The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-09

I
oars as soon as we touched the water
Duckling began to tumble ct one ent
Of the boats falls.
don't let him lower away" roareC
out one of the men in the boat HE Il
let us 60 with run. He'd like to set
US drowned
Duckling fell back, scowling will
fury, and, showing his head over as th'
boat sunk quietly into the water, b,
discharged volley of excavations a
us, saying that he would shoot some o
US, if he swung for it, before he wa
done, and especially applying heap o
abusive terms to me.
The fellow pulling the bow oal
laughed in his face, and another
shouted out: We'll teach you to say
your prayers yet, you ugly old sin
ner!'
We got away from the ships side
and IN a short time were rowing away
to the wreck | should have feared tC
leave in this manner, knowing the cap.
tain to be capable Of ordering the ship
to make sail and leave us in the open
| boat, but | knew the crew would never
obey such command.
One Of the men in the boat suggested
| this. but another Immediately an
swered: They'd pitch the skipper
overheard if he gave such an order and
! glad Of the chance. There's no love
for EN- among US. | can tell you: and
thcre'il lie bl0c.!y work done aboard
the Grosvenor if things aren's zaended
soon. as you'll see"
They all four pulled at their o;s~s
savagely as these words were spoken,
and | never saw such sullen and Zero
cious expressions on mems faces as
came into theirs rs they fixed their eyes
! as with one accord upon the ship.
The wreck was soon near at hand
! Ny eyes were riveted upon it now with
new and intense emotion, for by this
time | could discern that the person
who was waving to us was 4 female
woman or girl / could not yet make
out-and that her hair was ike 4 veil
of gold behind her swaying arm.
Its wOmann' | cried in my eX-
cItcment; Its no man ut all. Pull
smartly, my lads! pull smartly, for
God sake
The men gave way stoutly, and the
swell favoring us, we were soon close
to the wreck. The girl, as | now per
ceived she was, waved her handket-
chief wildly as we approached.
l waved my hat to the poor girl to
let her know that we saw her and had
come to save her, and stecred the boat
right around the wreck that l might
observe the most practical point for
boarding her
She appeared to be q vessel of about
seven hundred tons. The falling of
her mastS had crushed her port bull
warks level with the deck, and part of
her starbOard bulwarkS was also
smashed TO pieces. Her wheel was
gone, and the heavy seas that swept
her deck had carried away capstans,
pinnacle. hatchway gratings, pumps
every thing. in short, but the deck
house and the remnants of the galley
| particularly noticed a strong iron
boats davit twisted up like a cork
screw. She was full of water, and lay
as deep as her main-chains, but her
bows stood high, and her fore chains
were out of the sea. 1t was miraculous
to see her keep atloat as the long swell
rolled over her in cruel, fOaming sue
ceSsion of waves.
1t was not without much difficulty
that l succeeded in bringing our boat
along side the wreck in such Il manner
that | could leap on board. When
had done so l sprung with all my
strength, and got well upon the deck,
but fell heavily as | reached if. How
ever, | was up again in moment, and
ran forward ont of the water.
Here was n heap Of gear-staysail,
and jib-halliards and other ropes, some
of the ends swarming overheard.
hauled in one of these ends, but found
l could not clear the rattle; but, look
ing round, perceived 4 couple of coils
of line-sparc stun sail tacES or hal
lizards | took them 10 be-lying close
against the foot of the 5owsprit. | i'm
seized the end of one OF these
coils and flung it into the boat, telling
them to drop clear of the wreck astern:
and when they had backed as far rs
the length OF the line permitted, bent
on the end of the other coil and paid
that out until the boat was some faith
Oms astern. | then made my end fast.
and sung out to one of the men to Get
on board by the starboard miZzen-
chains, and to bring the end Of the line
with him. After waiting few min
utes, the boat being hidden, 1 saw the
fellow come Scrambling over the side |
with red face, his clothes and hair |
he having fallen overheard. |
He shook himself like a dog, and |
crawled with the line, on his hands and |
knees. a short distance forward, then |
hauled the line taut ana made it fast.
Tell them 20 bring the boat round |
here" l cried. land lay off on their
oars until We are ready. And YOU get |
hold of this line and work yourself up |
to me"
Saying which, / advanced along the |
deck, clinging tightly with both hands.
1t very prOvidentally happened that the
door of the deck-house faced the fore
castle within few feet of where the
remains of the gallery stood. There
would be therefore. less risk in open
ng it than had it faced beamwise: for
he water, as it broke against the sides
Of the house, disparted clear of the fore
md after parts; that Is. the great bulk
If it ran clear. though, of course,
Oot'S depth of it at least surged
against the door.
l called out to the girl to open the
lOor quickly. as it slid in grooves like
/ panel, and was not to be stirred
rom the outside. The poor creature
appeared mad, and l repeated my re-
quest three times without inducing her
o leave the window. Then. not believ-
nc that she understood me, L cried
'ut: Are you English"
Yes" she replied. '.For Gods
axe, save u.s..