New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-20

| the stern. and then looked over the bulwarks
! for the duck There they were, swimming nvS
more than hundred ana n m S,i rsmaned per-
/ fectlv concealed under the high bulwark, anu
could see them padding and feeding in the gren1iSS
! weed Their approach was slow, but couIu
| afford 10 wait Nearer and nearer they came,
| another minute, and they would be wen wi 'nnr
shot. / was already congratulatlng mysen Sf tIo
the success of my adventure, and thinking OF lso
low of Jones at this large accession 10 ms EIuei'
| when suddenly there was a splash, ana Wi'n Ia
wild spluttering rush the whole pack rose omS
! of the water and went Swimming over sne , nun
toward the distant sea. / let on Doth
barrels after them. and tried to console mys VS.
By thinking that saw the feathers ny Iro ino In
but not bird dropped and was Iei' "iO"s -
what could have caused the splash, that luck,
| less splash / wondered. There was surrey ~
one else on board the ship, and certaily no on o
| could get out here without mud-pattens or ,,, q
| boat / looked round. All was perlecuy SUN
Nothing broke the monotony- OF the gray scen e-.
sodden and damp ana nieiess CIV" with it n
raw mist. which was blotting out the oak LAX 9ls-
| lance and fast limiting nv horizon. Inc uay
drawing i'm Sad roand m az aenOn
rested by seeing a ducl-punt GLIDE past me me-. IN
the now rapidly falling water, which was swri5ns
by the mud-ban on which tRe d yess Thought
| struck me II must be my boat and now shhIi
! / get home? l ran to the stern ana looked OVER
NJ The e" fraVed and stranded end of the painter
told me how il had happened ! had not allowed
for the fall of the tide, and the strain o5 t t
! punt as the water fell away had sn"PPou INC
| line old and rotten as it was; ~ hi..s
ran to the bows, and jumping on TO the otts
saw my punt peacefully drifting away, a sO,iiI
G COad no Of bop %' to 0 get her again
| II was beginning to rain steadily. coulu
sec that was in for dirty weather, anu oecalh I
little anxious about ss now NOW rapidly e growing
dapS So thick was it that l could
not see the lowland anywhere. ana coala o my
| indpe of its position by remembering thab inc
stern Of the vessel pointed that way,
The conviction grow upon me that l could
not nossibly get away from this doleful old hulk
without assistance ana no" 70 b sd not sss T
| SIGN of n human being the whole day III was
| NOT likely any more would be aoont nj ngnt
However. shouted as LOUD as coulu, anu ,4 S'ie
waited 10 hear if there was any response. Ihere
| was not a sound only the wind moaned snghty
! through the stumps of the masts, and something
| creaked in the cabin. T
| shall have shelter for the night; while had
| bcen left on one of these islands, should nave
had to spend the night exposed 70 the Pc Io
/ Tets too dark and sec what sort Of berth can
| be got, il the worst comes to worst 10 thnEdng'
| | went TO the BOBBY hatch, and found, as 1 eX-
pected, that it was RSIt pESden 0pe" anu any
Az I stepped dowr the rotting companion, inc
| air smelt foul and dank. l went below very
cautiously. for was not at an to SqrG tn"T did
| So for as / stepped off the lowest step me moo
| gave way under my foot ana had ! no' 1 ygoI
holding on to the stair-rail should nhTe ,on
/ through. Before going any iuA'"'
wi The prospect was not inviting. The light light
was DIM could scarcely make Out OO'gP'S co osI
see that hat the whole of the inside Sv,,o Of
tho vessel was completely. Quilted. what
little light there was came through , smg a. me
| norris 4 small round speck Of light looKed at ule
out Of dhe darkness ahead, and could see INN INN
| the flooring had either all gwen away OF p.en
| taken out Of her. AT my feet CLEAN OF wa SsI
tbrourt the foor-joists. Altogether, a more desc
late, gloomy, ghostly place 1t wou" 0o ui'"'"''
| to find. ,oo,.or ,,,ho,c 7
| could sit down and everything movable had oeen
| taken out of shc hulk. Cropping my way WIN
increasing caution, stepped across the lolss, anu
felt along the side Of Inc cabin soon came 70 %
| bnlkhead Continuing 10 grope came to an open
| ING IL the cabin was dim, here was blackness
itself felt Il would be useless 30 attempt TO go
further especially as very damp iou' Voor s,noG
| looking into the darkness q cold chilly Shuuue5
passed over me, and with shlver Turned rouIu
to look at Inc cabin. My eyes had now UgcOlns
| on my right suggested the possibility OF perth,
and cropping my way over to IT. l fonnd the loWsr
hunk was still entire. Here at least could rest,
if / found il impossible TO get TO shore Having
some WAX veStas in my pocket, struck a nghS
and examined the bunk IL better than
expected. II could only ind s1mething 10 purh'
| should be comparatively cheerful
| Before reconciling myself 10 my uncomiorlaple
position ] resolved to see whether could not get
TO The shore, and went up the ncyety stains again
1t was raining hard, emf the wind had got mp.
| Nothing could be more dismal. looked over Ihe
| side and lowered my self down from the main
| chains to see il ID possible TO walk over the
| mud | found I could not reach the mud at all ;
ard fearful OF being unable TO climb back II
let go, clambered up the side again and got on
Ii was quito clear must pass the night here.
| Before going below / once more shouted at Ohe
| top of my voice, more TO keep up my own spirits
than with any hope of beng hear1, and shen
paused TO listen. Not sound Of any sort replied.
l now prepared to make myself as comfortable
as / could.
1t was a dreary prospect ! would rather have
spent the night on deck than down below in that
fOul cabin; but the drenching driving rain, as
we'll as the cold, drove me 70 seek shelter below.
IT, seemed absurd 10 be H. the position OF q
shipwrecked sailor, within two or three miles OF q
prosy country hamlet and in landloclSed harbol
while actually land il the Shiny deep mud
could be called land. / had not many matches
left, but had my gun and cartridges. The idea
occurred to me to fire of minute. guns. That's
what / oughN 10 do of course. The red fash
will be seen in this dark night for it was dark
now, and no mistake. Getting up on the highest
part OF the vessel, i blazcd away The noisG
sonndsl to me dealening; surely the whole couD1ry
side would be aroused; After firing off dozer
cartridges, waited But the silence only seemed
the more oppressive, and The blaciIncsS all thu
darker. It's no good; I'll turn in,' thought
dejcctedly.
With great difficulty / CROPPED my way Il
the top OF the companion ladder and bumped
dismally down rne steps. II only hat
a light should be fairly comfortable / thought
Happy thought, make 'spit-deviPi" as we used
when boys tn call little cone OF damp gunpowder
got out my last two cartridges, and empty.
ing the powder carefully into my hand, moisened
II, and worked IL M to n paste then placed
il on the smooth end OF the rail and lighted IT,
This was brilliant: at least il seemed by con
nasting with the absolute blaclSDess around me
BY its light l was able 20 find my way to the
bunk. and it lasted just long enough for me
night. BY contriving succession OF matches,
| was enabled 20 have enough light TO see TO eat
my frugal supper; for had kept little sherry
and few sandwiches to meet emergencies, and
it was fortunate thing I had. The light and
the food made me feel more CHEEKY, and by the
time the last match had gone out, felt worse
might have happened TO me by a long way.