Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1889-06-28
uwbv. sir, there's the bowsprit, th


the foremast rattle had somehow slowed
around under her bows, and I'm certain
that whale is tangled up therein. I
can see f1ecks of foam as he churns away,
and you can hear ripple along our side
from the sea he kicks up"
The dog barked and howled by turns,
but we got no other answer to our re-
peated shouts.
"Men," said the Captain, as the wreck
began moving slowly away, "it's our
plain duty to board that hulk. Icould
never forgive myself if I left any one to
die of starvation. Iwon't order any one
to go, but I'll call for volunteers"
Not sailor responded for minute.
I waited to give the men chance, and
as they hcsitated I volunteered. Two
others then came forward, and their ac-
tion shamed the mate into saying:
every well, sir. I'll take Jones and
Harris and pull off and investigate" J."
Why he left me out do not know,
but was quietly ignored, and the two
middle-aged men whose names 1 have
given had the oars as the boat moved
away. The Captain called after the mate
to be sure to board the hulk, and if he
found her in good condition to cut the
rattle loose and report. The wreck had
been moving away from us pretty steadily
for ten minutes, and as the yawl left us
could hardly make her out. The mate
was to show light when he boarded
her, and for the next half hour we were
straining our eyes to catch it. Then we
figured that he had missed the hulk and
was pulling back to us, and although we
had out our regular lights, which could
have been seen for two or three miles, we
sent up several skyrockets and burned a
flare as further guides. But the hours
wore on and brought no tidings, and
uuNllShb CdiilC We SNSPS VIZ %" Ai etsiH
for sight of either hulk or boat
A breeze came with the sun, and we
began search which lasted all the day
without result. The loss of three mer
reduced us to sad straits. There were
only two working hands, and as measure
of safety we had to get the big sails reefed
against what might come. The breeze
was light, and as we were under shortened
sail we did not cover any great distance
during the day, not over thirty miles.
7 his satisfied us, however, that calamity
had occurred. The wreck could not
have been over half mile from us when
the yawl pulled away. would not take
over ten minutes to pull to her. What
could have happened to the boat9 If not
able to board, she should have re-
turned. In boarding she should have
displayed light, as ordered, and then
returned to report the state of the wreck.
The last ever seen of the three men was
when they pulled away from us. Not a
word has been heard from them to this
day, nor will it ever be known how they
perished.
Night brought calm again, and was
so tagged out with the heavy work of the
day that l went to sleep almost before 1
had finished the cold bite got from the
pantry. We understood from the Captain
that he should cruise about for day or
two more in hopes of falling in with the
boat, but it was easy to see that he was
badly upset, and in the afternoon
smelled liquor about him very strong.
When he told us to go into the pantry
and forage for something to eat his voice
was thick and his legs very weak. My
mate was to stand watch the regular time
and then awaken me. Sometime in the
night I was aroused by something and
sat up and looked about me. The
calm continued, and everything was
quiet, and so lay down and slept again.
1t was daylight when awoke again, and
after wash got some biscuit and meat
from the pantry and looked around for
my mate. Not finding him after a hunt
of ten minutes l knocked at the open
cabin door. Receiving no response,
finally ventured in, and five minutes later
l realized that / was entirely alone aboard
the Josephine. Neither Captain nor sailor
could be found, nor was there the slight
est clue to tell me how or why they had
disappeared. did not give up until !
had searched every possible place where
they could have hidden away, and then /
sat down and let superstition and terror
take such hold of me for half day that
liked to have gone crazy. 1t was only
by calling up all my will power that
| could prevent myself from leapiup over