Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-24

gtupefactlon, scarcely oouDtlng put tnat
every moment would be our last.
PART IL
The tenth day had arrived-the tenth Of
such days as would not pass through AGAIN.
no, NOT for the reward of hundred years of
life and happinessl We lay as we had been
lying-a sheer hulk, entirely dismasted for
ward, while of the mainmast nething now
remained but height of some six feet above
the deck, a stump of spllntered ends; for 80
nercilessly had the weather dealt with us
that within 9 few hours of our maintopmast
going, the msinmast, wrenched and wrung
by the violence of the fall of its tophamper,
broke, and the sailors cut the lanyards to
let the rattle of gear and broken spar 60
overheard.
Our decks had been swept; the only two
boats we carried-a jolly boat slowed in the
long boat-had been beaten into slaves; the
wheel and pinnacle were gone, also the gal
lev and all other deck fittings, saving the
companion way and hood. But the hull
was sound, and when the water she had
drained in through the decks had been
pumped out she took no more in.
TEN DAYS OF MISERY.
1t was the tenth day, as have said, and
the ninth of broiling calm. Nothing had
hove into view; no smallest tip of distant
sail had broke the continuity of the brassy
girdle of the tropical ocean. Happily there
was pleuty to eat and drink aboard. We
got q spare sail up and made an awning of
II. but we were without booms for jury
masts-could erect nothing to enable the
brig to blow along when wind should come,
and all we could do was to pray Tor a vessel
to show herself and SO keep on waiting.
1t was about 9 o'clock in the morning on
this tenth day. Captain Larkins, whose
L i =. ...,A4 L..
had been talking to me about his misfortune,
asking what be should do if he should be
unable to bring his brig into port; all that
he owned in the world was in her, and he
told me that If she went to the bottom he
should go too, though a vessel should be at
hand ready to take us of, for death was far
less dreadful to him than the workhouse.
We were in the midst of cheerful talk of
this sort when q seaman sang out, ''SaIl ho!"
and, locking, spied right away on the star
board beam a tiny square Of feecy white
rising like star above the sea line.
The captains glass was fetched and the
stranger was made to be a small brig or bark,
heading directly for us as might be guessed
by the set of her yards and bringing breeze
of wind along with her. In fact, with the
aid of the telescope, one could distinguish
the dark line of the wind drawing fast
ahead of her, rippling and deepening the
blue dye of the ocean for miles and miles.
We watched her with speechless anxiety
and expectation.
A SHIP OF DEATH.
As she approached we found her to be q
vessel of about 200 tons, painted white
and brigantine rugged, but her yards and
canvas showed 20 symptoms of confusion
and distress.
''She's derelict," said Captain Larkins;
''no signs of life aboard; and where's she
running to? Why she'll be into usi''
She was indeed heading for us on a
straight line, as though steered with the
sole intention of cutting Us down. The
brig lay as helpless as barrel, and down
upon us slowly fosted the stranger, making
for us with the precision of an end of cotton
going through the eye of q needle. By 2
o'clock she was within hailing distance, and
we all set up our throats in hurricane roar
to her to shift her helm.
''She's Abandoned she'll stave usl she'll
sink usI'' yelled Captain Larkins-
There's man on the foretopssil yard,
/ shouted.
1t was a negro who overhung the spar in
an indolent posture of watching us, as it
seemed.
"Shift your helmP' thundered Captain
Larkins.
The vessel was close enough now to enable
MS to see that the negro languidly shook his
head, while he pointed downward with a
feeble gesture. also fancied by his motions
that he endeavored to hail us; but if be de-
lvered any sentences they did not reach our
ears. A minute or two later and the long
jibboom of the brigantine was over our deck;
her sharp stem struck the hull of the brig
little forward Of amidships. The shock made
us reel, and never can forget the sickening
sensation that seemed to melt out of the
plank on which we stood into ones very
soul
THE COLLISION.
Someone roared out. "Stand by to jump
aboardi' and two or three of our seamen
sprang on to the bowsprit rigging of the
brigantine while she slowly swung her
broadside on to us Others of our men were
about to follow, scarce knowing but that the
brig was stove and foundering, and 1 stood
close alongside Wharrier, waiting for the
two vessels to close, when on a sudden a
loud shrek rose from the deck of the brigap-
tine. In breath the three men sprang off
her rail on to our deck again, as though
the devil himself were in pursuit of themi
One shouted out something as he bounded,
and while three or four OF them rushed to
the forescuttle-the hatch which led to the
forecastle, in which they lived-a large tiger
leapt sheer over the rail of the vessel along
side, and, alighting upon our deck, stood,
with waving tail and fiery eyes and barred
teeth, staring around.
There was general shrek, and in jiffy
sll the seamen forward vanished pell-mell
down into the forecastle, the last of them
drawing the slide over.
The captain, Wharrier and stood aftl
ITO the cabinl-to the cabini-quickP'
shouted old l,arkins and down he plunped
followed by Wharrier and myself, who
rolled over and over each other as we
scuttled down the steps.
'Land O. Lowell What thing to happenl"
cried Captain Larkins, pulling the COM
panion door to and looking at us from the
head of the ladder.
THE MAN EATER
1t took us some minutes to recover our
breath. An encounter of this sort was a
thing to expect in some wilderness of Indian
jungle or African forest. but on the high
seasi A huge creature that had leapt with
the speed of light from vessel to vessel, all
claws and burning eyes and teeth and work
ing tail.
"Heaven deliver us, there it isl' cried,
looking up at the skylight, where. sure
enough, we beheld the monster glaring
down upon us through the glass, which hap
pilY was formed of small, exceedingly thick
panes, securely fixed in stout frames, and
the whole protected by a strong network Of
brass wire.
"God defend us, what teethi" groaned
Wharrier.
But it was no time for idly staring aghast
and venting ones self in expressions of
horror. There were a couple of pistols be-
longing to me in my cabin, and the captain
lo7n Cl-of IN "