Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-10-01
THE DOOMED SHIP.

remained ~ her taut masts and spars hui
The mizzenmast. the bowsprit and dying
ibhoom. From the mizzen torsail and
,russiack ynrls hung few ngged sirips
II canvas. and out nj the far ends of ths
DYING jibloom depended part of the stay
and somc fragments 10 sail. torn and
'cnt. just as IL had bccn left after the
iorce gale which had rendered this gal
ant ship - helpless wreck.
Not brcaih of wind was stirring In
he heavens; not n cloud was In the decr
blue sky; not a ripple or a naw disturbed
the far stretching ocean Il was high
noon. and the sun was almost vertical
Al was silent The sun was pouring
down iis ilcrce tropical rays on the bits
tcrcl deck. and ON the vast. calm sca,
Therc she lay. n spectral ship upon a
silent occan There was not a sign Of
life on hoanl. not a sound could h. heard,
stccp, now AMI again when swirl oi
water made the rudder chains rattle and
.rrak. as the wheel moved few spoke.
backwar,l. and forwards, or when nm al
,airos. nappcj up from the sca. hovereI
over the ship and then Few away int
the distance.
The day passed slowly. as many day.
had passed.. the sun hcgan to sink lower
and lower In the western ky. and ono,
morc. ike a blood red shield. Il sank into
the ln.om ~ the occan. leaving behind
Il "a hooi ~ orubgscrnt light which
iinged the ky with IT, cnsanguined huos,
and thc-e. reflected In tho water D.
meath. caused the ship O. appear a.
though shc was hoating Ia sca II
blooi. The crimson faded into orange
and pink. and then into gray. and then
the shadows 10 evening stole slowly over
the scene; then one by ono the star.
came out AMI studded the whole % the
cl0udlcss armament.
suddenly thcrr came from the cuddy
window a strcam ~ light. and man.
gaunt and emaciaied. Is'crcd out on to
the deserted dcck \ Few minutes NJ.
ierwarls another gleam ~ light sho,
from a small Aperture la the door % the
forccasilc deck house. and two ewes.
cruel. reddish brown cycs. also pccrcd
clutiou.ly out Thcse two men had
l-on for days wailns and watching Cor
each others death. They were the cap
tain and mate ~ tho vessel, Who. when
thc crew had taken to the boats. had
refused a. desert hcr.
Tor days and Wcyas-hou many they
had no idea. for thry had lot all count
~ imr-thry had boou alone on ths
paihlrss dcor At ilrt they had mais
the t--t - their situation. day by day
hoping and expecting that succor would
come AMI they should hc rescued They
hai pui thcm.elyp, ou short allowluc,
of luth fol and water. bat, notwiih.
standing. the fpsl was At length nearly
consumed. thr water was quite exhaust.
rl. .o that they hi nothins lcft thli
vls dnnsnhlr hut frN loitlcs ~ wine
and brandy Tu thr torture of hunger
va, now adlvl ihc agony 20 raging
thir.i-a thirst which neither wine uoT
hmuiy would pucuch. bat rather in.
tru.lfy.
Arrilin. moro houblc than their -.
ulfinu clunnt hc imagined. anl che
dreadful conviction vas leing forced
ufnn thrm that they mu.t dic.
Thi. was thc state of affair three DAYS
rr.,i us o. thc OPENING ~ this story.
r'r captain was sitting with hi. ewes
apparently clo-ed. aud the mate va.
watching him with eager. hungry eyes,
Cp o. this point the mate bal lccn th,
most hureful ~ the two. but bow he
hal abandoned himself to despair
No succor could reach hem. ho knew,
while thc calm lasl,l; hut ihis was not
the thought which was haunting hi.
mini "Our uf thpm must dic-thc
death II the orc would bc thc prserva.
ton of thc other" This was the mental
refrain which. as 10 were. furmci the
chorus to every o.hcr thoughts The
death of one would BE- the preservation
10 thr other
he at there ewing the captain with
dialolical lcyr lie was mo- longer a
mau-he was demon. suddenly he
started up. by n rr,ulsilu ~ feeling,
which j. not common iu such eases. hs
h,d passed from hclpl, dependency
into furious dcliuum. With "a hoarss
cry hc spnng at capt. Dunnctt, bran
lIsh.ng a hong knife In his hand. \
fi,rcc stmerlc cnsucd: u was short and
sharp. and the mate. after being dis.
armed. was pushed forward and fcll yio
lenily upon the decl. Capt Dunnott va.
the younger AMI stronger ~ the tWo,
and. hal be- been 20 inclined. could have
dispatched the mate with ease. but he
contented himself with disauming him,
threw the knife into the sca. rctrcated "a
the cabin anil shut and locked the door.
The mate after this grew more furious,
and. after yainly attempting Ia enter the
cabin, Withdrew to the foFccastlc and
took up lil abode there: and now for
three DAYS hc had been waiting and
watching for tie captains death.
To h. buried alive has been thought "a
D. beyond question the most painful Of
az deaths: bat IL Is doubtful II the long
drawn agonies wh ella were being endured
by these 40 men were not the mOr'
painful Of the two.
GLOW long-how long can this lastY
moaneL Capt. Dunnctt. as lac at am,
gazed out into the night. Apainful sor
Of apathy was stealing over him. lie hac
no hoTe. be- made no effort, he had M
longer any wish 10 live. II death wer'
coming. his only prayer was that II nigh
come quickly.
Slowly. minute 10y minute. the life wa
ebbing out II him; and a. surely. will
a tortoise like graduation. the ni-ht crcp
ON. The moon had risen, and now. II
full orbed splendor, was riding high II
the heavens. casting a long wake II al
very light on the placid sea which d,ssce'
and flickered right away to the disian
horizon.
The two lights siill CLEANED on 10 th'
deserted deck. and the two watchers stil
watched ON.
Meanwhile. nature had not been idle
Away. In the distant horizon. grea
masses Of heccy clouds began TO pil'
themselves up one above another. grad
ually extending themselves across th'
northern heavens. The cloud packing
went ON for more than half an hour. ac
companied by hot pulls Of wind whicl
now and then rufiied the waters. tn
sky every minute grew blacker. and th'
clouds more dense; vivid flashes Of light
ming shot across the sky. and there wer
muiierings Of thunder In the distance.
The silent watcher In the cuddy saw
nothing and heard nothing of all this