Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-03-08

bic for three days, the mate recovered con-
seriousness, but not power Of speech. He
evidently wanted 10 say something. and
made several vain yet desperate efforts 10
articulate; then with his eyes he babe me a
pathetic farewell, pressed my hand, and
quietly passed away.
Pence be TO his ashesl Think Bucklow's
death affected me more than any other
which had yet occurred. 1t was not mere
ly that it left us helpless and utterly in
capable of taking the ship to her destina-
tIon liked him personally. He was q
courageous, open-hearted sailor, wise In
council and prompt In action; and the loss
OF 80 many Of our comrades had brought
us into close COmpant0nship. | had come
TO entertain warm affection for him. and
he was the only one left with whom /
could converse on terms of intellectual
equality.
CHAPTER XI.-BECALMED.
After poor Bucklow's death, the fever
became more virulcnt than ever, and IL
fewer died it was merely because fewer
were left to kill. Tho contagion spread
with portentous rapidity, the interval be-
tween the first seizure ana the fatal close
being often frightfully short.
At the end of the following week two
the forty-scven who had sailed from Liver
pool, little more than month previously,
we were the sole survivors. All the rest
slept their long sleep in the fathomless
depths Of the wild Atlantic.
What my feelings were | can hardly re-
member and do not care to recall. | was
stunned. overwhelmed, and, rs it seemed,
almost paraly2ed by the stupendous ma.
ture of the calamity which had Oyertaken
me, and by bitter grief for those who were
gone But for Bulsover | think | must
have gone mad. He too sorrOwcd, In his
own fashion, for our lost comrades; yet his
grief seemed to sit lightly on him, and in
his manner there was at times something
that looked very like eXultatiou, the cause
of which WAS mt first at Il loss 70 divine.
But a casual expression he let drop en-
h9htenCd me. He regarded his escape and
mine IA proof that we were the destined
discoveries Of the Santa Anna"
Had | been less depressed. ! should have
been amused, probably have laughed at
MIN. Az it WINS, thought it best not to
answer him. You cannot argue with d
mnnOmaniaC.
But on every other point the boatswain
"a usual, was evidently sane and practical.
''rhcre Is only You and me now, " he said
"and we can neither handle the ship nor
navigate her; but we eau do our best
There IS no more sail on her than VIII give
her steering way in a light breeze, and IL
fl comes on to blow we shall may be not
take much harm. You can steer pretty
well now, and we must take the wheel
turn md turn about"
THAT Is all very fine, but where shall we
make for2"
"Wcll don't think as we can do better
than stick to the course we are on, and rs
Mr.. Bucklow last laid down-sou'- by
south-as far rs the wind will let us"
VIII that bring us to Moutevideo'"
81 don't think It will. exactly; but there
or thereahouts, perhaps"
"Have you any idea where We arer'
mot within degree or two; but, from
the feel, we should not be far from the
line"
Rather vague; but It is hot enough for
anything, IL that is what you mean. How
ever about this steering. 1t can easily be
arranged "a You suggest. While one steers
the other can cook, and sleep, and keep a
lookout. Our best chance of rescue is to
attract the attention OF some passing yes
sci. Can we do anything more than re-
verse the Union Jack2"
81 don't know as we can; and keep our
number always flying"
There il still one thing we have not
Thought OF. Suppose something happens
that some emergency arises that forces
me To quit the wheel while you are asleept"
si'c v"tT ,rtuE you can 30 IN Unat case
would be TO lash the wheel amdships. /
will show you how. But we must do our
sleeping in the captains cabin. We shall
always be within hail OF each other. You
have only to whistle, and l will come"
Aren't you afraid OF sleeping in the
captains cabn'"
mot bit ] shall not take the fever,
II could, l should have done so long
since"
IAN the same. would not throw away
chance, If l were you. There is no tell
ing"
'0ld Tom" "a the sailors had called
him, smiled superciliously, as much as to
say that did not know what was talking
about
Very we'll" said. Go and turn in.
You had no sleep last night, and l had. /
will AXE the wheel"
Thank you, sir. do feel bit sleepy.
Wake me up when yOu feel tired. Keep
her or and by-as she is; that 5 all you have
to do
and SO was left in sole charge of the
man on his first voyagel A captain with
out n crew, a navigator innocent of naviSa-
ton, steering generally for the equator,
and with an uncertain hope OF sooner or
later reaching the coast of South America,
somewhere between the Amazon and Cape
Horn, and the of chance of knocking
against the continent OF Africa, or being
blown into the Pacdcl
Not the sort of outlook to make q man
merry, even though he has nothing partic-
ular on his mind; and on mine lay dark
memories of the valley OF the shadow OF
death through which l had just passed.
But was too busy to brood. | did not
steer so well that | could do it automati-
sally like an A. h. had TO give the wheel
my closest attention and watch the ship
continually. yet with all my pains let her
fall OFF, several times, much to my all
uoyauce. The wind, moreover, OCCASION
ally varied "a point or two thereby increas-
Ing the difficulty OF my task. But | did
not call Bolsover; | thought | would let
him sleep as long as he liked; but when he
voluntarily came to relieve me, had been
at my post nearly five hours 4
"Why didn't you call me' he said, re-
proachtully. You must be both tired and
hungry. Go and get something to eat,
and then turn in for an hour or two.
don't think we shall either of us get much
sleep tonight"
'Whyf"
''There is going to be a change of wealth
or. The glass Is going down fast, and
clouds are gathering TO windward But
we shall not get it just yet When you
have had your grub and your sleep, we
must reef the foresaiL Then we shall be
safe, think
acted promptly on old Toms sugges-
ton, for the air and the work had made
me both hungry and sleepy.
When ! returned from my snooze, the
wind had risen considerably, and blew in
ftful gusts; the sun went down red, amid
mass of ominous-looking clouds, and, as
Bolsover said, there was every likelihood
OF a dirty night The time had come to
reduce our spread of canvas. and the ship
being under a patent foretopsan and jib, we