The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-03-15
swimming for LIfo.
mo sign Of a sail yet, Jimi"

''No sign Of sail yet, Jimi"
"Nary one, Jack. guess our tlme's
COME"
Jim HacKett had indeed some cause for
saying so, and he said 1t In a detected tone.
which was rare lndhed with him. To bo
aaoat on boundless sea without knowing
where one ID. or having any means of find
ing out, ls an awkward matter at best; but
but to be afloat in the middle Of the Pacific
without food or water, In an open boat,
under scorching sun, with not q sail In
sight, might well make the bravest man
despair.
Slowly and wearlly tho two worn out
men (sOle eurylvors OF the fearful disaster
which, had destroyed their vossel and all
| their shlpmates) rose - their foot ahd
strained their blood SHOT eyes over the
bright, merciess sea.
| Not sail, anywhercs." repea ted
Hacke.t, despondently, sand we can't
| catch one O. them fish that's a frollckln'
| around the boat by hundreds. God help
usl"
$50 He will, Dly boy, never fear. DYE
| remember how, when we two were at
| school together IN the old Bay State, our
old teacher used to be always spinning a
yarn about some captain who (when his
ship was aground and likely to 20 to ple-
ces any mlnute), after he'd given his or.
ders and done all he could. SAID his pray
ers and 10y down to sleep;and the Admiral
when he. heard of 1t, said he was the
bravest man he'd ever known Now,
Jim. let's just say our prayers, and then
have nap; for l reckon we've done all
we can, and the rests IN better hands than
ours"
No ear but Gods heard the short, Sim
pie prayer which the doomed mon uttered,
In their extremist need, from the midst of
the desolate sea. A few minutes later
both were sound asleep under tho scenty
shelter which the rag Of sail could give
against the life destroying heat Of the sun.
They slept for some time, but at length
the increasing GOODNESS OF the evening air
after the scorchlng ffeat of the day began
to have it's natural effect upon the Q sleep-
ers. They awoke almost at the same mo-
ment, rubbed their eyes, and then sat up
and looked around them.
The sun was beginning to sink, but eve.
rything was still as light as MONDAY, and
fresh breeze had sprung up, rutting the
smooth surface into countless ripples.
'Jlm, cried Jack, suddenly IN tone of
great excitement. ''your eyes are better'n
mine; lock 6ut there to the noI'west, and
see If you make out anything"
81 guess l do," cried his COMPANION.
joyfully. "Hold on a minute till /
make sure. Yes, it is, sure enougl~it's
sail" rH
With clenchcd teeth and straln,np ewes
the 2 castaways stood lYatching the dis
tant speck on which hung thor only chan.
ces OF life. All at once a kind of spasm
shook their rugged faces as 1t became ter
rlbly evident that the course which she
was steering would not bring her anywhere
near the boat.
They tried to sigual with tho remnant
or their sail, but it was neither large
enough nor high enough to be seen at such
a distance. They made frantic efforts to
shout, but the feeble cry which their par
ched throats could utter would not have
been heard so yards of.
Suddenly, just when all hope seemed
gone, the wind shifted, and the vessel was
seen to alter her course
The castaways raised faint hurrah; but
IN another moment Jim's keen eve percei-
ved That although this new tack would
bring the ship much nearer 10 them than
Defore, she would still pass at a consldera-
Die distance from them, and might very
easily miss seeing them altogether.
"Ihere's one way now, mate" said he
firmly, land Pm going to try Il. for it's
neck or nothing with liz now. God bless
you, my boyl"
"A Ieud splash followed the words, and
Jim Hackett, looking up with a start, saw
Ills companlon's round black head already
several yards away from the boat. But he
saw something else, which startled HIM
even more, and that was huge black OBJ
1ect. winch rose suddenly through tho
smooth, bright water, and darted swiftly
anu silently in pursulC OF his UNCONSCIOUS
| comrade.
"Look out, Jack!" shouted he. with all
the power of his falling voice, s'here's a
sharkl'
scarcely had he SPOKEN when second
shark appeared and the daring swimmer
found himself besct On both eides ct once.
Ills only chance was to make as much stir
and spla shlng IN the water as possible,
thus ke ping the cowardly seapirates at
bay but the effort exhausted even more
rapid his fast-failing strength. What q
terrible long way off the vessel seemed |
| and supposlDg she were to alter her course
again, where would he bei Instinctlvely
no glanced back toward the boat. The
| boat was gone
Gone, as II 1t had never been-hldden
behind the long smooth swells that rose
| h,gh above hiU mead every moment. There
was no return for him now, for he knew
not even which direction to take; and on
he went, struggling for life with limbs
that grew weaker at every stroke, while
the cruel eyes and gaping jaws On either
siae drew closer and closer, hungering for
their prey.
''Sam,' said a keen-eyed sailor to his
chum, glancing over the vessels port
quarter, ''aln't that mighty like a man,
somehow
"a mani" echoed the passing captain,
! bringing his telescopeIto his eye. sIrhun-
der 80 1T is Put her head about, smart,
and stand by to lower tho boat 2"
The help came none to soon, for Jack
| was so spent that he could only gasp out,
'My mate --yonder--boat." But 1t was
| quite enough. Half an hour later Jim
Haokett was safe On board lIkew,se and
the two rescued men lived to tell their
children and grandchildren the story of
their adventure in the Pacific.
.---4ae o~-
Ihe practlcability of utilizing the yarl.
GUS known coal deposits in Java continues
to meet with attention at the hands of the
|