Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-26
A Terrible Sail

my present Vile, 10 WhOm L WIS at that
time betrothed, asked me to get bot
tie Of chloroform for he mothers head
ache. After transacting my business I
returned home, and was almost at my
gate when / met Hugh Rawdon. He
was a big, handsome fellow, and my
rival for Ethel's hand. / wanted to
keep on good terms with him, Datural-
ly, SO when he asked me eheerily to
take sail with him could not refuse;
besides 1t was glorious day.
"After tacking about some time l
suggested returning, but he would not
hear to II. / was enjoying myself too
much to urge him, but by sunset /
thought of my engagement with Ethel
and that we must be on our way back.
I told him my thoughts. se
"In an instant his whole manner
changed. He sprang up, almost upset
ting the little craft with violence of his
motion, and, coming close up to me,
said In a very deep hoarse voice:
"Herbert Wallace, you will go back
no more
i was utterly dumbfounded with as
constituent. At first 1 thought he was
only perpetrating a foolish joke, but
when glanced into his eyes and saw
there the awful fire of madness my
wonder soon gave way to fear.
"There he stood, glaring down upon
me. Slowly, without removing his
eyes from my face, he put his hand
back and drew from q hip-pocket a
small Colts revolver.
"Move one inch and 1 will blow your
brains OUT he said. With his unoccu-
pied hand he cast loose the halliards
and the sail fell with thud. Still COW
ering me with the revolver, he next
threw both oars overload and then sat
quitely opposite me.
"My dear Rawdon,' began, but he
interrupted me fiercely.
"Silence, sir, and hear me! have
brought you hear to kill you. / have
been thinking of this moment for days
and weeks together-brooding over it,
glorying over it, feeding on it. Ha, ha!
you think l am mad. Yes, I am mad!"
and he burst into a loud, blood-curd-
ling laugh that made my very flesh
creep.
"Mad? Yes!" he continued; "but
what has made me so? Hear me Her.
bert Wallace, hear my story, and own
your doom just. Ethel! Oh, how l
loved her! For her toiled; for her l
fought, aye for her 1 sinned. Tonight
therefore, 1 will enjoy your misery; to-
we will jump overheard togeth-
er. Think of Ethei-think of her lost
to you as forever! Ha! ha! hal" and
again that awful laugh echoed across
the waves. .-. l.... ......
"I have, and had, my portion OF
strength, but was no match for Hugh
Rawdon. Yet my only chance of life
was to overcome him and either bind or
hurl him overload. He had replaced
his revolver, apparently satisfied that /
would offer no resistance, and seizing
my opportu nifty, as soon as he sat down
I sprang wildly upon him. With the
yell like that of a wild beast he received
me and the next instant we were en-
engaged in the most awful struggle
ever man imagined. had taken him
at disadvantage, and life, love, and
Ethel seemed to lend strength to my
arm and courage to my heart. He
burst not let me go for one instant to
reach the revolver, and I gradually
pressed him back, back over the stern
effort the madman recovered himself,
and the next instant I was lying in the
bottom of the boat with his sknee firmly
planted on my chest. Oh, the agony
of that moment! expected to be in
stantly pistoled, but to my surprise
Rawdon seemed calm and quiet.
"You had better not have resisted.
Now must tie to you, was all he said.
Never giving me chance of regain
ing my feet, he lifted me up and
stretched me across the thwarts, bind
ing me to them, hand and feet, with
the halliards. ..-.-,..
ut was now quite dark. For an hour
or two Rawdon sat still. Then ne
arose, and coming to me, said:
II am sleepy and tired. Such violent
exercise as you have compelled me to
take is not healthy in this warm wealth
er; 80, with your permission, 1 will lie
under the thwarts and take nap.' II
suppose 1 gave some involuntary sigh
or other mark of renewed hope, for he
added: Don't deceive yourself. The
least movement will awaken me. We
are only postponing our entry into the
next world till Tomorrow He lay
down in the bottom of the boat, and
presently his regular breathing told me
that he slept.
Just at that moment drop of spray
dashed into my face. with supreme
effort I broke my bonds, and pulling
out my handkerchief, wiped it off, and
was replacing my handkerchief, when
] felt in the corner of my pocketa little
hard packet. In an instant it flashed
upon my mind. Here was my deliv-
erancep That little bottle of choIoform
which I had bought in Exter and for
gotten till that moment would save my
life. With one silent cry of prayer and
thankfulness drew it ont In spite of
my dreadful struggle it had escaped
unipjured. Ipulled out the cork with
my teeth, and folded my handkerchief
into pad ! saturated it with choloform,
and creeping to the sleeping maniac,
laid it gently over his mouth and nose.
Then / bound him as firmly as possible
with every bit of rope in the boat and
took away his revolver. He had not
moved from the moment when he lay
down. M e& ar e.r
'At length the morning came, and
with it, in the distance, a sail. sig
nailed as we'll as could. for was still
afraid to shout. At last they saw me,
and, berring down, took me on board.
Shortly after Rawson awoke from his
sleep, and seeing his prey had slipped
through his fingers his raving were
frightful. had escaped death, but
since that awful night my hair has
been as you see it. Eh? What became
Of Rawdon? Poor fellow! he died in an