Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-02-16
CHAPTER XXI.

"THE RUINED TOWER, Ell BABA."
Night had long since fed and the broad,
bright sun was now shining with all the
glorious effulgence of morning.
Fairfax recognized the shore as that of
remote, deserted island, of which there are
many off the coast of Maine.
His pains grew more and more intense.
Suffering the most exquisite torture, he
Strengthened out and set the bent arm,
while the bones cracked and grated and
gritted one against the other. Constructing
a rough splint, he bound it about the arm
with strips of clothing.
Besides the torture from his wounds, the
pangs of hunger now began to trouble him.
His boat was gone adriftl How should he
regain its Desertl No man could swim
long in those chilly Maine waters and live
much less one in Fairfax's condition
As Heaven would have it, the wind
changed and he saw the boat about quar-
ter of mile southeast of the island, drift
ing back; but, evidently, so that it would
pass by, and not touch the shore
When the opportune moment ar
rived, in he jumped and SWAN slowly and
heavily out towards it, making but poor
progress, indeed, with his broken arm and
tired muscles. Worn and utterly exhausted.
as he was, it was most foolhardy attempt
and nothing but his tremendous will kept
MN up. LlttlS Wy 1lOtlC OkiO eiAoe6hSO "oS ASo"
sened, but so was his strength, for he was
barely able to pull himself up over the stern
into which he fell headlong, breathless and
chilled through and through to the very
marrow, stiff and benumbed with the cold,
his head aching as if it would burst
But no man, buoyed up by the mighty
hone that inspired Fairfax, had time or place
to nurse his ailments or for falling i'll. He
Quickly recovered himself, and, being shut
off from the use of both oars, cut a sculling-
notch in the stern and so propelled hunseH
toward Mt Desert
Three kilograms left Bar Harbor the same
afternoon. The first was addressed to Fair
fax's brother, Dana, bright young clerk IN
a New York shipping house. 1t read thus:
"Secure passage, etc., for two, City OF
Rome and be ready to sail with me, to
morrow. On no account fail me. Let all
else go to the Winds"
The second was intended Tor Mr. James
Godron Nebbitt, and ran as follows:
"Please, without fail, cable me at once,
where I can meet you when 1 arrive, City
of Rome. also telegraph Oxford place and
time of meeting Be ready to sail at once
Let every thing else go. Business OF the
utmost Importance"
The third to his friend Oxford was this:
"Look for telegram from NebbItt. Drop
every thing and hold yourself In readiness
to act at once"
Just as it was leaving, he caught the 4:3O
D. m boat to Mount Desert Ferry, where he
took the night express to Boston. Next
morning, at 30, he was in that city and,
by 8 80 that same afternoon, grasped his
brother Dana's hand in the Grand Central
depot at New York. When the clock
struck six, Dana had resigned forever one
of the best business positions ever held by
a young New York clerk, and the two
brothers Were pacing the decks OF the
City of Rome, which, in few hours, was
far at sea.
The New York Herald for that morning
Dana showed it to Arthur-contained TINS
interesting little item, among others:
"a Mystery.
Portland, NE, Oct. -. The fishing smack
Polly arrived tonight with the bodies OF two
men, picked up near Schoodic Point. Papers
In their clothing identify them as captain
and first mate Of the Italian tramp steanser,
Nampa, bound to this port from Leghorn,