Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-03-23
(ooNrIHuBp.)
CHAPTER III.
LOSE NJ co,rpAyyoya.

CHAPTER III.
LOSE Mt conPAxroSs
Ilay for long while inscnsible, and that I
dying in that swoon must ever account -
the greatest wonder OF life that has not
been wanting in the marvellous had no
sooner sat up than all that had happened and
my present situation instantly came TO me-
got upon my legs, and found that could
stand and walk, and that life flowed warm in
my veins, for all that had been lying mo-
tioniess for an hour or more, lavcd BY water
that would have become ice had it been still
It was intensely dark; the binnaclo lamp,
was extinguished, and tho light In tho cabin
burned too dimly to throw the faintsst color
upon the hatchwny. Ono thing quickly
noticed that tho gale bad broken and blew
no more than fresh breeze. The SEA still
ran very high; but, though every surge con-
tinued to hurl its head of snow, and the
heavens resembled ink from contrast with,
the passage, as it seemed, close under them
Of these pallid bodies, there was less spite In
its wash, less fury in its blow.
Finding that had the use Of my voice, I
halloaed as loudly as I could, but no human
note responded. Three or four times I
shouted, giving some Of tho people their
names-but In vain. Father Of mercy I
thought, hat has come to passi Is it posi-
BILE that all my companions have been washed
ovsrboardl
/ stood for some moments as one stunned,
and then my manhood-trained to some pur-
pose by the usage Of the sea, reasserted itself;
and may be also got some slender comfort
from observing that, dull and heavy as was
the motion Of the brig, there was yet tho
buoyancy Of vitality in her manner OF mount
Ing the seas, and that after all her case might
not be 50 desperate as wns threatened by the
way in which she had been torn and precipi-
tated past the iceberg
Feeling rs though tho very marrow in my
bones were frozen, crawled to the compan-
ion and pulling open tho door descended.
The lamp in the companion burned family.
There was q clock fixed to q beam over the
table; my eyes directly sought it, and found
the time twenty minutes after ten. This sig
nifed that had nine or ten hours Of dark
ness before mel
l took down the lamp, trimmed II, and
went to tho lazarette hatch Of tho after end
Of the cabin. Hero we kept the stores for
the crew. J. lifted the hatch and listened,
and could hear the water In tho hold gurgling
and rushing with every lift Of tho briggs bows;
and could not question, from the volume OF
water which the sound indicated, that tho
vessel was steadily taking it In, but not
rapidly. swallowed half q pannikin Of the
hollands for tho sake Of the warmth and life
Of the draught and to render myself as water
proof as possible--I took from the captains
cabin a stout cloak and throw it over me, en-
veloping my head, which I had cased In
warm fur cap, with the hood Of it; and thus
equipped lighted small hand lantern that
was used on dark nights for heaying the log
a. Il. III H., o,,1 IN
the glass--and carried it on deck.
moved with extreme caution, casting the
lantern light before me, sometimes starting
at sound that resembled groan, then stop
ping to steady myself during some particu-
lar wild leap of the hull; until, coming
abreast Of the main hatch, the rays Of the
lantern struck upon mans body, which, on
my bringing the flame to his face, proved to
be Capt. Rosy. There was wound over his
right brow; and, as IL that had not sufficed
to slay him, tho fall Of tho mast had in some
wonderful manner whipped q rope several
times round his body, binding his arms and
encircling his throat SO tightly that no exc
cutioner could have gone more artistically to
work to pinion and choke q man. ,..f
Under a mass Of rigging in the larboard
scuppers lay two bodies, as / could just
family discern. 1t was impossible to put the
lantern close enough to either ono to distin-
guish his face, nor had I the strength, even II
had possessed tho weapons, to extricats
them; for they lay under whole body Of
shrouds, complicated by mass Of other gear,
against which leaned q portion Of the
caboose. viewed them long enough to
satisfy my mind that they were dead, and
then with heart Of lead turned away.
crossed to tho starboard side, where the
deck was comparatively clear, and found the
body Of q seaman named Abraham Wise
near the fore hatch. This man had probably
been stunned and drowned by the sea that
filled the deck after had loosed the staysail.
These were all Of our people that could find
the others supposed, had been washed by
the water, or knocked by the falling spars
overheard. ..'t 30 rt.ts
returned to the quarter deck, and ga!
down in the companion way for the shelter
of it and to think. No language that have
command Of could put before you the horror
that possessed me as l sat medtating upon
my situation and recalling the faces Of the
dead. ..........-....
l win not pretend to remember how
passed the hours till the dawn came rec
ellect OF frequently stepping below to lift the
hatch Of the lazarette, to judge by the SOUND
of tho quantity Of water in the vessel. That
she was filling knew well, yet not leaking
SO rapidly but that, had our crew been pre-
served wo might easily have kept her free
and made shift to rig up jury masts and hau
US as best wo could out Of these desolato par
allels. There was, however, nothing to b,
done till the day broke. had noticed tn,
jolly boat bottom up near the ssarboard gang
way, and so far as l could make out b.
throwing the dull lantern light upon her sh
was sound, but could not have launched be-
without seeing what l was doing, and eve;
had managed this she stood to be swampeS
and to be drowned. And, In sober truth
SO horrible was the prospect of going adrif
in her without preparing for the adventur
with oars, sail, mast, provisions and water
most Of which by the lamplight only wer
not to be come at amid the hideous muddl
Of wreckage-that sooner than face it wa
perfectly satisfied to take my chance Of tn
hulk sinking with me in her before the SUI
rose. '' ,S~E.- ..-.