The Red Cloud chief., 1886-03-05

one side. il continued TO float. WA
inside the hull Of 4 capsizcd vessel. am
could not get out. If the little cabin
filled completely. l must drown. wheth
er the hull sank or not. Tncr. wa
now a space Of three or four feet b.
nine or ten in length free Of water
though the water swashed back an,
forth in it every time the hulk rolled OF
/, the waves.
Thus. in utter darkness. ! stood
without a single chance of escape thai
| could think of: and what We're ms
thoughts must let the leader imagine
il he can. At nineteen. with 50 much
Of life before one. IL i. terrible for q
young person to feel himself cntombed
alive. and boanl { o certain death. The
rest Il the crew. | reflected, had either
been drowned or picked up by the
drowned al once. | reflected. than pcnt
up there alive-in "A floating coffin.
After a long time ! began To notice
something like light in my narrow
prison. IL increased. coming up
through chinks in the chokcd-up gang
way, Il dim, wavering, uncertain light.
Morning had dawned, and the sun. per-
haps. was shining on the ocean. A
little of this waye-re:lcctcd light s;rug-
gled up into my watery cell; my eyes.
distcnd.d in the darkness. were able
diinly to recognize objects about me;
and out Of the chests, boards and other
floating matter. | was able To build a
kind Of platform above the water. on
which ] drew up my body. After a
time. too. | began to be hungry and
thirsty. There was no food in the
cabin. At times the hulk flOatcd in the
midst of schools Of cod. hake and per-
haps other fish. / could hear them in
the sea. all around and beneath me.
for sounds in the water were borne in
to m with curious distinctness. /
knew that fishing-vesscls might be
cruising near by. and after every few
minutes | would shout as loud rs |
could. My voice had such a strange.
mufiled sound that it frightened me To
hear il.
might came on again, as ! knew by
the fading out of the Way. shadOwy
light; the wind rose, too. and soon the
hulk rolled so much that the water in
the cabin stopped over me at every
lurch. The drcary terror of such a
long. dark night, | will not attempt to
describe. was in constant a%pprehcn-
lest the schooner should roll over
and sink. The wind fell toward morn
ing. and there was fog again. - | on
for the light was fainter than
On the previous day for a good many
Then it grew brighter. |
heard a bell and horns. at 4 distance,
which | knew proceeded from fishing
signalling to their boats. Re-
pcatedly | shouted at the top of my
but was unable to attract attcn-
ion.
THAT day three or four seals came
about the hulk. and often climbed on
t.; | could hear them grunting and
blowing in the water. as they iishcd
about the schooner: and during the
afternoon the hulk drifted amidst a
school of herring. | could hear the
,atter of the herring against the plank
ng outside. and hundreds of them
in at the gangway bencathSiill-
NJ the water in the cabin. could
them dimly. and with n tin basin |
up fifty or sixty. which | put in
box. For by this time | had become
o nearly furnished As to eat these raw
ish. But was even more thirsty than
hungry. and ut times felt tempted to
my fill of the salt water. though
knew from the testimony Of sailors
ThOm had heard talk. that the effects
f drinking it would be fatal To me.
thought that il would be
( o drink it and be crazy than to
We longer. i'm a sane condition. in such
rcadful plight.
Another night of comparatively
aim weather passed. and on this night
slept considerably. but was aroused
n hour or two before daylight bv
ONE ponderous body-which l think
have been either a shark or 4
hale -sporting about the schooner.
irst ii butted its head against the
ulk (rooting it about rs a pig might a
umphin). Several times the creature
ave vent to Il deep. monotonous
There may have been Il num-
er of them instead of one. and this
AS perhaps their mode of commune
ating with each other. felt some
lest they m; ght roll the hulk over
uddcnly N of the creatures dealt the
essel a tremendous blow-with its tail,
robably. For a moment l was near
, stunned BY the conclusion. and then
'aited breathlcssly for some time,
a repetition of the stroke.
mt l heard nothing further from these
ough visitors. The blow WIS appar-
ntly their parting slap.
During the day which followed. l
experienced considerable difficulty in
reathing and was seized with dread
llly sharp pains in my chest. When
rcsc had subsidized l fell asleep. and
hay have slept all the following night,
as | now think. in a half-coma-
,se condition. From this lethargy l
as aroused by the sound of voices
cry near. Ii was light again: and on
stening for a few minutes. l heard
airs. \ boat was near by. l shouted