The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1888-02-29

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The captain gave a great shout as he
saw her, and George and Maxwell shook
hands till it seemed they would never
stop.
The Empire was brought to and an
chored as near as was practicable to the
deserted vessel, and the captain, second
mate, George, Maxwell and Mr.. Osborne
all went on board, with two or three
sailors, and they found the deck strewn
with skeletons.
1t did not take them long to satisfy
themselves that there was no living soul
on board, SO they returned shortly to the
Empire and arranged to take the skele-
tons on shore and give them what they
certainly had not deserved, a Christian
burial, and two entire days were passed
in this work. After the wretched Great
ures had been buried, tho captain caused
a careful survey of the brig to be made to
find out whether or not she was sea-
worthy, and they decided that with few
repairs 1t would be sale to venture. The
captain would have risked great deal to
get his lost ship back again to her owners.
The captain divided his crews and put
the secoud mate in command, and in Just
three weeks after discovering the aban-
doned vessel they were sailing through
the Straits of Magellan.
The third day after setting sail they
discovered a raft upon which were eight
famishing and freezing men, who had
saved themselves after their ship had
burned to the waters edge, and these
men, after having been fed and otherwise
cared for, were only too glad to take their
places in the forcastles of the ship and
brig, four in each, end they helped ma
terially in bringing both safely to their
haven. The captain of the Empire Or
dered that they should keep as close to-
gether as was practicable, and they
burned peculiar lights by night and kept
in sight by day, though the Empire would
have been able to outsail the Absolute II
they had not shortened sail on purrose to
go slower.
They put into Rio Janeiro to have the
Absolute overhauled to be sure she was
still stanch, and In q few days they were
again sailing on toward Boston. Randall
had been in very poor health the whole of
the voyage, but had seemed to rally as
they approached their haven, and he told
Mr., Osborne that all he hoped was to live
to see justice meted out to Startling and
George come in possession Of his own
again, and then he was willing to die.
The ships doctor did everything he knew
how to do, but Randall's Incorporate
habits had developed a fatal disease, and
he was slowly dying and suffering in
tensely all the time.
Maxwell seemed to grow moody and
sad as they neared their harbor, and at
last actually took to his berth, saying
nothing, but turning his face to the wall.
George said:
''Max, tell me what Is the matter with
you. Are you sickf Nor Suffering from
your legs No? Well, then, what is itp 1t
is not fair that you should not tell me,
when " eve been friends, yes, much more
than friends, for SO long. And now,
after all our long trials and suffering1,
we are nearing the land"
"That's just 1t, George. That's what's
the matter. You've been more than a
own son to me and I've never had no one
but you, and now you won't want me any
longer and don't know how I'm going
to get along without you"
"Maxl You old wretchl As If I would
ever let you leave me again, or quit you'll
We've been through too much together
and nothing shall ever part us. Neverr'
w-I-think, l feel better, George. /
amt crying, but-well-God bless you'll
Let's 60 on deck. Pm all right now -
And with hearty grip that would have
crushed any one else's hands they shook
hands and went up to the deck together,
and Max's health and spirits rose like a
cork.
Mr.. Osborne-or more truly, Norris
and George were fast friends as well as