The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1886-07-08

SehiCAiHS AAFeStlBaUlOn INTO the mvS-
terry. Who had seen him last2 Where
was hethen2 1nwhatstate? How long
ago was it? and 30 on, and 30 on: IN.
til at last the whole ships company
knew that one OF their number had
gone over board-presumably in the
morning watch; probably swept offby
q peculiarly heavy sea, well remeni.
5bered in that watch. But unknown.
unheard, unseen-his cry for help, il
such a cry he gave, utterly drowned
and smothered in the ceaseless roar
OF the sea, the shrek of the wind.
And so the men were dismissed, each
to his special duty; and the paymas.
ter was directed to see that the fatal
letters D. D. discharged dead) were
placed against the unhappy mans
name in the ships books.
And now occurred q circumst ance
which took the whole ship by storm,
as it were, and which, mere accident
and coincidence as it was, made all
the old seadogs nod their heads and
eye the younger men meaningly, as
who would say, ".What did / tell
you?'while they, on their part, were
firmly impressed with the lesson in
cause and effect thus so pointedly
placed before them. It was clearly
established;. and ere the afternoon
watch was over the sky had cleared,
the storm had dropped, the wind had
shifted right round an,lWas now blow
ing dead fair. There was no room
for more argument-the oldsters had
i i 81 their oY YI sway-t he scoffers were
The shipnowin afew hours rounded
the cape, which before had seemed an
impossible obstruction to her, and
made her way unhindered to the
north; but the feelings engendered by
the events Immediately preceding this
change had taken too strong O hold
upon the men to pass lightly away,
and in many o long first or middle
watch the subject Of the disappear.
ance OF thelost shipmate and it's i'm
mediate effect upon the elements Yas
discussed with: bated breath, and ma
ny an ominous shake Of the head was
given as the opinion was modify ex-
pressed that "we'd, not done with
him yet" And when afew days after.
wards, on q Sunday morning during
divine service, the quartermaster OF
the watch came creeping and tiptoeing
down the ladder to report something
to the commander, who at once fol
lowed him silently up the after hatch
way, but a few minutes afterwards re-
turned and whispered mysteriously
to the captain, who in his turn mount
ed on deck and did not come down
again, we all felt that perhaps some
thing more might be in store for us, and
was even nowperchance at hand. How
impatiently we sat as the sermon
dragged ont itsseemingly interminable
length, and then when at last the hi ass.
ing had been given and the quick, sharp
voice of the first lieut. had issued
the order, "boatswain's mate, pipe
.down!iw we literally tumbled up on deck
to learn what it was that had disturb.
ed the calm of that SABBATH forenoon.
1t needed but glance. "Icebergs''
There they were, q long array of cold,
filnly, shadoWy giants, looming huge
in the mist with which each surround.
ed himself-ghostly,S CHASTITY, clammy
Ispectres from the very land OF death
itself. Not that we thoughtof them
as such; no, we were glad we young.
sters; we liked them, thought they
were t'jolly; though any object less
gifted with an aspect OF joviality one
can hardly imagine. Each, as we
neared it, wrapped us in its clammy
shroud of death-cold fog and chilled
us to the very marrow, and towering
far above our nainroyal mast head
seemed to threathen us with instant
and appalling destruction.
f So we sped on, iceberg after iceberg
rising above the horizon as we held
our course; and ifsources OF anxiety
and alarm by day, how much more sc
by night! Often we entered vast
bank otimpenetrable fog concious
that somewhere in its Utmost recess
es lay concealed, us i. waiting for It's
prey, a gigantic berg, BIT never know
ing from moment to momeut when OF
where exactly to expect it. This was
a splendid chance for the croakers
Many a great solemn head was shaker
and many a jaw wagged with gloomy
forebodings over that unusual and
unexpected appearance of ice in the
Southern seas, By and by the wind
began to freshen and signs Of another
gale appeared, though this time from
another quarter fairly favorable tc
us; and with her canvas snugged down
and a. bright lookout forward, the ole
ship began to shake her sides as she
hurried away from those inhospitable
seas with their spectral occupants
towards the inviting warmth OF the
tropics and the steady blasts of the
trade-winds. 81
Anxious for q breath OF fresh all
before turning in to my half-sodder
hammock, ! went on deck to take 6
turn with q chum, and enjoy, as We
often did together, q few anticipations
of the delights Of home once more
It was a vida very wil6
night. There was a small moon; bu,
the clouds were hurrying over her fact
in ragged steamers, and in such con
stant succession, that her light Has
seldom visible; and when she did show
it for feeting moment, it tell upon {
black, tossing, angry sea, whose waves
broke into clouds Of icy foam as they
baftied off the bow of the great ship
or tried to- leap savagely over hel
quarter. It was q hard steady gale
the wind shrieking and humminl
through the rigging, and the old shil
herself pounding ponderously but ir
resistibly at the great mountains o
wafer before her, and creaking, groan
ing and complaining as she did SO
masts, yards, hull, all in one striden1
concert together, as if remonstratin,
at the labor which she was forced, tt
undergo. In spite OF the moon tn,
night was as black as Erebus, anG
from the quarter deck on which WI
paced the bow ofthe ship was barely
faces aft, my chum and 4, IN ou1
quarterback walk, when a voice ram
( out udden, clear and loud forward
/ The unina of The AT q rhnard lnolrn,,j