The Indianapolis journal., 1890-11-02

your second mate, are you? For Gods sake
come backv He shouted something in re-
ply. What it was don't know, but saw
HIM waving his hand in farewell. and
know the coward had made off, leaving the
rest of his crew to perish miserably.
There were ten of us on the Hareraves.
all told. For moment did not know
what to do. / saw my comrades mounting
the rigging with a crowd of Spaniards at
their heels. felt the schooner sinking
and fearing that she would be submerged,
masts and all, / grabbed big gang plank
and jumped overheard with it. ] went
under water, and when | arose to tn the sur sur
face again men were jumping Oft the
schooner into the water all around me.
Finally Icounted thirteen of the Visicayea's
men clinging to the gang plank with me.
One was a gentle-faced Spanish lad about
sixteen years old. The sea was quite calm,
but there was a heavy long SWELL We were
all sitting straddle of the gang plank. Sud-
denly an extra heavy swell turned the raft
bottom up and we all went over with it.
Down into the waterI went, feet, and arms,
and legs kicking all about me.
when l got to the surface again 1
climbed back on the plank. and one
by one the others came back until counted
seven. A minute later another big wave
washed Us all over again. When got back
to the plank there were only five of us all
told. one of these being the handsome
Spanish boy. He could speak little Eng
lish, and he had great nerve. Our chances
are mighty thin,' he said to me. acqui-
esced and he said: Every time the plank
don't think / can last much longer
"'Well, l guess we'll have to co. told
him, but let us hold on as long as we can.
When we 60 under. hold your breath and
don't swallow the salt water
Il don't know how long / can live, but
Pll live ss long as cam the poor lad re-
turned, smiling sweetly. and few minutes
later his head fell forward on the board.
j tried to work my way up to him, but be-
fore could @ =, reach sS1,.d him he gave YES great
He seemed to sink like lead. There were
only four of US left. / could see that the
others could not last long. They were in
the water, hanging to the gang plank with
climb upon il. Their heads lay on the
board, and only for the couvulsive SWING
ing of their arms when the sea ashed over
them, l would have thought them dead.
One by, one they slipped quietly off and
drowned.
1.-The moon arose about o'clock. and you
cannot imagine the terrible feeling of fear
and despair that took possession of me.
had TO battle with myself all the time to
keep from giving up and sliding away into
eternity. Where at first there was an end
less chorus of screams and prayers for help
there was now nothing but silence, and
felt that my mind was going. think /
would have gone crazy. but suddenly saw
the light at Barnegat flashing and TO keep
my mind occupied began to paddle with
my hands in the direction of it. Occasion
ally dead body slipped by me in the
water, face up. My lower limbs were
warm in the water. but my body
was freezing from the bitter wind.
Every now and then I would be washed
overheard. Behind / could see the tall
masts of the sunken vessels. with q few
dark forms clinging to the spars. / pad
died away. and finally realized that I was
drifting ont to sea and not making one
inch toward Barncgat. Twice l saw an
ocean steamer, but they were miles away.
Then saw some sailing vessels. but they
were also too far off to hear my feeble cries.
The night passed slowly, and gave up
hope.
''Abont o'clock heard q feeble cry, and
saw the gittering eyes and bewhiskered
face of a Spaniard in the water He had a
raft of spars, a little better than mine, and
1 swan over to him. He could speak no
English. ana could speak no Spanish, but
we shook hands in the water and felt that
we would die together. He had been
washed of his raft. j helped him onto il
again, and then climbed on myself. A lit