The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-03-14

thirty years, and in seven wrecks. It's
been like dodging death with me score
of times Why, !! pulled my wife there
regularly out of the hands of death, and
Pm not going to give up now. I've
been"
"Stop, stop" he says gently.
You're exciting yourself"
"Not a bit," says, though my voice
was quite whisper. "Pve had this
over all night, and I've come to think
must be up and doing my duty"
"But, my good man" he began.
Listen to me, DOCTOR" 1 says. GA
score of times ] might have given up
for it and was saved. Now / mean to
make fight for it here, for the sake of
the wife and BARNS. don't mean to
die, doctor, without struggle. l be-
lieve this here, that life's given to us all
as a treasure to keep; we might throw
it away by our own folly at any time,
may preserve it, and we never know
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
seeming all the time to be stopping to
humor me in my madness.
"Thats better, DOCTOR" I says.
Now look here, sir, speaking as one
who has sailed the seas, it's terrible
stormy time with me; there's lee shore
close at hand, the fires are drowned 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 sail ?'
1 &c a. H. =
VIZ quiet you" he said rising.
myself. And now look here" says,
"Pm not going to give up till the last; !;
and when that last comes, and the ships
going down, why, / shall have a try if l
can't swim to safety. If that fails, and
| can really feel that it is to be, why, I
hope l shall go down into the great deep
Somebody above will forgive me all I've
done amiss, and stretch out His fatherly
hand to my little ones"
He went away, and dropped asleep,
worn out with my exertion.
When awoke, 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 sent ?'' says
yes, dear; you were to take it di
rectly."
"Then I shant take it," 1 says. "He's
give me up, and that stufs only to keeI
me quiet. Polly, you go and make me
some beef-tea, and make it strong"
She looked Mortified, poor old girl, ant
was about to beg of me to take hold O.
, the rotten life-belt he'd sent me, when
! held out my shaking hand for it, tool
, the glass, and let it tilt over-there wa
: only couple of tablespoonsfuls in it
and the stuff fell on the carpet.
l saw the tears come in her eyes, bu
she said nothing-only put down tn
u glass, and ran out to make the beef tea
. The doctor didn't come until lat
= next day, and 1 was lying very quie
u u and drowsy, half asleep like, but wa
u awake enough to hear him whisper t
! Polly, "Sinking fast;" and heard he
y give such a heartbroken sob, that at tn
= next great wave that came on the Sc
T where was floating, / struck out wit
II all my might, rose over it, and foate
8 gently down the other side.
!. For the next four days-putting it a
" a drowning man striving for his life lik
= a true-hearted fellow-it was like grea
, foaming waves coming to wash over me
but the shore still in sight, and me try
y ing hard to reach it.
a And it was a grim, hard fight: adoze
8 times L could have given up, folded m
% arms, and said goodbye to the dear oil
70 watching face safe on the shore; but
to look at that always cheered me, and
n fought on again and again, till at la
- the sea seemed to go down, and, in uttt
70 weariness, / turned my back to float res
~ fully with the tide bearing me shor
" wards, till l touched the sands, crept u
them, and fell down worn out, to slee
,o in the warm sun-safel
. That's a curious way of putting
II you may say, but it seems natural to n
IA to mix it with the things of seagoi1
life, and the manner in which Pve SEE
70 so many men fight hard for their live
,u 1t was Just like striving in the midst of
ya storm to me, and when at last did ia
" into deep sleep, I felt surprised-like
re find myself lying in my own bed, wi
o1 Polly watching me and when Istretch,
III out my hand and took hers, she let loo
that which she had kept hidden fro
T me before, and falling on her knees
no my bedside, she sobbed for very Joy.
ne "As much beef-tea and brandy as v,
r can get him to take" the doctor say
"a that afternoon; and it wasn't long (
ad fore l got from slops to solids, and tn,
,sa was sent, as l told you, into the count
,r. to get strong, while the doctor got
-. end of praise for the cure he had mac
mo- / never said word though, even
=. Polly, for he did his best; but I dol
I 7 think any medicine would have cur
~ me then.
a. l was saying little while back thai
id pulled my wife regularly out of t
rot hands of death, and of course that "
no when we were both quite young, thoue
& for the matter of that, don't feel mu
he different and can't well see the chan,
or That was in one of the Cape steam,
iat when first took to stoking. They We
little ramshackle sort of boats in thu
of. days, and how it was more weren't Il
for puzzled me. 1t was more due to t
av weather than the make or finding of I
ed ships, l can tell you, that they used
: 1 find their way safe to port; and yet I
tbe passengers, poor things, knowing no b
for ter, used to take passage, ave, and ma
sb- voyage too from which they never
back.
Z Well, L was working on board
inn steamer as they used to call the Equat
and heavy laden, and with about twer
va passengers on board, we started do
III Channel with all we'll, till we got do
right off the coast of Africa, when tn
mt came one of the heaviest storms I was e,
,ve in. Even for well-found steamer, su
nm as they can build to-day, it would hs
az been hard fight; but with our o.
shaky wooden tub it was hopeless c
o,,r from the first.
ire Our skipper made brave fight Of
von though, and tried hard to make for one
- the ports; but, bless you, what ca
,er- man do when, after ten days of Ia
Won knocking about, the Goals run out, &
she the fires that have been kept going W
wood and oil, and everything that can
az thrust into the furnaces, are drown
al. when the paddle-wheels are only in