Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-11-15

| which the child wore when it was cold.
This she put on over his blouse and fan
mel shirt, and then, by an after-Chought,
took the two blankets off his bunk and
wrapped them round him. At the foot of
the nurses bed was box Of biscuits and
some milk The biscuits she enlptied into
the pockets Of her ulster, and having given
the child as much Of the milk as he would
drink, swallowed the rest herself. Then,
pinning 4 shawl which Lay about round
her own shoulders, she took up the child
and made her way with him on to the
deck. At the head Of the companion she
met Lord Holmhurst himself, rushing
down to look at the child.
81 have got him, Lord Holmhurst,'' she
cried; "the nurse has run away. Where is
your wife?"
''Bless your he said, feryently; s'you are
a good girl Bessie is aft somewhere; ]
would not let her come. They are trying
to keep the people off the boats-they are
all mad!''
care we sinking?' she asked family.
GOD knows-ahl here is the Captain, :"
pointing to a man who was walking, OF
rather pushing his way, rapidly toward
them through the maddened. screening
mob. Lord Holmhurst caught him by the
| arm
''Let me CO." he said roughly, trying to
| shake himself loose. ''Ohl it is you, Lord
| Holmhurst."
''Yes, step in here for one second and tell
us the worst; speak up, man, and let US
| know all"
| Every well, Lord Holmhurst, 1 will
We have run down a whaler of about five
| hundred tons, which was cruising along
under reduced canvas and showing nc
| lights Our fore compartment is stove
| right in, bullying out the plates on each
side of the cutWater and loosening the
fore bulkhead. The carpenter and his
mates are doing their best to shore it up
from the inside with balks Of timber, but
the water is coming in like a millrace, and
fear that there are other injuries. All
| the pumps are at work, but there's deal
| of water, and if the bulkhead goes-''
| eve shall go, too," said Lord Holm
hurst, calmly. ''Wen, we must take to
the boats. Is thatall?"
''In Heavens name, is not that enough!'
said the Captain, looking up, so that the
| light that was fixed in the companionway
| threw his CHASTITY face in bold relief ''No,
Lord Holmhurst, it is not all. The boats
will hold something over three hundred
| people. There are about one thousand
souls aboard the Kangaroo, of whom more
| than three hundred are women and chill
| dren."
Therefore the men must drown" said
Lord Holmhurst, quietly. Goods will be
| donel''
your Lordship will, of course, take
place in the boats" said the Captain, hur.
riedly. II have ordered them to be pre-
| pared, and, fortunately, day is breaking.
l rely upon you TO explain matters to the
| owners if you escape, and clear my char
acter. The boats must make for Kerguelen
Land. 1t is about seventy miles to the
eastward -
you must give your message to some
one else, Captain" was the answer; II
shall stay and share the fate of the other
men"
There was no pomposity about Lord
! Holmhurst now-all that had gone-and
nothing but the simple, gallant nature of
the English gentleman remained.
mo, no." said the Captain, as they hur-
ried aft, pushing their way through the
fear-distracted crowd. "Have you got
your revolver"
Eyes"
''Well, then, keep it handy; you may have
to use it presently; they viii try and rush
the boatsn
By this time the gray dawn was slowly
breaking, throwing q cold and CHASTITY
light upon the hideouS scene of terror
Round about the boats were gathered the
officers and some of the crew, doing their
best to prepare them for lowering. In
deed, one had already been got away. In
it was Lady Holmhurst, who had been
| thrown there against her will, shrieking
for her child and husband, and about s
score of women and children, together
with half dozen sailors and an officer
Augusta caught sight of her friends
face in the faint light. ''Bessie! Bessiei
Lady Holmhursty' she cried 81 have
got the boy. 1t is all right have got the
boy!'
She heard her. and waved her hand
wildly toward her; and then the men in
the boat gave way, and in q second it was
out of earshOt. Just then q tall form
seized Augusta by the arm. She looked
up; it was Mr.. Tombey, and she saw that
in his other hand he held revolver.
''Thank Godr' he shouted in her ear. s'I
have found you! This way-this way
quick" And he dragged her aft to where
two sailors, standing by the davits that
supported d small boat, were lowe ring her
to the level Of the bulwarks
''Now then, women!'' shouted an officer
who was in charge of the operation. Some
men made rush.
"Women first!-women firstr'
81 am in no hurry" said Augusta, step
ping forward with the trembling child in
her arms; and her action for few seconds
produced calming effect, for the men
stopped.
Come onr' said Mr. Tombey, stopping
to lift her over the side, only to be nearly
Knocked down by man who made des
perate effort to get into the boat. 1t was
Mr.. Meeson, and, recognizing him, Mr..
Tombey dealt him blow that sent him
spinning back.
"A thousand pounds for placer he
roared. 'Ten thousand pounds for seat
in boatP' And once more he scrambled
up at the bulwarks, trampling down a
child as he did so, and was once more
thrown back.
Mr.. Tombey took Augusta and the child
into his strong arms and put her into the
boat. AS he did so, he kissed her fore
head and murmured, "God bless you,
goodbye
At that instant there was a loud report
forward, and the stern Of the vessel lifted
percepdbly The bulkhead had given
way, and there arose such q yell as surely
was seldom heard before. To Augustus
ears it seemed to shape itself into the word
"SinkiRgtn
Up from the bowels of the ship poured
the firemen, the appearance of whose
blackened faces lined with white streaks
of perspiration, added new impulse of
terror to the panic-stricken throng. Aft
they came, accompanied by a crowd of
sailors and emigrants.
Rush the boats,' sung out voice with