The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-05-31
CHAPTER xxx.

He knew not how he came there, nor why.
To him time and space had no beginning
nor end. Past and future there was none
only one eternal noe.
Like the ancient mariner, he was ''alone
on a wide, wide sea-" but with no other
facts, no other data. no other knowledge OF
any thing save of himself Arthur Fairfax,
and this blistering, barren rock and that
vast, silent, glazing wilderness Of waters,
met on all sides by heavens Of brassy hue.
Here he stood, stony-hcarted, passionlcss,
quiet as the rock itself and as motionless,
staring out over that horrible sea-salt plain,
with fixed, cxpressionless eyes.
There came no morn, no noon, no night;
but one never-ending, unchanging day.
Time was not.
1t might have been day, it might have
been month, year, century-he knew
not, nor carcd-but at last there rose, far,
far away on the uttermost, EXTREMIST verge
of the horizon, feeble, upward-crawling
line OF smoke, which came near and nearer,
and grew dense and yet more dense. On it
rolled with ever-increasing rapidity, until it
rushed ahead with lightning speed
Within, and almost hidden by this mighty,
roaring column, belching forth fire and
smoke, he detected the outlines Of a vessel
Straight toward the rocky islet, straight
towards himself it came, with unerring, I'M
6werving course.
Now he saw and recognized it.
1t was the '.Namovna,' envcloped in rag
ing sheet of fame that shot upwards and
backwards, roaring and laundering with
terrific sound, and, high in the farthest
tip of the yet unscorched bow stood Natalie,
In speeches. horror, her snow-white arms
stretched appealingly toward him.
Nearer and swifter, yet, swept on that
frightful, rolling pillar Of fire, the sea boil
ing and seething in its track and vast
clouds OF white steam arising and inter
mingling with its million blazing tongues
and smoke OF inky blackness.
With an almost incredible suddenness it
stopped its headlong speed a short distance
from the rock, and at once began quickly TO
sink.
Jump" shrieked Fairfax, lin terror. And
back over the thunderous roar rang the
piercing cry:
''Save me. Save me o, Arthur, save me ~
His soul on fire, his strength nerved
TO utter desperation, he leaped far out from
the crags over the sea. and struck--not
the water, but solid earth,
In an instant he had awakened from sleep
and found himself standing erect, with
nerves and muscles strained to their ut
most tension, his arms extended rigid from
his side, his head bent eagerly forward,
like one alert from fear. Every nerve
tingled with horror. And his ear could
have caught the faintest possible whisper
What was IL What did it mean. The
cold sweat stood out in great beads over
his forehead, and it seemed to him he could
yet hear that piercing cry for help ringing
far along the shore and in the woods.
II ever man was thoroughly awake, he
now was.
lie ran to the water and glancing up and
down heard or saw nothing. save the sui
len waves knocking angrily against the
rocks, and the shining pillows, glistening in
the moonlight. From the forest came no
sound, but the far-away, sea-like murmur Of
the pines.
Nothing! nothing. nothing, at all! Only
q silly dream! And, yet, that call that cry
tor eelp!. TWAS real! hwss 10 delusiop