The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-06-18
A MAN OVERHEARD.
BY AN OLD MARINER,

ny VIC captain ana crew OF the ship Lo-
tus, sailing out of Liverpool. l was a
foremost hand aboard, and alono in
the sixties we made Il voyage around
Cape Horn and up the Gillian coast to
Valparaiso. That's q long stretch from
Liverpool, but all went we'll, and when
We had rounded the Horn we had not
yet lost so much rs a square foot of
sail, nor had sickness nor death come
board. We We're, as was aftcrward
told me, about thirty-tive miles to the
west of Chloe Island, which is about
hall way from the Horn to Valparaiso,
when the wind failed us one morning,
and we lay rising and falling on a sea
as smooth as your hand. To the south
west, AS | heard the mate say, after he
had been aloft with the glass. he had
nade out what he took to be a dismast-
ed hulk, but AS she was so far away the
captain received the report with little
O r no interest.
The calm lasted until about 6 o'clock
in the afternoon, when an ox-evc came
off the land and gave US Il sudden and
vigorous shaking up, We weren't ex-
actly caught mapping, but yet there
was a good deal to be done aloft, and
l was on the foretopgallant yard when
a tremendous lurch Of the ship, aided
by some carelessness of my own, sent
me flying to leeward. l went clear of
the ship by many feet. and if there was
any alarm raised. which J did not hear,
there was no possible show for help in
such confusion as hat. 1t seemed as
i'll went down for a full half mile, and
/ was ncar gone when | broke water.
The squall had kicked up a heavy sea,
and l was half smothercd for the first
five minutes.
At that time I was about as vigorous
n man as you might meet with in the
merchant service, and moreover, l was
an excellent swimmer. From the mo-
ment of getting my head above water
l was determined to a V myself. This
may seem strange to you, for I knew
pretty well where we were as | went
off the yard. and l knew that wind and
wave were now setting me out into the
broad Pacific. The squall darkencd the
heavens until it seemed as if night had
come. | suppose it was over with in
half an hour, but it was followed by
rain, and the only sight l got of the
ship was as She drove away. phantom
like, into the north.
lhad the sense to take things cody.
and the only struggle l made was to
keep my head above water. A change
OF wind followed the squall. 1t must
lave come on to blow from the north,
though had lost my compass points
and knew the change only from sailors
instinct. 1t was only after l had been
in the water for an hour that hope be-
gan to die out. l had an idea. you
know, that the ship would return fol
me. though. as l told you a while ago,
1t was hardly to be expected. l knew
that another hour would finish me, and
was trying to convince myself that
might as well give up then and there
and have it over with, when a pecu.
liar sound made me turn on my face
and lift my head. The sound was tho
beating of the waves against some float
ing object. Aye, gents, the ears of ar
old sailor can detect rs much in the
wash of the waves as those of a lands
man can in the voices of his fellows.
new that there was some floating OBJ
ject near me. l knew it was not a ship
nor a ships boat, nor q mast. 1t wa.
right there before me as / raised m,
head, and with q few strong stroke.
l was alongside. What was it? Nci
thcr more nor less than one of the patcn'
life preservcrs carried aboard men-of
war. and so arranged that the launch
ing of it strikes n light. In case a poo
fellow goes overheard at night the
light guides him to the buoy. and hi
can hang to it by the beckcts provided
until the same light guides a boat!
crew to rescue him. This buoy. or pre-
server, as l aftcrward learned, bore til,
lettering:
II. NJ. S.