Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-08-22

4
wind tied these together for a drag, told
painter, and by midnight was ready to bring
| her head on.
| 1t was time. The wind was now blowing
half gale, and there was danger that a fol-
| lowing sea might break aboard and fill us. /
did not tell him what proposed to do, fear
| ing he would become nervous and rattle me.
but quietly waited for the right moment,
sent him to the bow to throw out the drag,
and when hauled sheet and put the tiller
| over could feel my heart in my throat. She
| hung for moment, and every soul aboard
| screamed out in terror, but the crisis passed,
and as she settled into hollow she was head
\ to the gale, and the drag was holding her
| thus. | then explained to the people that
| nothing more could be done, and that they
might as well lie down. When they were
down got out an old oil cloth and covered
them from the flying spray as much as posi-
| BILE, and then took my seat amidships to use
the bailer. | did not rest over five minutes
at time from midnight to daylight, and
| when day finally broke and I looked about
| me, my heart was like lead The gale still
held OFF shore, with no sign that it might
! change or abate, and the ocean around me
was boiling caldron. The yawl was riding
like cork, however, and the only water
| taken in came from the wave crests broken
off and hurled at US by the wind When the
people finally crawled out l hardly knew
them All were pale, hollow eyed and de-
spairing, while Mr.. Howe had a look upon
his face which made me stare at him. 1t was
look of mortal fear and desperation, and /
realized that his mind was going. The poor
ri. ln1f
much trouble of their own, but little Ben
did, and he crept over to me and whispered
please, Jack, but you won't let papa
touch me, will youF
began to call out in a cheerful voice that
the gale was abating, and that we were all
right, but Howe only looked at me in a cum
ming, crafty way, as if he meditated some
trick. | got out the provisions reused up
the women, and forced them to sip the wine
and eat little. The gentleman refused to par
take with US, and by and by the women
began to notice his strange actions This
brought about climax. | saw him looking
Steadfastly at his wife, and | carefully moved
nearer to her. One of the girls changed her
position further aft, fearing that a struggle
was about 10 take place, and | turned and
extended my hand to steady her. As l did
so Howe uttered sort of scream spranp
upon and seized his wife, and, though
clutched her skirts, the fabric tore, and both
went overheard and out of sight in an in
slant Neither one rose to the surface, or, if
they did, they were far beyond reach The
sudden and awful tragedy deeply affected US
all, and the girls flung themselves down and
could not be reused up again until afternoon.
Ben didn't realize it so deeply, but it was like
a dagger at my heart TO see him sitting with
closed eyes and white face, and his lips franz
ing the words of the Lords prayer now and
then.
AT noon the wind and sea began to go
down and the sky to clear up. The gale had
blown itself out and | now considered it only
a question of time when we should sight the
coast. The better state of affairs brought
new life to the girls, and was glad TO have
them rouse up and show some signs of life
rough man like me is no real comforter to
one in distress, but did the best could. and
finally got them interested in the question OF
saving themselves. BY O'Clock got in the
drag, shook one reef out of the sail and stood
Off on a southwest tack, but before | had
made five miles the wind died out entirely
and we were left tumbling on the last of the
sea. Night came on as mild and baImv as
you please, the ocean grew quiet, and every
through without a break. l was the first IN.
and the minute saw the sky | groaned il,
despair 1t portended hot day and dead
calm, and both followed. Even before break
fast had to make a shift to get some shelter
from the blazing sun, and when l came to
overhaul the provisions my face so BETRAYED
my feelings that the younger girl cried out:
'Ohl Jack, but what has happened nowY"
/ could have eaten and drank all we had
in five minutes. | had not filled the water
key to its capacity, and even some that did
put in had leaked out by way of the bunr. |
bad 10 tell them that we must put ourselves
on allowance, and hardly more than a crumb
at that, but they cheerfully accepted the sit
uation. | am not going into the details of
the next week. For seven successive DAYS
we had dead calm or a contrary breeze,
which was of little Use to help us beat up
We spun the water and provisions out for
four days, and then we had nothing left
By resOrting to those expedients known to
sailors we kept hunger and thirst in allowance
until the evening of the sixth day. Then the
three walled and wept, and | took off my
cowhide shoes and cut one into strips for MS
to chew at. There was some slight relief.
and the three only called out in their troubled
sleep few times. We had only the leather
all day of the seventh, and on the morning of
the eighth, although favorable breeze was
blowing and we all felt in better spirits, /
had to cut up the other shoe. Little Ben was
now reduced to a bundle of bones, and he had
the CLASSY eyes which go with fever, while
the girls were burned and freckled and starved
until 1 could not bear to look at them Both
were looking ahead in a vacant, uncanny
way, and Ben was resting in my arms while
steered, when we ran straight across the
course of a trader coming up from New Tea
land, and were picked up.
Being young man, and a tough one, it
wasn't fortnight before l was my old self
again, but the girls and the boy were down
with fever for month or more, and were a
whole year in being restored to health-New
York Sun