The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-02-06

the captain and wife found themselves
upon one of the higher lodges, hardly
knowing how they had reached it, while
the crew, with bleeding hands and sore
! " bruised limbs, dragged themselves
painfully up after them
They were not Il moment too soon.
Scarcely had the last man gained the
ledge when the mountain wave took the
/ vessel aback She slid off the rocks
which had held her up, and went down
so quickly that the captain, turning at
the shouts of his men, just caGght
( glimpse of her topmast vanishing under
water.
The situation of the shipwrecked crew
was now dreary enough. Alone upon
I bare rock in the midst of a stormy sea
with no means of escape, and no food
| but the few brine-soaked biscuits in
/ their pockets, there seemed TO be moth
/ ing left for them but to give themselves
up and die. But, of all men living. A
sailor is the least apt TO think his case
/ hopeless, however hard it may appear.
! Having Just been saved from apparently
/ certain death, the stout-hearted seamen
were in no mood to despair so easily !;
and settling themselves snuglv in shell
tered cleft of the rock, they ate their
scanty meal a good share of which had
been reserved for Mrs. Petersen as cheer
lily as if they we've lying at anchor in
/ Bergen harboT.
just as the meal ended. the fog sud-
denly rolled away like a curtain, and
the last gleam of the setting sun show
ed them an island several miles to the
north, on the shore of which the keen
eyed captain made out a few white
specks that looked like fishermen's huts.
Lads cried he, IF the wind rises
- Il int l,a NJ
even if it don't, we shall freeze to death
If we stick here all night, with no room
to move about. There 5 just one chance
left for us and Pm going to take 1t.
Somebody must swim to that island for
help. and as | believe Pm the best swim
mer among us, I'll be the one to do it. >
''O,af - cried his wife, catching him
by the arm ''you won't think of it It's
certain death -
''Pooh, pooh - said the captain cheer
lily. Il haven't swan across Bergen
Bay and back for nothing. It's certain
death to sit here and freeze, If you like
but you'll soon see me coming bach will
! half dozen stout fellows md we'll al
have a good supper oefore the night
out. Keep -ycdT heart up, dear. Coz
: bless You y
, - The next instant he was in the waite
!, and vanishing from the eager eyes tia
: ( watched him into the fast-falliDg shad
Cyys of night. Then came long silenc
f The men IooKett at each other, no on
J daring to utter the thougiu which wa
: in every ones mind, while Tbyra Peter
. sen hid her face in her hands. and pf.y
: ed as she never prayed before.
: Meanwhile Captain Petersen. VIII
/ had told no more than the truth in call
ing himself a good swimmer, was breast
ing the waves manfully. But he sOol
4 found the difference between attemptin,
I long swim when quite fresh and vigor
Gus. and doing the same thing after
bard nights work on short allowance o
: food. and with limbs ssiffened by we
i and cold. Moreover, the sea, althOug
I much quieter than il had been, was still
! rough enough TO tell sOreiy against him
6 Before he had gone q mile he felt III
g strength beginning { O fail; but he though
: of his wife, and of all the other live
I that now depended upon liim alone an
n struggled desperately onward But nOy
came new trouble In the deepening
n darkness the island for which he wa
+ heading soon disappeared altogether, an
Z he found himself swimming almost q
. random. Every stroke was now q mat
) ter of life ard death, and yet each o
3 those strokes might be taken in th
!
q thought. Heavier and heavier grew hi
4 cramped limbs. harder ana harder press
+ ed the merciless sea. He sank-rose-
4 again, and as he came up once NOR
n lifted his voice in despaiTing cry, fee
3 ing that all was over.
d Hist, laddies there's some ane ski
IS ling (screaming), shouted a hO2rs
voice near him.
s There was a sudden splash of oars,
! clamOr of many voices, and then stron
hand clutched him as he sank for tn
N last time So utterly was he spent tina
ls he could barely force ont the few word
: needful to tell his story; but these weT
d quite enough for the Orkney fishermen
@ who at once put about and steere
;. straight for the rock.
# 1t was a glad sight for the wear
watchers, when the boat came glidin
toward them out of the darkness. Blu
/ when they recognized their captain
n whom they had long since given up fC
e lost, they gathered their last strengt
e for feeble cheer, while poor Thyr.
o sprang into the boat, and threw he
i arms round his neck without a word.
n So ended Captain Petersen's DARN
. swim, which brought MIN good in wa
!, that he little expected for when th
% news of the feat reached Bergen, tn
!. townspeople at once started a subscriI
j. tion to buy him another vessel, i'll whic
n lbe is voyaging now.
,