Morris tribune., 1880-06-03

dawned when he became quiet, and in few
minutes after was dead.
just as the raft made one Of its wreching
lurches, in obedience to the heaving of the
sea, the body rolled off into the ocean.
1t scarcely touched the surface, when
something flashed through the blue water,
an immense pair of jaws opened, and closed
with ferocious voracity, and the remains Of
the negro were swallowed by an enormous
shark, which logged the raft with that per-
sistency shown by those hyenas Of the deep
when there is sickness and death ON board |
ship.
The instinct that guides these frightful |
creatures is as strange and unerring as it is |
in incomprehensible. 1t was as if they
scented death in the air, and were merely |
biding their time. Fully q half-dozen Of |
enormous size now showed themselves be. |
meath and around the raft, and henOeforth |
the natives knew they meant to cling to it,
until no prey was left for them.
This calm, however, could not continue
long, and the succeeding day showed unmis-
taxable signs of q change. The brassy sky
became dark and threatening, and the white
caps of the waves in the distance warned
the two remaining on the boat that tropi-
cal storm, with all the name implies, was
close at hand.
The tempest did not break until the sun
went down and darkness was creeping over
the deep, when it came with tremendous
fury. Before the couple could fairly realize
it, it seemed as if the hurricane would blow
them off the raft, and literally tear it to
pieces. francesca chung to q box that was
dashed amidships, and his companion flung
his arm about the base of the mast, and
both held on with all the strength of which
they were master.
On the heels Of the hurricane came the
mountainous waves, crowned with foam and
spray and resistless in their fury. It would
have taken staunch ship and consummate
seamanship to have ridden out such a storm,
and the wonder Is how the trail craft sur.
vived it.
Perhaps as it could offer not the slightest
resistance to the waves, and therefore made
no sort Of fight against them, it suffered the
less; but it was tossed to and fro like an
| egg-shen, sometimes on the crest of tow.
sring avalanche, and then plunging intostha
vast watery valley between.
It was marvel that it was not torn apart
at the very first onset of the tempest, when
the two fugitives merely held on and waited
for the last struggle which they expected
with every breath.
There was scarcely any lightning, and the
situation of the two miserable beings may
be described as being such that no horror
could be added to it. Unexpectedly to them,
the raft held together, despite the fearful
wrenching as the storm increased. It may
have been after all that the negroes in con-
structing their frail craft "builded better
than they new," and it was capable of sus-
tanning even greater wrenching than that to
which it was subjected.
In the midst of the terrific storm and tenn.
pest, Francesca heard q wild cry, and above
the frightful swirl and roar caught the sharp
pistol-ike crack Of the mast as it snapped In
two and was carried out Of sight in the storm
and darkness.
With it went the unfortunate fellow who
had chung so desperately and long to it, and
francesca was now alone upon the weak
support, tossed hither and thither by the
awful tempest
Another feast was given to the sharks,
who through storm and sunshine were sure to
keep in the neighborhood Of the raft, willing
to wait the little time before the remaining
victim would fall into their insatiate maws.
But the elements were more merciful te
francesca than they had been to his com.
panions. When morning dawned, the raf
was still hanging together, the storm wa!
Gbated, and he felt that his time had not ye
come.
An the succeeding day he drifted about i,
an aimless manner, unable to control tn
Eaft in the least, and with no idea Of whithe
he was going. For aught he knew, the VIM
and currents might be taking him directl.
hack to Fernando de -Noronha.
# such was the fact he was unable b
prevent II, II, indeed, he felt any desire b
do 90. The storm had made short and fins
work with his water and provisions, and tn
rays Of the tropical SUN beat down upon hin
with the same furious energy 90 before.
The days wore on, until Ave more passed
and he had been drifting for ten Of the,
upon the Atlantic.
Then it was that the Carrie Long cam
across his path and picked him up, as q
ready stated, and by judicious nursin
brought him around until he was himse
again.
. When Captain Park arrived ct Matanza
y francesca became very much frightene
over the presence and questions Of the Gu
, toms officers.
;" The. American captain gave truthful .
, count Of the rescue Of the fellow, and Il
= story as it had been gathered from his lip
= The Brazilian consul thereupon demands
" that he should be delivered to the local q
: thoritiss, and kept in Jail until his ca
could be communicated to the Brazilian o
% thorities.
= But the sturdy American captain said:
- ~ incline 10 think not. He has earn,
his liberty after such heroic efforts, and
% ahall have Il"
= " But / insist that you comply with n
E request which il right and just"
y "You can insist all you choose said Il
o captain. 81 was the means Of saving hi
from death, and shall not undo my wo
d by helping to put him into prison for It"
y The Brazilian consul was impolitic enoui
. 10 intimate something about compelling q
;. captain 10 do - he bad been requested
"a The response Of the AmericaR sailor
this sndsd ths intsEvisw.