The morning call., 1890-10-26

patient and follow my instructions to the
letter L may save y0u all. Now, II you
don't know, l must tell You one thing and
that's this: \ man can go without food, or,
better said, with an uncommon small allow
ance, for several days, if he lets sea water
alone. Mind what | say-if ne lets sea
water alone. When thirst comes on you
must grin and bear ii, for once you begin
to drink sea water you're doomed. It'll
transform you into raying, screeching luna
tics, and in your madness You'll as likely as
nos fall foul of some of your messmateS as
a famished beast would of fat sheep. But
hark We, men, | continued, laying my hand
on my revolver, I'm determined to see fair
play in this business, and as the cartridges Of
my revolver are waterproof the wetting
they've had wont do 'em bit of hurt. Dye
hear that? And / give you fair warning
that if any one OF you attacks his messmate
or tries to rob him of his ratiOns Ill shoot
him as | would any other wild beast"
The men. Hal Wescott included, gave
me hearty cheer, and promised me Implicit
obedience.
Our first bit of luck was heavy fall of
rain, SO rigging piece of sail cloth in such
a way as TO catch as much water as possible
proceed to empty the red wine, one bottle
at a time, into the sea and to fill it with
water, cork it again securely and pack it
away carefully in the boats locker, upon
which | took up my position.
Now it was that that great black brute
Hal Wescott first showed his teeth if
may be permitted to express myself so, and
big, white, sharp and anlmal-like teeth they
were, too, take my word for it. When Yves
colt first caught the low gnrgling sound Of
the wine, as it spurted like q till Of life
blood into the sea, strange look glowed
with wicked fire, his lips twitched convul-
sively and his huge hands opened and shut
with a snap in the iron knuckles. He was
like thirsty beast suddenly reused by the
e,1a1 Ill ft,~r
big fellows tongue fairly click between his
massive jaws as he watched my movements.
''When the time came for me to take up
the second bottle and uncnrk it Wescott
could not hold his rebeIlious in'ards no
longer in control. With half scream, half
groan, he burst OUT
'''FOr Gods sake, captain, give me n
drink O. that Don't waste it. I'm burDin'
up inside. I'm all on fire, captain, swear
| am | can't stand it, captain for the love
OF heaven don say no, just give Inc taste
of 1t, just tastep
u needn't tell, you sir that even few
mouthfuls Of that wine would have trans
formed the big mulatto into fiend H.
caTnate. Poured into his fasting stomach it
would have set stream of fire in his blood,
and would MT be here to-day to tell you this
story, for he would have Drained every
mothers son of u.s. sure as fate. So In an
instant determined what course of action
to pursue, and in that brief space of time [
SAID my prayers, felt for MY pistol and bid
uncle Bob and YOU good-by.
Silence, sirP" / roared, with all the
strength | could muster, as ! turned upon
the writing, twitehing monster, whose face,
already fTightfully distorted with suffering,
was now made Still more repulsiye by i'll
disguised rage which burned in his red eyes.
" 1t took all my self-contro to keep my
gaze riveted upon the man without hinching,
but / was successful, and the mulatto
crouched down in his corner again,
like a half-cowed, half-defiant tiger
Things went passably well for day OF so.
The men oheyed me eheerfully, and bore
the pangs Of hunger with wonderful calm
ness. | kept Wescott at the bow of the
boat, so L could have my eye on him. Next
to me was the steward-never strong man
and hence the first to sink life less in heap
on the bottom of the boat
I'VE had been washing about for three
days. Hunger was beginning TO give our
faces that wild haggard look which robs the
human countenance of all traces of a soul
and leaves nothing behind but the dull dis
trnstful glare of the animal.
% But thirst was the thing most dreaded.