The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1889-09-19

monster Close upon and crush the un.
known object as grasped the rudder.
and almost senseless. yielded to re-
Taxation. / don't know how long Law
there, and never an infant pillowed
against Its mothers bosom rested
more sweetly than /. It was a moment
OF peace with all the world, and nv
entire being seemed going out in a
prayer Of Thanksgiving for my mirac-
ulous escape.
Hearing the sound OF voices above
me l recognized the speakers as being
the two seamen. The old brute will
never put us In irons again. heard
one Of them say, and knew that the
murdered captain had saved my life,
that they had thrown his body into
the jaws OF the hungry shark, and the
friend OF my life-time, while cold In
doath. was my savior.
Aroused to action, / climbed up
the rudder post and finally reached
the opening, through which / crept
into the pantry. / crept into the
apartment where the ordnance chest
was kept, though the room was inky
dark. l found it, and had opened the
lid when ! heard men at the door. ]
sprang to fasten it, but it was too late,
and one OF them @entered with a Ian
tern in his hand. He uttered a curse
OF surprise as he recognized me, and
IN the same instant / kicked the Ian
tern from his hand, and we were in
total darkness. Quickly drawing my
knife, plunged it into his body, and
with adying yell he sank to the floor;
so deeply was the knife thrust into
his body that the handle was drawn
from my grasp as tho dead mutineer
dropped. The other man was carry
ing an axe, with which to chop open
the arms chest, and as his eomrade
went down he struck at me, the keen
edge crushing into my side. Mad
with pain, clinched with him, and
with both my hands caught him by
his long full beard. With the mad
ness of a maniac pressed him to the
floor with the determination of crush
ing him to death. He was smaller
man than /; but, crazed with pain and
growing weak from loss OF blood, |
made one determined effort; l doubled
him up. and, bending my entire force
upon him. l heard the cracking OF
joints. -aAgroan.- a -gnrgle. and o yield
ing of the muscles. A dizziness came,
and i sweoned. -
when + revived It was still dark,
and in IA weakened condition crawled
| up on the deck. tried to draw my
self upon=the gunwalez to signal my
crew to come, but could not get above
| the deck. ! thought of the mate in the
rigging and called him to come down,
but he did not recognize my voice. and
thought it u trick of the two seamen
to decoy him to the deck, and made no
reply to my calls. After some time
spent in this manner / again swooned.
Nothing more was known to me until
two days afterward when came to
consciousness surrounded by portion
OF my crew. Daybreak appeared soon
after | swooned. and the mate in the
rigging recognized me lying on the
deck and notified my crew, who were
waiting a few. yards away. They came
on board and found the corpses OF the
two seamen; one with knife piercing
his heart and the other with his neck
brolSen,/
Soon after regaining consciousness
/ yeyy, frv fho 10 4 ! h
lcountored the gale which drove us
ashore. We all escaped with our lives.
but the vessel was dashed to pieces by
the waves. l can not begin to tell you
| what we passed through for. two weeks
tramping along the est toward CIV
ilization. But here am safe, though
considerably the worse for wear, but
still thankful that all our lives were
| preserved H. Chicago journal