The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1878-04-18

ibfcaker Ga small cask) there remanded
hardly two quarts of water.
Three days later, neither land nor
n AssaiI having yet been fallen in with,
le1e suiferings of the people in the boat,
| reduced almost TO a state of starvation,
were terrible.
"Oh, Harriet" gasped the mate, on
the morning Of the tenth day after the
| shiphad been abandoned, "1f I could
lohly obtain food for you even provi-
ded The rest of us had none-it would
be great corr fort to me-
"Nay," answered the young woman
in n faint voice, while tears streamed
down her hollow, flushed checks, you
should have my share, Henry. / could
manage to wait for sail, which 1 trust
we will soon behold"
Later in the day, wild, fierce ex-
preston CLEANED in the eyes of the
men.
They exchanged significant glances,
| but at the time said not a word.
Each, however, guessed the horrible
thought that had entered the mind OF
every sailor. although he hesitated, as
yet, to express it.
At last man named Michael Bruno
- ha!f>breed between and English
man and Portuguese-let loose q dread>
ful idea.
''It must be DONE" he almost scream
| ed "Two hours more without food
will put the death seal upon us. One
Of lis must die.
"Oh. no, no." cried Harriet. "We
can wait still. We shall see sail be-
fore long. I feel snre that we will.
But all her pleadmgs wero in vain.
Some paper was cot into strips, and
these being held by Bruno, the drawing
| of lots TO see who should die was COM
l-menced it having been arranged that
the who drew the shortest strip WAS to
Weld up his life for the benefit of the
rest.
AS pale rs. death Harriet sat watching
/ the drawing. A moment later she be-
held h.r husband looking at small
piece of paper in his hand, while the
hoarsc voice of Bruno grated on her
ear:
"Mr, Rogers has drawn the short
slip, He must die!'
Say, ay. men, said Mr.. Rogers; Il
will soon be readyp'
His wife flung herself upon his bo-
som.
"Neverl never shall they tear you
from me!' she cried, twiniug her arms
about her neck.
But, Harriet, he said, sit is neces-
sary, 1t is only fair that [ should die. "
"Yon must not; you shall not" ex-
claimed the young woman. "We can
all 90 without food some hours longer,
during which we may see sail. "
mo, no, no. cried Rogers ship
mates simultaneously. ave must have
food now"
Hunger had driven them to despera
ton.
Their teeth were clenched. their eyes
wild and blool-shot, their faces more
like those of wolves than of human
beings
"IIet me go, dear Harriet" said the
vounq man to his wife. "Let me bid
you goodbye, and may Heaven bless
you"
Some of the men advanced towards
Harriet. who still held her husband IN
an embrace from which he could not
disengage himself. Turning towards
the sailors, she said:
Back, back, never shall you tear me
from him. But, if You must have
human life, take mine instead OF my
husbands"
At this time the men drew back.
Eyen at the dreadful moment they
kconld not endure the thonght of killing
D woman,
The first officer, who had watched his
chance, now by sudden movement,
taking advantage of his wife's head
being suddenly turned, and nerved to
additional strength by the narrowing
thought that his shipmates might at
length come to the conclusion OF ac>
| cepting Harriet's proposition to saerl-
fee her life, broke from her entwining
arms and ran towards the bow of the
boat.
There be was quickly joined by the
other men, one of whom now placed
himself as the barrier between the
young woman and her husband, whom
she was making frantic efforts to reach
PerceiYing that She conld not pass
the man, she fell upon her knees, and
in a voice of the most heart-rendlng
agony, again begged the others to take
| her own instead of her husbands life.
| But her suplications were1aln.
| She saw her husband leaning back
prepared to die, while Bruno proceeded
to sharpen his knife for the deadly
work on one Of the hoops OF the BREAKER
Having at length prepared the weap-
on he stopped over the young man 70
cut his throat, while companion stood
by with cup to catch the blood
"For mercy's sake watt she CRED.
eLook first and see if there is not a SAL
in sigh. :
The men obeyed her request IneS
scanned the ocean far and near but no
sign 81 sail was to be seen.
Il /. .Hox<l5 you know there is not one
MAIDEN behind that mist?' she inquired
peinting towards small fog BANK a
1 league to windward.