Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1891-11-27

was row about 1t. Being lad not,yet
out Of my apprenticeship, / was Of course
out of the question. but eact of the three,
other sailors was determined to act as
captain. From words they came to
blows, and another horror fell upon us.
The three young men were drawn into
the quarrel, and the six had savage
fight with such weapons as could be laid
hold of. 1t was dead calm, with the
sea quoted down, and a couple of great
sharks were lying off our port quarter.
No one had seen them. nor did any one
see them until two of the young men
were knocked overheard. 1t wasn't ten
seconds before both were seized aud
drawn under. The horrible climax to
the row cooled the men off at once.
One of the sailors had been stabbed in
the back, another badly hurt about the
head, and the third young Englishman
had his right arm broken. Nor was this
the full extent Of the calamity. In their
fight they had knocked the water kegs
about, and lost US nearly all their con-
tents, and good share of our bread had
been ground up under their shoes.
The sailor who had been stabbed took
command of the 'boat, aud when things
had settled down breakfast was served
out. We had not to exceed two gallons
of water and dozen biscuit, and the day
was hot and without a breath of air
stirring. The water ought to have been
doled out drop by drop; bu. no sooner
was it seen what n small quantity was
left than Davidson, the one in command,
declared that each should have his share
on the spot. Their injuries had made
the men terribly thirsty, but the water
was fairly divided aud each one drank
his portion. After that the sailors lay
down and went to sleep, and the young
Englishman, whose name was Hcarne,
came over to us and we tried to do some
thing for his arm. You Gun guess that
it was little we could do, however, and
he was soon suffering terrible PAIN.
The aunt now heard called Mrs.
Morton, while the grown girl was ad-
dressed by her maiden name, Edith.
Before noon the aunt took very sick, and
we were terrified at our helplessncss.
She was soon in high fever aud raving,
and we hadn't even drop of water to
give her. Hcarne was also mad from
thirst, and feeling that the sailors had
brought destruction upon US all he would
have killed the three while they slept
had not restrained him.
Davidson was the first to wake UP.
His wound had begun to infiame and his
throat was dry, and he held the water
kegs up in hope to find last drop.
They were rs dry as bones and he uttered
6oan nc M fhrauy
at the dorsal fins of sharks circling around
us. When night came it was still calm.
The aunt was still raving aud sick unto
death, while Hcarne had crawled into tho
bow of the boat to suffer alone and in 81
lencc. The sailors had sat up, cursed
their luck and lain down again, aud
had gone among them and taken all their
knives and concealed them in the stern
sheets.
About Q o'clock the aunt sunk into
stupor, and all of us slept for some time.
We were finally awakened by Davidson
getting up and hoarsely calling for water.
In his torment he caught sight of Hearno
in the bows, and he rushed forward and
seized him. ran to pull him off, but
before could reach him both had gone
overheard. They went down grappled
together, and though stood with the
boat-hook ready never caught sight of
them again. The two other sailors sat
up, asked me what had happened, and
then fell back aud slumbcred as sotindly
rs before.
Morning came to fluid the aunt dead,
and, fearful of what would happen when
the sailors awoke, prevailed upon the
girl to let me lift the body over. the rail.
She protested ut first, but when 1 told
her my reasons she turned away and I
committed the body to the deep. 1t was
sunrise when the sailors awolSe. With q
leader those men would have suffered and
endured for a week and made no CON-
plant. They no sooner saw that the
calm still continued than they began
cursing and threatening and they looked
ut the girl with such wolfsh eyes that
she covered in terror. Presently they
went forward and sat down close together
and talked in whispers, and the girl crcpt
over to me and said
al know what they are planning.
They intend to kill mel"
l gave her one of the knives and told
her would protect her to the last. fl
hadn't had the knives 1 think she would
have been so terrified that she would have
gone overheard. The men talked for an
hour or so and then lay down and slept.
again. made sure this time there was
no weapon they could get hold of, and
the day, up to 4 o'clock, dragged
without incident
I was half mad with hunger and thirst
by that time, and 1 knew the poor girl
was if anything worse off. We talked
in low tones of the good things we had
eaten and the springs we had drunk from,
and we kept our heads constantly wet
with the salt water to alleviate our THIRST
ms far as it could. At o'clock or soon
after the men awoke aud called to me-
They wanted to kill the girl and drink
her blood and eat her flesh. I reasoned
with them and told two or three deliber-
ate falsehoods, and finally prevailed up.
on them to wait another day. I felt they
would do aud alant .1u,If. kLaI