Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-07-05

[ came to you, my husband, for tidings
of our boy. Can it be chat you are as
ignorant as myself ?"
ct never saw him but once after the
alarm, Lucy, and then he was in the
nurses arms. She was seeking you; and
l, deeming him safe with her-Oh nay
child, my child ! and l disabled, and can
not search for him -
In the nurses arms?" repeated the
young soldier. "Why, that was Susan.
Did you mean ?" said he, 'syou saw Mas
ter Edward with my wife, Oaptain?"
cay, Hunter" was the reply.
"Where is your wife? The child must
be with her"
Alas, no, sir. Ny wife is here. See
she is sensible, said the young sol
der: and as he spoke he bent over the
form [ had failed to observe, adding, 81
found her beneath PROSTATE spar, by
which she had been struck down, and
wrenching 1t aside, grasped the precious
burden, and escaped with it, as you see. :"
Then, Lucy darling, our child is
lost !" murmured the stricken officer,
gently drawing the crouching form of
his wife TO his breast, where she tainted,
while the young soldier, bounding to his
feet, exclaimed: "Not yet no, no
not yet; not yet | know the spot
where Susan lay. The fire has not
reached it yet, and Master Edward must
be there, If not among the rescued.
Who'll go with me to the burning
wreck ?"
& will, my man 70 I shouted, seized
with wild ambition to aid him in re-
storing the child to it's parents; and,
grasping bis arm, I fairly dragged him
to the rail, on which I leaped, shouting:
"Volunteers for the wreck! Sovereigns
child is left in yonder burning ship
Whe will follow me to the rescue ?"
The demand was instantly responded
to by the unanimous shout of the
iaunch's crew, Sovereigns to the res
cue p when 1 turned inboard, shouting,
ga lighter boat ! In Heavens name,
let us have a lighter boat |"
Lower away the gig p shouted some
one on deck, when, pausing no longer,
[ leaped from the rail into the launch,
followed by the intrepid soldier.
Scarce minute elapsed ere the Del
mars gig was down and five of my men,
the soldier, and myself safely seated on
of our knees served the davit-tackles and
we were free.
Bear her off with your oars and ship
all, my lads!"I exclaimed, vainly en-
deavoring to find the rudder, when,
abandoning the search, grasped the
loom of the after oar, which the soldier
had secured and lent my strength to-
ward the impulsion of the buoyant craft
through or over the maddened pillows,
while from the Delmar's deck, came the
cheering shout:
Give way, my lads, my noble hearts,
and may heaven speed you'll
We did give way, each stroke of the
oars making the little boat fairly leap
from the brine, while the life boat model
on which she was constructed rendered
us secure from all danger of being
swamped. And it was fortunate for us
that her thwarts, stern-sheets, and dais
were air-tight locked. Had they been
otherwise, nothing could have prevented
us from going down, inasmuch as we
were half full of water ere we had accom-
plished half the distance to the wreck.
We had made the passage to the Del
mar in the short space of four minutes,
but our passage from her to the wreck
consumed four times that period and
tenfold the exertion, while in few
words the young soldier informed me of
the cause of his daring.
He had married without the consent
of his colonel, and the regiment being
soon after ordered on foreign service, he
in vain sought permission for his wife
to accompany him. Colonel Ross was
memorable, until his daughter-the
young wife of Captain Clifford
the cause of the anguish stricken Susan,
and ventured to intercede In her behalf.
He could deny his daughter nothing, so
he consented, promising that she shoul i
take Susan into her service, by which
means he would be spared the charge of
suspendlng an established rule in her
case. In this manner had the youthful
soldier and his young wife been spared
the pain OF separation, and In return for
that Kind intercession he is now proving
his gratitude.
At length we reached the burning
wreck when new difficulty presented
itself. How were we to board it? To
attempt such feat to leeward was worse
than folly, for the wreck, relieved of its
top-hamper, rode partly to the ebb,
which was now settling down strong,
heaving the dismantled hull into the sea,
which made frequent breaches over her,
retarding the progress of the flames, and
preserving almost entire her starboard
side.
An attempt to board to windward
would have been equal madness, and we
were debating upon the feasibility of an
attempt to board by the wreck of the
mizzen topmast, which hung dropping
to the surface from the stern, when
Hunter demanded:
How near can you go with safety,
sir?"
Within two boats LENGTH" I re-
Piled
"Then sheer in" said he, " and Twill
swim the rest"
"Nonsense! You couldn't!" respond
ed I, startled by the proposition.
sc have accomplished feats as danger
GUS for less momentous object" said
he. Ill try it. can but fail.