The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-06-15

came to you, my husband, for tidings OF
our boy. Gan it be that you are as ig-
norant as myself?"
81 never saw him but once after the
alarm, Lucy, and then he was in the
nurses arms. She was seeking you
and I, deeming him safe with her-Oh
my child, my child and disabled and
cannot search for him ~
In the nurses arms !" repeated the
Young soldier. "Why, that was Susan.
DID You mean," said he. "you saw
Master Edward with my wife, captain ?"
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 insensible," said the young
soldier and as he spoke he bent over
the form l had failed to observe, ad-
ding, /" I found her beneath PROSTATE
spar, by which she had been struck
down, and, wrenching it aside, grasped
the precious burden and escaped with
1t, as you see."
"Then, Lucy, darling, our child is
lostr murmured the stricken officer,
gently drawing the crouching form of
his wife to his breast, where she faint
ed, 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 il not among the rescued
Who'll go with me to the burning
wreck?'
"I will, my man ~ shouted, seized
with wild ambition to aid him in re.
storing the child to its parents, and
grasping his arm I fairly dragged him
to the rail, on which leaned, shouting: /:
Volunteers for the wreck Sover-
eigns. ahoyl A child is left in yonder
burning shipl Who will follow me to
the rescue |"
The demand was instantly responded
to by the unanimous shout of the
launch's crew, "Sovereigns to the res
cuep when turned inboard, shouting,
"a lighter boat! In heavens name let
us have lighter boatl'
slower away the gig" shouted some
one on deck, when, pausing no longer,
l 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 her thwarts, when an unre-
strained use OF our knives severed the
davit-tackles, and we were free.
"Bear her off with your oars, and
ship all, my ladsl' 1 exclaimed, vainly
endeavoring to find the rudder, when,
abandoning the search, I grasped the
loom of the after oar, which the SOL
dier had secured, and lent my strength
toward the impulsion of the buoyant
craft through or over the maddened
billows, while from the Delmars deck
came cheering shout:
"Give way, my lads, my noble hearts,
and may Heaven speed you -
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 lockers. Had
they been otherwise nothing could
have prevented us from going down,
inasmuch as we were half-full of water
ere we had accomplished half the dis.
tance 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 a 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 besought permission for his
wife to accompany him. Colonel r ,ss
was inexorable, until his daughter, the
young wife of Captain Clifford
espous.d the cause OF the anguish
stricken Susan, aud ventured to inter.
ceds in her behalf. He could deny his
daughter nothing, so he consented,
promising that she should take Susan
into her service, by which means he
would be spared the charge of suspend
ing an established rule in her case. In
this manner hsd the youthful soldier
and his young wife been spared the pain
of separation, and in return for that
kind intercession he was now proving
his gratitude.
At length we reached the burning
wreck, when new difficulty presented
itself. How were we to board it? To
such feat to leeward was
worse than folly, for the wreck, relieved
OF its top hamper, rode partly to the
ebb, which was now setting strong,
heaving the dismantled hull into the
trough of the sea, which made frequent
breaches over her, retarding the pro.
eress OF the flames, and preserving al
most 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 droop-
ing to the surface, from the stern, when |
Hunter demanded:
How near can you 60 with safety,
sir%
"Within two boats length" I re-
piled.
"Then sheer in," said he, sand will |
swim the rest"
"Nonsense You couldn'ti" re-
sponded 1, startled by the proposition.
~ have accomplished feats as danger
GUS for less momentous object" said
he. "Ill Try it. Can but fail l''
"Glve way gently, menr" said I,
avoiding reply for moment, in order |
to consider the proposal in all it's bear
ings, when the boat, losing headway
aud being to windward, began to close
with the wreck.
We were three boats length, when
he dropped his oar and was about to |
slnl.ino. hnt nant,.ai.and Liz |