
"Herel" There was life in it if ii sue
cee1ed: death if it failed. After that
supreme moment Capt. bonneville was
conscious Of nothing until he came to him
self ON board the saving ship, said the
Reverend, concluding.
~There was one little moment of time
in which that raft could be visible from
the ship, and Only one. If that one little
fieeting moment had passed unfrultful,
those mems doom was sealed. As close
as that does God shave events foreordained
from the beginning of the world. When
the sun reached the waters edge that
day, the captain of that ship was sitting
on deck reading his prayer-book. The