The Republican journal., 1881-10-06

SudSC, All, lily OOu :. Ill IL voice SHOULD
not have known as his, and slowly mount
ed the steps Nicholas Tode has the
fever, too said he. They all seem to die
when they have it. If we lose them, how
snail we manage, Meinkee ! and he stared
at me as helplessly as child. | said we
should endeavor to fetch Java again while
there were living men to work the brig.
'Ay,' said he, speaking in a strange, alb
sent manner; it may have to come to
that He walked to the wheel, and |
went forward to confer with my mates.
We had no notion how to treat the fever.
We could do nothing to diminish the suf-
terlngs OF the stricken men. The captain
minded the brig and tended the mate,
but did not come forward again. Jan
died, and we buried him and that night
French Peter and Caspar died, the first
delrlous, and the other in trance. Sir,
what am telling you may look incredi-
Die, but there are scores OF people in Rot
terdam who will bear witness that | speak
the truth. The fever struck my ship
mates down one after the other, and
Killed them Oft, ay, as rapidly as though
each man had swallowed dose of poison.
The night on which Peter and Caspar
died was very fine; the wind blew soft
from the east, the sky was full Of rich,
large stars, we had all plain sail set, and
the brig was pushing quietly through the
dark, smooth water. They both died in
the middle watch, within an hour of each
other. William was at the wheel. The
skipper fitted about aft often going
below to see to the mate The four of us
forward stood near the galley consulting
None OF us would have shrunk from nat
ural perils; but t. have death moving on
tipt0e among us, striking first one and
then another, none of us knowing whose
turn would come next, lnable to guess
what made the fever, ard ignorant how
to cure it when it came, kept us standing
and whispering like condemned men,
starting at every sound, even at the
clanking of the wheel chains, the creak
Of a block up in the gloom, the sob Of
water under the bows. was for the
four Of us going aft to the skipper, and
asking him to return to Java. Philip
Stogren said we had better go on as we
We're; heading to the south and west
would bring us into the track Of the Aus
tralian steamers and vessels bound to the
bay Of Bengal. 'Ay, says Adren Weide-
mann, 'Java's no use to us with this wind
blowing dead from it. But We'll leave
THIS FLOATING pEsTlLENCE
for the first ship that comes our way, and,
if Captain Roster won't consent, We'll re-
fuse to work the brig That was settled.
Well, when the morning came the captain
told us that the mate was dead. We
buried the three men, but scarce was
that done when Weidemann went slowly
along to the forecastle, holding his hand
to his head, and, going below to my chest
to get some tobacco, found him in his
bunk red hot with fever. put my head
through the hatch to call Stogren, whom
| had left on the torecastle, and caught
sight Of him in the act Of taking the
wheel, and the skipper coming forward
holding William by the arm. Where is
| Wcidemann 2 called out the captain.
told him he was lying i'll in his bunk.
Help William below said he, 'he is i'll,
too | got the man down the hatch and
into his bunk, putting a pannilln Of
water within reach of each of them, and
then came on deck again. The captain
had disappeared. went to Sfogren and
found him trembling with horror; he was
supporting himself by clinging to the
spokes OF the wheel, rather than steering
Whose turn will it be next? he cried,
staring at me with shining eyes. where's
the captain ? | asked. Below he re-
Piled | went into the cabin, and the
first thing saw was the captain sitting
at the table, with his face buried in his
arms | spoke his name softly, but he
didnot move but on calling to him again,
he raised his face, that was intlamed, as
first imagined, by weeping. but, view
ing him closely, | perceived that he had
the fever. 1T is my turn, he said, in
thick voice. Peter Meinkee, be sure
that am dead before YOU throw me
overboard;' and so saying, he got up and
staggered toward his cabin, and closed
the door behind him. | stood motionless
for many minutes after he had disappear
ed. 1t was like a nightmare, sir, too hor-
rible for reality, though as crushing as
the reality. Then took fright at breath
ing the air Of the cabin. fancicd could
taste the very flavor Of the pestilence,
whatever it was, that was killing Us one
by one, between the decks, and ran up
the steps into the wind. The brig had
swung around and was aback; Sfogren
had let 90 the wheel, and was leaning
over the side looking into the water. |
thought he was stricken, too, and tried
to call him, but my voice stuck in my
throat. Presently he looked round, and
then | went to him. Why have you left
the wheel 2 | asked. What is the use of
steeringN he answered: we are dying
men. We shall both be
DEAD BEFORE srrNDOWN'
NO no. | cried don't give up till the
hand of the fever is on us-a ship may
heave in SIGHT at any minute. Help me
to shorten sail, for, if a fresh breeze
should spring up, we are doomed indeed
in this s1ate.' He came along with a
broken down look that had something of
doggednoss in t, too, and we clewed up
the royal and topgallant sails and hauled
up the mansail. We let these sails lie in
the blight of the leechlines and buntlines
but was resolved to let the brig stand
braced the yards round and brought the
vessel to the wind, heading about north
northeast. The sails Slated overhead,
but we did rot mind. took the wheel,
but it ate into my heart to think of the
men dying alone forward and the skip
der aft; and as Sfogren would not go to
them, 1 gave MN the wheel and went
myself. In the forecastle one Of them
lay dclirious, talking and laughing like a
madman, waving his arms, but not offer
ing to quit his bunk the other was on
his back, still, with his eyes half open,
and breathing like a sutfocating man. |
spoke to this last but he made no sign
the other | knew would not understand
me. | came away and went to the cap
tain. He was sensible, and asked for
water. He said he felt as if lying on a
bed Of fire. Even while stood there he
prayed that he might die quick, that his
sutferings might be over, He had wife
and five children at Rotterdam, but he
did not speak Of them perhaps he want
ed the heart.
The three of them died that night. |
kept out of the forecastle all the afternoon,