The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1885-08-13

privation to which We were subjected
seemed TO tell on him more than on any
OF the others; he was weaker, paler and
more exhausted. soon found the
reason, For now, when there seemed
nothing before us but blank starvation,
aud when the strong men began TO
whine and pule like infants, ne turned
to nae with an attempt ct q smile. BID.
ding me to keep = brave heart and
showing me. hidden away in his pock-
ct, tbs whole allowance Of biscuits that
had oeen doled out to him. They are
all for you; I kept them on pur-
pose he said in reply 70 my say.
age demand for one. God forgive me!
/ sratci,ei II from his hand Ike Wild
beast, never even thanking him for his
noble seif-sacritice, although saw that
the poor fellow was fast sinking from
hunger and exhaustion. ] can see now,
though ! did not notice It at the time,
the sad, painful look on his face, a. he
turned away when fiercely demanded
the other biscuits. then and there, and
even attempted to tear them from him
by force. l was mad--mad with hunger
and thirst!''
The poor woman broke down here
utterly, and it was some time before l
could soothe her sufficiently to 50 on
with her tale.
1--WE were ten days in 1lat boa" she
continued, land on the morning Of,the
eleventh. we saw, when daylight broke.
that We were fast approaching land OF
some sort We we're too weak to row,
or direct the boat in any way, but we
coon found we were drifting rapidly IN.
Fortunately, just as we came into shall
low water, large breaker lifted ~
clean up, and flung the boat some way
in. leaving it stranded there; otherwise
it would probably have been over
turned, and all washed away by an
outgoing wave. Az we crawled ont OF
the boat, which was lying on It's side
among the single, one of US noticed
quantity of shell.fish adherjng to the
bottom. We had just enough strength
left to tear them OF greedily, open and
devour them. II it had not been for
this, ! believe we must have died where
we lay, for there was long
stretch Of sand and single to pass
before we could get sufficiently
inland to obtain any food. However,
hard - the shell-fish were. they served
to support life for time. Then the
mate. who was the least exhausted,
crawled . little way in. and at last re.
turned bearing some turtles eggs he had
found. Day by day passed. and we
grew stronger and stronger. all except
poor Mr.. Wagner. whose noble self
sacrifice nearly cost him his life. He
got little better at last and was able to
accompany the others on short hunting
expeditions, but in all long or danger
Gus adventures be had to be left behind
with me at home How long we
were on that island (if il we're an
island) can not say. It must have
been considerably more than year,
but there was nothing to mark the days
by. They came and went one after
another. bringing always the same
We saw several ships pass by long
way out to sea, but could not succeed
in attracting attention. One morning,
however, when all the others had gone
for whole days hunting expedition.
leaving only Mr.. Wagner and myself
at home in the cottage .huts we had
built We saw vessel como within Z
! fsw miles - the isaAnd.s and ~a6l
almost mad with joy to see that they
were lowering boat in reply to our
signals It was . little trading ship.
bound for Liverpool, and manned
/ by a. rufianly set IS I had ever
seen. We told them the others would
be back in the evening, and begged
them to wait; but when they found
what little chance there was for getting
anything for their pains. they said
roughly that If we liked to 20 with
them we could, but that they were be.
hind already and could not afford to
wait another hour for any one. We
begged, prayed. promised they should
be amply rewarded, but all without eff.
feet, and we were obliged at last to go
with them, leaving q note behind for
our absent comrades. telling them that
we would take steps to insure their de-
liverance ON getting to England. Mr..
Wagner told me that when We landed
at Liverpool hf first action must be to
let his wife i mean his mother-know
Of his safety. He said he would take
me home to her. and I could stay
while l communicated with my friends
in Australia. Poor fellow-little did he
think what was before him! The very
day Of our landing. before he had time
even to telegraph homo, be fell down
in the streets In . sort Of fit They
carried him to . dreadful hospital,
where I followed and begged to be al.
lowed to nurse him; but when they
asked II ! were his wife, and told
them No. they refused to believe Of
even listen 10 my story, threatening "a
give me In charge 40 . vagrant il
came again. There was one doctor
who looked kind. and I waited for him
outside. begging him to tell ne If there
was any hope He said he was afraid
not II my story were true and
the patients friends could b<
found, he thought perhaps, by the
|. greatest care and attention, such a. II
was impossible for him to receive in thu
hospital where he was, which was only
} q kind Of pauper institution for foreign
seamen, he might possibly recover. HI
said be would write Mr. Wagner
} friends II gave him the address, bu
when I told him l did not know whert
, they lived except that it was somewher,