Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-03-28
Twice Buried.

n were thirty-five or forty days from homt
had crossed the line, and were gettin
| the first of the southeast trades, when ou
n second mate began to break down. II
$ had joined the vessel in bad health. br
r seemed to get better in the tropics; an
now again he felt himself gradually sink
+ ing There was no doctor on board, on
S ship not carrying passengers that voyage
: but it was easy TO see he was in a rapi
(. decline. How sorry we all were. Every
: body liked him-a kind, considerate off
, Ger; cool. skilful seaman, somewha
| reserved perhaps, but not cold; neve
e asking any one TO perform a disagreeabl
Q or dangerous duty without lending han,
: himself. And there he lay dying-s
young, handsome, strong. Oh it SCENE,
: hard, The song and laugh were husheC
!, around the decks, our steps fell light a
! We passed over his head, and oftel
i through the watches one OF us youngster
would look in to see il Mr.. Lindei
wanted anything, sometimes coming ou
pale and scared he looked so white anC
r still. we knew not was it sleep or death
We had passed the Cape of Storms. ant
were now Tar down in the region of mist:
and snow, where the vast ice island:
wander in lonely, awful grandeur, and
fierce westerly gales howled after us a-
we flew on our westerly course 10 Aus
tralia. One night, wild and dark, with
every appearance of heavy storm al
hand, | was passing the second mates
berth when heard his voice feebly call
ing after me. He was sitting up in his
bunk hardly able TO speak, his lips dry
and burning. ran off TO fetch him a
drink. Alas there was nothing to be got
but water, thick and reddish, from the
ships iron tanks. Bad as it was, he drank
it eagerly, and becoming more composed,
lay down, still keeping hold of my hand.
Then his mind seemed to wander back 10
the days of his childhood, back to happier
times, when. with the girl he loved, he
strayed through sweet country lanes, and
all was peace and rest. While in dreary
contrast, the rising wind moaned and sob
bed through our rigging like some liv-
ing thing in pain, and mems steps were
hurryng along the decks preparing for the
battle that must soon be fought. At last
the cloud passed from his mind and he
turned to me, grasping my hand tightly,
ana spoke oil his mother and sister and that
| other loved one he would never see again.
Without him they would be all alone in the
world. Lovingly, lingerlingly, he dwelt
! on them till he made me cry like child.
| Then he lay back with his head on my
arm, and gradually passed away to the
| better land
We could not bury him that night. 1t
was fierce struggle all the time TO short
en- sail; for nearly five hours We were all
on the toreyard. trying to furl the ioresail,
which was blown to pieces in the end. At
last morning broke on the mad raging
sea. Tie sailmaker sewed bag of cam
vas round the corpse; We placed two ten
pound shot at his feet; the seas were
breaking too heavily on the main deck, so
we carried him tendcrly up on the poop.
Never shall | forget that burial scene.
The black lowering ky. the ship under
close-reefed top-sai!s flying for her lite
from the pursuing snowy crested pillows.
Near her stern all hands were grouped,
the wind blowing the old captains gray
hair wildly about, the rain and hail beat
ing on our barred heads, and pattering on
the deck like thousand feet; the solemn
faces stern and sad and on the wheel
grating lay all OF the man that we loved
The captain read few words ill some
thing seemed 10 choke him; he pointed
over the stern and turned away A dull
splash was heard. Like men in dream
we gaZed at the spot as a sea broke over
it. | iancied still saw it gyrating lit
tie, then slowly descending, end first.
through the quiet depth; and in imagin-
lation | could behold strange unknown
monsters sweeping towards it. regarding
II with their dull eyes rs something vet
more strange than themselves, still going
down, past the regions of ocean-life.
clover and slownr. till, ut last. balanced
by the pressure of waters, il ceases to de-
seend. standing in the soundless. move
less depth like Mohammcd's coffin, float
ing between surface and bottom.
On flew the vessel, till many mile lay
between us and that sad spot on the lone
ly deep. But a change was coming round
by the southwark the wind hauled to tho
eastward, and before dark we We're hove
to, the wind blowing from the eastward
and northward 4 perfect hurricane At
about two bells q o'clock in the middle
watch, King (my messmate) and myself
were standing on the poop, in the lee of
the mizzenmaSt, watching tbs seas as
they broke on the main deck, trying to
distinguish objects by the garish light of
the white foam. Occasionally a pale
lightning flash showed the wild waters
around us. the laboring ship seeming to
sweep The inky sky with her mast-heads
"A scene to us youngsters indescribably
terrible. The third mate was on watch,
he was over to wind ward, stern and
silent. The dead man and he had been
close friends. They had wandered over
the world together for years, and he
seemed TO feel his loss deeply. Suddenly
we heard his voice: GO for'ard, one OF |
you, and see if the lookout is all right"
Rather i disagreeable duty; for, though |
the rain and spray had wet us through |
already, yet the water in our clothes was
warm by this time and going along that |
main deck exposed Us TO the probability |
OF fresh supply OF a colder temperature. |
Let us both GO said King. We stood |
on the poop-ladder watching our chance,
and the moment the vessel seemed steady, |
made Il rush for the tic-rail round ou |
mainmast-a sort Of halfway house. | |
reached il in safety; but poor Kings foot |
slipped on the Shiny deck, and the same |
instant q huge sea leaped on board at the |
weather man-rigging. | climbed up the |
toretopgallant brace clear of it with a |
laugh AT Kings expense; but it died ON
my lips as 4 cry came borne to my ears |
the cry of some one in deadly terror. |
| slid swiftly down the braces TO the deck. |
The same moment Il flash Of lightning |
showed me King still on board, clnging
10 the lee main-rigging, his face white |
aud distorted with some awful fear.
Come out OF that, George" implored
His position was one of great danger; but
he did not stir or answer. As the vessel |
rolled, was dashing against him. | |
clung round him TO the rigging, holding |
on till the water had in some degree sub |
sided through the ports and scuppers. !
what is the matter, old fellow ?" | ask
ed "Are you hurt p"
With his lips at my ear, he answered |
hoarsely Hes on board again, Jack :"
He Who - cried wildly.
lie did not answer. but pointed 10 the
deck. There was about foot depth of
water on it. As the ship rolled to lee |
ward, SAW. 10y the now inccssant light
ming, something washed to and fro in tho
water, with loosely tossing limbs The
ship rolled to windwdrd it washed
away. Again the ship rolled TO leeward
it washed TO our feet. Tangled in tn
ropes, it stayed there. The lightning
CLEANED full on the upturned face. Ii
was the second mate
Never will the horror OF that moment
pass from memory, What brought the
dead back again Was the shadow of
death never to leayc us2 horrible
iain,ness seemed creeping over mo.
could not move. Suddenly the third
mates voice rang out sharp and anxious.
Where are you, Youngsters ?n and broke
the spell. Welcome indeed was that
voice to our ears; it seemed 10 bring US
back 10 the world of lie again. We hur-
ried ait, and rather incohcrcntly. think,
told him what we had seen. "Nonsensei"
he said, angrily. ibid you never see
death on board Il ship before, that this
has made such an impression on you ?
You the watch there to the men-"gct
hold OF whatever that is knocking about
the deck, and secure IT. Get the deck