Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-11-27

When the storm tossed ocean billows
| Madly roar,
Then our bark 50 lightly laden
l Drifting on when skies are brighter
You and I;
We'll not envy z! 25Gaass: y vessels
HIS LUCK.
They were to have been married
Thanksgiving evening. Why couldn'
he have had even common luck, anc
made fair passage! Joe Thorpe or San
Andrews, who were not half as careful
as himself, were probably off Montaul
Point by this time and here he was, south
OF Hattaras, half his crew down with
fever and ague. whole suit of sails blow,
away, his cargo of fruit probably rotten
ana the wind hauling to tho north'art
all the time, with strong prospect O.
another gale.
! 1t was too bad-''too deuced badw BIZ
added, with an emphasis almost allowable
under the circumstances, as he glanced
at the compass.
"As unlucky as Arad Thorpe" had
passed into proverb in his native towr
| of Coverley. And yet he was prupent
energetic and smart. he always made
money for his owners; but however much
he might lay by for himself, was sure te
be, in some unforeseen manner, lost:
The Hamlnerton bank, wherein he had
deposited thousand dollars, had sus
pended payment. The cashier of the
Home Savings institute had "defalcated, ,
leaving him loser of an equal sum. His
little house on Elm street was burned in
his absence, the insurance policy having
expired day OF two before. He had
been knocked down and robbed of hi
freight money in Panama. All of which
events, occurring at different times had
come nigh to make Arad fatalist.
But, thanks to Jessie Banks. his be.
trothed, he had kept up good heart. and
his courage had won from Banks, pere
the promise that if he brought home
three hundred dollars as his own share
of the trading voyage in the Caribbean
sea, he should marry jessie, without fur.
ther notice on the coming Thanksgiving
evening.
This voyage he had made some success.
full ventures, which had netted him about
three hundred and fifty dollars, said sum
being locked up in his desk below.
allow do you head now, Jerry2" was
his query for the twentieth time: and the
| unsatisfactory answer, "East north cast,
.slr,' caused an ejaculation of impatience
to escape him.
"Brocky Joe much sick. He wants
medicine" was the salutation which met
his ear, as tall, powerfully built sailor,
a Spaniard, accosted him.
He had shipped his crew of four men
add second mate In Jamaica, and a ras-
cally:looking set there were, though up
to this time they had done we'll enough,
and now that two Of them were sick, the
rem aiming two had done double duty; SO
that Arad had begun to think very we'll
of them.
Taking some quinlne from the mcdi-
cine-chest, he went forward, and, enter.
ing the little forecastle, which was dim
ly lighted by swinging lamps, he was
| about 10 proceed to the bunk of the sup.
posed sick man, when he was suddenly
seized from behind, blanket thrown
over his head, and, almost before he
could think, was hurried tc the rail. over
which he was thown IN an instant.
But Arad, like all Coverley boys, was a
perfect water-dog; and after coming tc
the surface, he blew the water from his
| mouth, worked of his boots, got himself
out of his pea-jacket by dint of u:h
squirming, and, wiping the spray from
his eyes as he rose on the crest of wave
he had the cheerful satisfaction of seeing
the binnacle-ight of his vessel apparent:
ly half mile distont, and rapidly grow.
ing fainter.
"My luck!'' was on his tongue, as he
struck out with a vague hope Of keeping
himself af1oat till morning; and then Jes
sizes words came to his mind: "Be sure
Arad, and do all you can; God will dc
the rest
With an inward prayer for help, he 70
solved to make a struggle for life, though
he felt his chances were in6nitesimally
small; und, by dint Of outstanding hi
strength, the morning light as 1t dawneo
over tue turbulent sea found him chilled
to the bone, exhay sted and faint, bu
still swimming.
Oh, how eagerly, as 1t grew lighter
did he watch for welcome sail And
rising on a crest of wave, his heart came
almost into his mouth, for not stone'
throw distant Was little hermaphroditt
brig, under short sail, bearing down upor
him.
"Hillo o-o-o!" he shouted, with all hi
strength.
Surely they must hear him; but no an
swering hail came to his listening cars
and In another moment, to his surprise
and horror, the briggs course was altered
and she headed In another direction
though Arad could see that her yard
were untouched being, in fact, braeet
in an opposite direction.
"Something wrong there y he thought
and, as it was his las. chance for life
with desperate energy he sought to in
terccpt her course, when suddenly he
sails were thrown aback, and for a mo
ment she drittcd down toward him, a
though he had been seen and measure
taken for his relief.
AS she neared him he managed, in
roll of sea, to sieze one Of the mainchail
pla'es, and with final effort, he swung
himself into the rigging and over the rail
where he sank senseless on the deck
thinking dimly how strange it was tina
no living soul was in sight
When he recovered from bis stupor an
feeb]y CROPPED his way aft, he saw tn
wheel was dashed hard-a-port, and tn
stern boat gone from her davits; and ]
flashed across his mind that the brig ha
been deserted---a fact which a voyage c
investigation into the cabin confirmed.
An open chart was on the floor, where
upon the vessels course bad been trace
from little island in the Windwar
group, and further examination of he
papers and logbook showed her to be til
Spanish brig Don Carlos, bound for
Jacmal, with box sugar ITO any po
north of Hatteras."
Arabs mind was made up on the ii
slant. He sounded the pumps we'll; an
found nine inches Of water therein, ant
} having refreshed himself from the stew
ards pantry with Spanish tortillas,
stripped and went at it till the. pum]
sucked. -, -
Then he loosed the lower sails fore an
i aft, sheeted them home with infinite !
Dor, squared the yards, and went oft .
? the wheel.,< -,.e*-.,.
: The wind had hauled to the southwes
q glance at the barometer showed that Il
mercury was rising; and, with high hop
: Arad began his voyage to "a port nortl