Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-09-16
THE BLACK SACHEL.

The news was in everybody's mouth. 1t
flew, fast, as bad news always does. Mer-
camille pharisees, in all their pride of
solvency, stood at the street corners and
thanked heaven that they were not as he.
ave told you so,' prOphesied the retro
spective prophets.
Gan awful smash" croaked the crOak-
ers-''nOt fifty cents on the dollar"
"Pride must have a fall" moralized the
moralizers. "Giles Gregory held his head
altogether too hight"
"I'll have the rascal arrested" cried
Eben Malcolm, the mOney-lender, who
had done a bill'' for Mr.. Gregory the day
before.
''What a pity for Mr.. Smugg," every
body said. He's such nice young
man, and now he's thrown out of en-
ployment."
Mr.. Smugg, in whom so much sympathy
centered, was Mr.. Gregory's head clerk
and business manager. He had given
his employer timely warning-so he now
limited cOnfidently-Of the impending
peril; but needless Mr.. Gregory had re-
fused to take in sail, and in consequence
was dashed upon the rocks.
The hapless merchants protest that the
blow had fallen unforeseen of course pass
ed for nothing with the keen Mr. Malcolm
That Mr.. Gregory had gotten him to dis
count bill the very day before his fail
ure, to the distrustful mind of Eben, was
conclusive proof of fraud, and as soon
as Fleecem Bros, his attorneys, could
prepare the requisite papers, he had the
delinquent debtor arrested and sent to
Jail.
Leaving him there for the present and
his mOtherless daughter, Alice, to grieve
over his misfortune, let us follow for
little Ernest Grey, who had long Low ed
Alice as well-well, as well as she loved
him.
Alice's father dsapproved the young
mans suit. He had higher aims for his
daughter than match with one whose
position was yet to be won; and E rnest
Grey was too proud a youth to press his
claims when pelf, not love, might
be thought to be his motive. He had
gone to seek his fortune in distant city,
whence, after time seeing a chance for
lettering his prospects in foreign land,
with a heart as stanch as the good ship
that bore him, he sailed away, hoping to
return some day and claim the treasure
left behind.
In mid-ocean great storm arose
Nobly the stout ship fought against it,
and for days held her own. The frame
quivered and shook beneath the fury of
the elements like that of some huge, tor
tured thing. At last leak was sprung
which increased at every motion of the
labOring vessel. Passengers and crew
took turns at the pumps with the energy
of men struggling for life, but still the
water gained.
Lower the boats" shouted the gallant
captain, when at last it became apparent
that the only choice lay between the slen-
der hope thus afforded and going down
with the sinking vessel.
The command was obeyed, and none too
soon, for the last off the fraiI craft barely
escaped being drawn in the vortex caused
by the doomed vessel as she disappeared
beneath the surging pillows.
Ernest Grey found himself in the
smallest boat with two com panions-
one of them Caleb Smugg, who, too, had
CHANGED to be on the Inflated ship, He
alone had thought of saving his effects.
He held a black leathern sachel in his
hand to which he hung tenaciously through
the whole exciting turmoil.
There had been no time to secure water
or provisions. The only choice of life
lay in the boats outriding the storm and
ASoSuS ny oOL4lS passing fC0SC1 OC4O1O
death came through starvation. In the
night the storm abated; but when morn
ing came Ernest and his companions
looked in vain for the other boats. They
had either been lost or borne out of
sight.
Days and nights passed, but no help
came. Ernest Grey and Caleb Smugg
were now alone in the boat. Hungar had
done its work on the third man, and
Caleb Smugg was fast succumbing to it.
He gazed at Ernest with the glare of a
furnishing wolf and seemed ready to
spring at his throat. But Ernest was
the stronger of tho two and kept his eye
steadily on that of the starving wretch,
who soon quailed under his look like a
subdued animal. He sank back in the
boat, and the pallor of death began to
settle on his face.
II have something to tell you before I
die" he gasped.
Ernest leaned over him, for his words
were scarcely audible.
The dying man continued in murmur-
ed tones, growing feebler and feebler,
the listener bending his ear closer and
closer as if fearing to lose a word. 1t
was not alone the horror of being face
to face with death that made him start
up as the poor wretch breathed his last
A sail hove in sight at that moment
and Ernest was seen and rescued.
81 x * x
The beauty of Alice Gregory has more
than once caused futtering in the little
heart that Eben Malcolm had. He vep-
tured to tell her so on one occasion, but
avowal was met with scorn. Maybe it was
because he felt the hutter still; maybe il
WIS for vengGnce sake. At any rate Eben
came one day to see the afflicted daughter