Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-09-21

"a
"Let me CO." he said roughly, trying to
shake himself loose. "Oh! it is you, Lord
Holmhurst."
YES, step in here for one second and tell
us the worst; speak up, man, and let us
Know all"
Very well, Lord Holmhurst, I will.
We AVE run down a whaler of about five
hundred tons, which was cruising along
under reduced canvas and showing no
lights. Our fore compartment is stove
right in, bullying ont the plates on each
side OF the cutwater and loosening the
fore bulkhead. The carpenter and his
mates are doing their best TO shore il up
from the inside with balks of timber, but
the water is coming in like a millrace, and
! fear that there are other injuries. All
the pumps are at work, but there's a deal
of water, and II the bulkhead goes"
I'VE shall go, too" said Lord Holm
hurst, calmly. well, we must take to
the boats. Is that allf"
I'm Heavens name, is not that enoughln
SAID the Captain, looking up, so that the
light that was fixed in the "companionway
threw his CHASTITY face in bold relief. "No,
Lord Holmhurst, it is not all. The boats
will hold something over three hundred
people. There are about one thousand
souls aboard the Kangaroo, of whom more
than three hundred are ONE and chill
dren.n
Therefore the men must drown" said
Lord Holmhurst, quietly. Gods will be
done"
Your Lordship will, Of course, take &
place in the boats" said the Captain, hur-
riedly. II nave ordered them TO be pre-
pared, and, fortunately, day Is breaking.
| rely upon you TO explain matters to the
owners if you escape, and clear my char
acter. The boats must make for Kerguelen
Land. 1t is about seventy miles 10 the
eastward"
"lou must give your message to some
one else, Captain" was the answer: Il
shall stay and share the fate of the other
men"
There was nc pomposity about Lord
Holmhurst now-all that had gone-and
nothing but the simple, gallant nature ~
the English gentleman remained.
mo, no. said the Captain, as they hur-
ried aft, pushing their way through the
fcar-distracted crowd. Have you got
your reyolver?"
Eyes"
well, then, keepit handy; you may have
TO use it presently; they will try and rush
the boats"
BY this time the gray dawn was slowly
breaking, throwing a cold and CHASTITY
light upon the hideous scene of terror.
Round about the boats were gathered the
officers and some of the crew, doing their
best to prepare them for lowering. In.
deed, one had already been got away. In
ii was Lady Holmhurst, who had been
thrown there against her will, shrieking
for her child and husband, and about q
score of women and children, together
with half a dozen sailors and an officer.
Augusta caught sight of her friends
face in the faint light. Bessie! Bessie
Lady Holmhurstn she cried. 81 have
got the boy. 1t is all right have got the
boyn'
She heard her, and waved her hand
wildly toward her; and hen the men in
the boat gave way, and in a second it was
out of earshot. Just then a tall form
seized Augusta by the arm. She looked
up; it was Mr.. Tombey, and she saw that
in his other hand he held a revolver.
"Thank Cody he shouted in her ear. 81
have found you, This way-this way
quickn' And he dragged her aft TO where
two sailors, standing by the davits that
supported a small boat, were low ring hei
TO the level Of the bulwarks.
Nov then, womenr' shouted an officer
who was in charge of the operation. Some
men made rush.
"Women tirst!-women first!n
81 Inn in no hurry" said Augusta, step
ping forward with the trembling child in
her arms; and her action for a few seconds
produced a calming effect, for the men
stopped.
Come on" said Mr.. Tombey, stopping
to lift her over the side, only to be nearly
knocked down by a man who made a des-
perate effort TO get into the boat. 1t was
Mr.. Meeson, and, recognizing him, Mr..
Tombey dealt him a blow that sent him
spinning back.
"A thousand pounds for a placer he
roared. Ten thousand pounds for a seat
in a boat!' And once more he scrambled
up at the bulwarks, trampling down a
child as he did SO, and was ono more
thrown back.
Mr.. Tombey took Augusta and the child
Into his strong arms and put her into the
boat. AS he did so, he kissed her fore
head and murmured, God bless you,
goodbye"
At that instant there was a loud report
forward, and the stern Of the vessel lifted
perceptibly. The bulkhead had given
way, and there arose such a yell as surely
was seldom heard before. To Augustus
ears it seemed TO shape itself into the word
"Siakiaqrr
Up from the bowels of the ship poured
the firemen, the appearance Of whose
blackened faces, lined with white streaks
of perspiration, added a new impulse OF
terror 70 the panic-stricken throng. Aft
they came, accompanied by a crowd OF
sailors and emigrants.
Rush the boats,' sung out a voice with
a strong Irish accent, ''or sure wen be
drowned!'
Taking the hint, the maddened mob
burst oward the boats like q food, bias,
pheming and shrieking as II came. In o
moment the women and children who
were waiting to take to the boat, in which
Augusta and the two seaman were al
ready, were swept aside and a determined
effort was made to rush it, headed by q
great Irishman, the same who had called
ont.
Augusta saw Mr.. Tombey, Lord Holm
hurst. who had come up, and the officers
lift their pistols, which exploded almost
simultaneously, and the Irishman and an
other man pitched forward on to theii
hands and knees.
"Neyer mind the pistols, lads" shouted