The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-12-25


me the canvas which impeded my move
ments. Then looked around over the
waters. and saw that my miraculous
escape had been all for nothing. The
ship, looking like q great swan, was sew
ersl miles away, getting smaller and
smaller even as l looked.
There arose from my lips frenzied
me thus, but almost immediately after
ward, as if to rebuke me for my wicked
ness, noticed piece of wreckage float
ing toward me. Hope once more filed
my breast, and swan toward the piece
of deckhouse, as it proved to be, and
clambering on top threw myself on my
face and wept for very wretchedness.
Alone on the wide ocean, piece Of
wood the only thing between me and
death, dazed and weak from my last ter
rible experience, what else could do
but weep? Soon began to feel an in
tense hunger. By the lowest calcula-
ton | must have been comatose for three
days, so for that time had had no nour-
ishment.
The thick mist that suddenly came
down satisfied my thirst, but there was
nothing to eat, nothing to eat. nearly
went crazy as the day wore on.
At last night fell and added the terors
of the blackness of darkness to the pangs
of hunger. could never tell the hor-
rors of that first night. 1t was wonder
was not stark, staring mad when day
broke. The second day passed like the
first. Nothing to eat, something to
moisten my lips, but no sail in sight.
The third day broke with an angry sky
and angrier sea, and / saw that before
the day closed Cape Horn gale would
be raging, with its attendant sleet and
cold. l trembled then, for even though
was almost dead and quite without
hope wanted to live. BY noon the sea
had risen tremendously, and it was with
great difficulty that managed to keep
on my raft. By nightfall the gale was
raging fiercely, and l was expecting
every moment to be engulfed in one of
the terrible abysses into which my raft
slipped constantly.
This was the most awful night ever
spent-worse even than when | lay to all
appearances dead on the cabin table Of
the Osprey. The flying spoondrift cut
me to the bone. The great waves rolled
their crested, phosphorescent heads high
above me, who, sunk in black abyss,
heard the gale shrieking overhead. Ifelt
soon that it could not last much longer.
Numbed and weak as l was l chung to
my refuge with the energy of despera-
ton and waited bitterly for death.
Finally an immense wave, higher than
all that had gone before, raised its wild
head and rolled down on me.
NV time had come. l was swept like a
child from my raft and carried on the
crest of the monster as | supposed to
death. But once again the hand of the
Almighty was stretched out to save me.
l was dashed with inconceivable vio-
lence against something solid as rock.
Ropes were floating all around me. l
grabbed several and then swooned.
Iawoke and recognized the old hospi-
tai of the Osprey. Then / thought my
all wandering fancy, and that l had
never left the hospital But | was soon
undeceived. A kind face bent over me
and saw once more the features of my
good captain. He would not permit me
TO speak at all that day, but on the next
| was allowed to relate my story, which
did in weak and quavering voice, l
can assure you. Then the captain told
me that, after burying me, as they
thought, they had kept on their course
for two days, when they encountered a
heavy head gale which drove them back
on their course again. They shipped a
terrible sea, which carried away boats
and houses forward, but it was the last
exertion of the gale, for after that it died
away.
When the waist was sufficiently clear
of water to enable the men to walk
there they had discovered my body en-
tangled in ropes lying in the lee soup
per. At first they thought my corpse
had been washed aboard again, as has
been several times done, but on lifting
me up they saw unmistakable signs of
life, and with great awe and wonder
carried me into the cabin. As to my
comatose sleep, the captain said he had
never seen anything more like death.
He had doubted if the most skillful doc
tors could have discovered any life in
me. He was confident my neck had
been broken.-F. D. B. in Alta Califor-
MAN.