New-York tribune., 1884-03-02

anchor in port and was handsome little craft.
fitted with brass rowlocks. gratings and so forth
and stout short mast that stepped very securely.
and a brand-now bit of a lug-saii. Thoro had been
slowed in her bows two breakers, or small water
casks, and under the stCIsheets fOr there wero no
lOckersl several tins OF preserved meat with hnfe
for opening them some tin cases OF biscuit, Such as
was eaten in tho cuddy. small Reg OF snip Dreau,
several bottles Of wine and sprits large plec oil
cooked salt boof rolled up III canybs, ana low
other eatablcs, tho nature of which forget. lSeu
moderately. | rock0ned that for nine oi us th'Io
were provisions and water sufficient to last us ABOUT
week We had not been sailing ten minutes Whch
| found the gig he fastest of the boats Ihe two
lIfc-bOats Jagged most; the loay-boat. though Il
clumsy, round; bowed craft. with tho beam OF o. Il Il
Dutchlnan. held ner own with the other Two
Quartcr-b0ats; but tho gig slipped through tho
water so fnst that tO keep aSern of tho Ions, ,Doa
we had again and aga to slacken away the sheet.
TO encourage another they tried some singing ~
the long-boat, but 1t wOnld not do only few feil
into it. and the sound Of thor voices coming along
to over the swell, thought that 81 more sorrow
fn thing had noyerm met my ears, and was glad when
they stopped the sad attempt. There was not
enough hcavo in tho water to throw us out Of sight
of ono another IN the bIlOwS whllo we Kept
together. and ono could always see the swarm OF
white faces glimInerng over the gnnwalcA, with tho
whitc sky beyond. and the occan-lino rising and
falling past them "a the boats rose and sank. Now
and again you'd notice 4 figure stand up, shading
his eyes, and peer slowly round. Sailor man a,
have been in my day, 1t made mo rccoi at times TO
glance away from those boats into tho infinite dlS-
tahce IN tho west ana north ana th9h gaze o'tr io
side at the mighty surface III which could have M
mclsed my arm 10 It's elbow Without hanlnR IL y
the narpess of tho sea i'll an open boat that gives
one tine first great shock after quitting tho height
of ships deck; You get used to II in tlmembut 1t
takes time and while the thing il frosh tell YOU 1t
will put terrible feelings into some mems minds
Why, when you look over and sea the gleam of your
face within hnnd-reach it's like peering into your
past the reflection, goes, your fancy, sucked deep
by tho spoil of the blue pI0fundity, the clear
obscure of IT,. that is like molten glass,
till the imagination. touching tho bortom
of th1t MIGHTY universe and hIuuly IrODlnn
there among the black and blind miracle. of yogcta
ton. and valleys and mountains and Nhapeless
monsters and sightlrss leViathanS leaps back Ia
alright to Your heart. making it cold as stone. and
with wild shuddcr you look up at the sun and
pray 10 Almighty God for succor:.
" Wi hen do you think shall reach the island
Mr. seymour J" asked Aunt Damaris.
Why by this time t-m"rrow hope We WE snail mai a. an
bCttar be tSUr9 o AZ are N pccd up by % passing ycsso
"Therc ought to be no lack of them hercabouts.
sir" exclaimed Shilling
Were "A triile too far 10 the s0uthard. perhaps"
| rep;icd; though don't know; it, not unusual
for vessels bound 20 the eaSard 10 sight ST. PanIs,
and we're north of that island Mt present anyway
" Ii will be u bitter long night said Florence,
with frightened look round tho sca.
Keep up keep up, my sweet one" murmured,
in low voice bending toward her. " Before the
night comes the whole day must pass, ana the long
hours Of sunlight may bring lis sucGor, and fell to
Carrssing her hand.
Aunt Damaris threw back the hood of rcapo. for
the sunshine was gushing dOwh warmly, and the
Temperature of tho gentle breeze was that of a
wonan's breath She had dropped that old pccking
motion Of her lean face wrote of u win 70 ago.
Shipwrcck had made another character of her. in
deed she was as subdued and tcarfu ~ she had be
fore been acid and aggressive; whenever she adj
dressed me her manner WAS what yOu Wonid expect
To find ir IL person who was under deep obligation
to another. and who never could speak to him with
out thinking of it; ! scarcely know how else to IL
lustrate her anxiety to show that she liked me- that
she pinned her faith to me, that, In short, she
counted upon my saving hor life. Whenever |
would turn from Florence TO her after speaking
softly with my darling I'd get a look from tho old
lady that was good as saying had won her
niece che was not going to interfere had nothing
to fear from her; all that had to do now was to
save their lives and thcn go and got married.
could not he mistaken: there's more inennng in a
Siuple look than in power OF words, very often
and Aunt DamarlSS thoughts cou!dn't haYo been
palmer 10 me had she turned to and spent IN hour
IN talking them out to me. The worry. the lear,
the long soepossne4s of tho past night, had done her
appearance no good. Shc was as yollOw as Il
guinea her eyes hazy tho hollOws under them a
dark violet: her cheek bones stood MP high and
bare: and when she looked at NE full 1t was like n
fnce in a spoon. that reflects tho nose forward and
stretches the cheeks hat away to tho cara lhcre
was no such change rs this in my love Weary and
hcayV-eycd sonewh hat she was, indeed and her lips
rosincss had faded just little, and the wonderful
white Of her beautiful throat seemed to have over
spread her face: but her loveness was upon no
thon as it always had been. and. SO far az my lin-
pnssioned eyes could the only change that onr
a lily that had dropped. There was no loss of
sweetness hut just langud leaning of the exGuiS-
tc white flower. grace in her you may reckon II
was in my sight, seeing that 1t was mates, whom
sho had chosen to support her and cherish her an
preserve her - .
Preserve herl felt tho mighty obligation in q
manner that was fit to crush my spirits, when |
glanced from the appealing lnvclness of her eyes TO
fhe measureloss blue liquid waste along which we
were creeping. couldn't fiatter myself that, II the
night came dark with wind wo should be able to
Keen the other boats company; und. lightly as
Daniel had sung out TO me TO head to the n0rrard H.
after reckoning we had traveraed eighty miles of
wafer | should find island hcayiug IN view, 1t
was fearful thing to contemplate missing that
speck of rOCb. aud having to cruise about Tor &C..
without scxtant or chart, III small Opon boat, IN
the midst of the huge5t Of all tho oceanS-f you cal
clate that waste OF water 10 start from the south
American cape and TO end whore Australia begins.
such Thoughts this would set me looking az the
mon There were six of them, counting Shilling.
and they were all Engli9hmon, winch, To bo sure.
was good Job Two of the five were ordinary sea-
men, youngish, burned-up fellows. and the other
tlrco hairy, ablC-bOdiPd chaps all OF them Nari-
ousy dressed III blue Jersey and coat, another
in a red shirt the bo'sun In SccvCd waiStc0ht. a
fonrth i'm sea boots and yellow SOu WcStcr. and 80
ON. Every man of them had junk OF tobacco IN
his cheek and now and again ono or another would
spt over the side and watch the yellow sallval iroth
go astcrn just to guess Onr speed, and then giye
Slow twist round on the thwart to have look at
the other boats and a squint at the weather to
wlndward. At the hrst set-0f Id ma them peer
ing Mt me critically. AS II it bothered them To under
stand how passenger had been put in charge of .
boat over the bO'sun's head. took note of this at
the time, but it was not until wo had boon sailing
along for an hour that 1t came into my head To
speak TO them.
"My lads" said /, " has the bOsun told you who
ami" s--
:" No they know nothing about it, Mr.. Seymour
responded The bo'sun.
aWoll," said l. d" III your lives have boon commit
ted to my charge it's proper should tell you that
knocked of the sea three years ago. whom was
second mate, with a chef matoS certificate, III my
pocket, after having had seven and half years
of it in the employ to which tho StrathmOro be-
sfhat's quite right, mates" exclaimed the bo'Sun.
You're in good hands Mr.. Seymour and are old
shipmates IL took aback 10 soc HIM aboard the
Strathmore ID the river. rcckoned ho had come 10
sling his hammock afrosh, tho land not yiclding
hun weevls enough and tho likes of such deli
cacee."
The men grinned and ono Of them SAID "No
fear sir; We shall be all right along with you
"Oh. then, Nr Seymour, yOu knew the b0sun be-
fore ?" exclaimed Aunt DamAris looking at HIM
with interest.
AYES. he and served aboard the same ship" said
lin am Glad Won are with me, old shlpmatO.