The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-09-15


But Jack is not Of deliberative turn Of
mind when something that ought to be
done waits for him to do it. Volunteers
were forthcoming. The order wes
given. Eight hands sprarg aft and
seated themselves in the lifcboat, and
the third officer, Mr.. William Williams,
took his place in tho stern-sheets. 1t
was one of those moments when the
bravest man in the world will hold his
breath. There swung his boats crew
at tho devits the end of the fall in the
hands of men waiting for the right
second to lower away. One dark green
fo"mlcss swell, III whole, hugo noun
tains OF water, rose and sank below !;
too much hurry, the least delay, any
lack OF GOODNESS, of Judgment, of per-
ception of exactly the right thing to do,
and it WIS IL hundred to one if the next
minute did not see the boat dashed into
slaves and her crew squattering and
drowning among the fragments. The
due command was coolly given; tho
shcavcs of the full-blocks ratified on
their pins and the boat sank down to
the waters edge A vast swell hove
her high, almost to tie level of the spot
where she had been hanging, and as
quick rs mortal hands cnn move the
blocks were unlocked only just in
time. Then strong shove drove her
clear, and III n moment she was heading
for the wrcck-now vanishing as though
she had been wholly swallowed up by
the tail, green, sparkling ridge that rose
between her and the steamer, then
tossed like II cork upon mountainous
pinnacle, with keel out of water She
had been well stocked with lines and
lifc-buoys, for it was clearly seen that
the pouring waters would never permit
her to como within n pistol-shot of the
bark, and the suspense among the
passengers amounted to an agony rs
they wondered within themselves how
those sailors would rescue tho Door
creatures who had watched them from
tho foamy decks of the almost submerged
wreck. They followed tho boat vanish
ing and reappearing, the very pulsation
of their hearts almost arrested Mt mo-
ments when tho little craft made head
long, giddy swoop into prodigious
hollow and was lost to view, until pro-
sently they perceived That the men had
ceased to row. 1t WAS then sccn that
the third mate was hailing tho crew of
the bark. Presently they saw ono of
| N al, no1, +
lino EDWARDS tl,o boat IL woo caught, q
life-buoy bent on to it and hauled aboard
the wreck. TO this ife-buoy was
attached second line, tho cnd of which
was retained by the people in the boat.
One of the men on the wreck put the
life buoy over his shoulders and in IN
instant flung himself into tho sea, and
was dragged smartly but carefully into
the boat. The Parthia's passengers
now understood how the men were to be
saved. One by one tho ship-wrecked
seamon lcaped into tho wator, until
eleven of them had been dragged into
tho Parthin's boat. The number made
load, and with cheory call to those
who were to he left behind for short
while. Mr.. Williams headed for tho
steamer. The deep boat approached
the Parthia slowly; but, meanwhile
Captain McKaye's forcsighth had provided
for the perilous and difficult job Of get
ting the rescued men on Dv...,. tho
steamer. a whip was rove at the fore
yardarm, under which the rising and
falling boat WAS stationed by means of
her oars. one end Of the whip knottcd
into bow-line wns overhnuled into tho
boat and slipped over the shoulders of
man, and at signal dozen or more of
the Parthia's crew ran him up and
swayed him III. In this way the eleven
mon were safely landed on the deck of
the steamer. The boat then returned
to the wreck. the rest of the crow were
dragged from her by means of the buoys
and lifc-lines, and hoistcd, along with
six of the Parthins men, ont of the boat
by the yardarm whip. But not yet was
this perilOus and nobly- mission
completed. There was still tho boat to
run up to the davits. All the old fears
rcocclrrcd rs she was brought alongside
with MIR. Williams and two men in her.
But jack has marvollously quick hand
and steady pulse. The blocks were
swiftly hooked into the boat, and soon
she scared like bird in tho davits under
the strong running pull of number of
men before the swell that followed her
could rise to the height Of the chain
plates.
To appreciate the pathos and pluck of
an adventure of this kind, man must
have served rs n spectator or actor in
some such n scene. Words have but
little virtue when deeds are to be told
whose moving powers and cnnoblmg
inspirations lie in performance that
may as fifty be described in one as in a
hundred lines. Such rs remember the
faces of those shipwrcckcd Englishmcn
and Canadians, the aspect of them as
they were hoisted, one by one, over the
Parthia's side tho bcwildered rolling of
their eyes incrcdulous of their miracu.
lOlls preservation their expression of