The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1889-05-04

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mist clouded my eyes. My senses left
me; reelcd and fell from the top to the
deck. In my descent struck once OF
| twice, which caused me to turn over,
with the result that fell on my head.
| When | recovered consciousness ! was
lying i'll bunk in the ho>pitable. Still
| there WAS thick mist before my eyes
| could, indeed, see everything so as to
| recognize where | was, but somehow my
eyes refused to move about, and | could
| only stare straight up at the
deck. l tried to turn in my bunk,
but / could not; to raise my
arm, but could not; to sit up, but
my muscles failed me. At last the
truth struggled into my darkened mind
1 perceived at last that was in a per-
fectly cataleptic trance. The strange
part of it was that my mind was almost
as active as ever. knew all that was
going on about me, and felt an over
whelming terror at my possible fate.
alt was soon made known to me-
The Captain entered my room. l could
hear indistinctly, as if it were afar off,
his footsteps on the deck. Then the
steward also came in. ! heard them
consulting together, and both came to
the conclusion that was dead; that my
neck was broken by the fall.
"'Tcll Sails to come in and take his
measure. We must bury him tomorrow
while the fine weather lasts | heard the
Captain say, and presently the sailmaker
came in and measured me for the last
hammock should ever sleep in.
could not feel him. but knew by his
motions what he was doing. l will not
describe how they laid me out on the
cabin table and left me there, while
Sails. close by, made my shroud. Stitch,
stitch, stitch, went his needle, seeming
to enter into my brain every time instead
of the thick canvas. can distinctly
remember that while l lay there the
steward tried to close my eyes, but,
thank God, they flew up every time and
left the poor consolation of seeing the
for my doom.
AT last all was finished. The canvas
spread on the deck and ] was laid in it.
Then the sailmaker began to stitch me
mp. lie had stitched up all but my face,
when | heard him say he had lost his !
knife. A rigid search was made every |
where, but it could not be found, so |
Sails returned to work, and all that time |
was thinking in my dull way what
fools they were for not looking into my |
'hroud for the lost knife. As l after
ward learned it was next day at noon
that | was carried on deck and laid on
plank, preparatory to being shot over
board. The men one by one took a
ook at my face, and then it was covered
up forever. The burial service was read
Dy the Captain, there was little delay,
md then the plank was tilted, and l
hOt into the bitter cold water off The
Diego Ramirez. 1t must have been
he shock that brought me to my
enses, for, as | sank down,
ragged lower by the shot at my
eet, felt my feciin" and action return.
vt the same moment my right hand, re
cased from its dread inertia, grasped
what l instantly knew to be knife. Me
forced the blade and ripped
ny canvas Stroud so that the shot fell
nd | began to rise to the surface. In
cw seconds, | suppose, although it
eemcd years, l opened my eyes-for it
s a curious fact that while | Law in
tate of coma they remained open, yet
when my feelings returned with the
hook closed them at once-and saw
nee more the light of day, which / had
lever expected to see again. ] was an
xcelent swimmer, and ha.
Don regained my breath and
asst from me the canvas
which impeded my movements. Then
looked around over the waters, and
aw that my miraculous escape had been
IL for nothing. The ship, looking like
great swan, getting smaller and smaller