Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-08-17
A Romantic Story of Shipwreck
Captivity and Suffering.
CAST AMONG BARBAROUs sAvAGES.
Horace Holden Subjected to Unheard of
Sufferings. Among the BarbarOus
Pelew Islanders.
CHAPTER XIII.

W Jbe sup tuey IuOuBnJ I0dJ We
were wholly at the mercy of the
crew, But as no more shots were
fired was soon able to once more
bring order from the chaotic state
into which the occupants of our dug
out had been thrown. The quarter.
boat hurridly returned to the ship
and the officer in charge, to all ap
pearances, reported to the captain
what he had seen.
In the meantime we were resting
on our oars and anxiously awaiting
developments, not knowing whether
we would be again fired upon or be
left alone to our fate. But as soon
as the captain had heard the report
the quarter boat put off toward US
again, the crew this time being
heavily armed. They approached
to within fifty yards of us and
stopped. They looked US over thor
oughly, and our natives likewise
took view of them. / was unde-
cided what to do, when the officer
beckoned me to swim to them.
No sooner had his signal been in
terpreted than | was in the water
swimming as rapidly in the direc-
ton of the boat as my wasted
strength would permit. My only
thought was for rescue from death
by starvation among the barbarlans.
All thought of present danger was
out Of mind, although ] knew diff
ferent species of man-eating sharks
abounded in those waters. Neither
had | fear that my strength might
fail me before | could reach the
boat. ] leaped and swan for life,
the natives whom | left behind gaz-
Ing after me in CONSERVATION.
From the moment | threw myself
into the water experienced a pecu-
liar sensation, as of being drawn
downward; and it was with diff
Guilty that | swan. My body was
entirely under the water and / had
trouble in keeping my head above.
would have to exert myself to raise
my head from the water 10 get breath.
In this way, | swan along slowly.
This unknown force drawing mo |
downward retarded me greatly.
AT last had approached along the
side of the vessel and was about to
De lifted In when | felt myself being
drawn beneath. made last des-
perate plunge forward and was lift
ID into the boat by those who
1t. We started for the ship
'ut rs soon as | had seated myself in
he boat one of the boys cried out.
My God, look! He made lucky
scapeW Just then there came
Up alongside the boat huge man
ating shark, his flukes extending
m both sides of the boat and color
ng the water 1 had II moment be-
ore left. Cold sweat stood upon my
row as contemplated the miracu-
ous escape.
The oars were handled ably and
We reached the vessel In safety. SUI
erhuman strength having been
iven me, to the astonishment of ,
no crew, scaled the man-ropes
nd was saved and in the hands OF ,
riends and civilized people once /
lore. This was on Nov. eth, 1884. q
The vessel proved To be the British 4
ark Britannia, Captain Short, |
ound 10 Canton. AS soon ,,s | was
'fely on board and provided with
ood-the first you might say for =,
'veral months-and clothing--the .
rst for many day-orders We're =
ven by Capt. Short to haul In. .
his order distracted me, rs my ).
mrade Mute had not been rescued. .
entreatod with the Captain In be- =
'lf Of my brother in privation and "
tfering, | could not rest until he, y
o, had been taken from among v
ose people. The Captain heard v
Y plea but was loath TO grant my =
quest, u
AT length he ordered the firing of -
'eral charges from the cannon !"
at the canoes might be dispersed. !"
lis had the effect of dispensing all
{ three of the savages' canoes and
ain the quarterboat was manned
d the boys pulled oil for the
loes. | feared Mute had been u"
zen away in Que of the boats that M,
| left, but as fortune would have sh
le was found in one of the three In
Il remained, lie had been, how IN
n, chucked in the hsh-hox in the sr
Idle of the canoe, This the saw alr
5 said was In revenge, having all
sed the charges TO be fired at M
m after | was aboard the ship. ~,
te was by this time 81 weak that Mr.
lad 10 he lifted into the boat and hel
n IL hoisted Ia the ship. P'
'hlle Mute Was being brought 10 nv,
vas explaining to Captain Wa