The Delta independent., 1891-06-24

the rockiest part OF the Cuban cest.
went on deck sick u. heart, for sea
md gase sDeincd higher than ever. l
"Ga the captain how near the last peril
was, but he did not seem 10 heed
me. He stood with his shouldcr to
the wheel, und the strip ilcw madly on.
Never r,N>, sne sailed with such speed
SeforG.
went forward, and while / looked
at the phosphorie hnwe hashine from
beneath .'it bow | thought of home of
NY own loved Ella--and l groaned in
bitter agony. Inevcr before had feared
death, but now--now so near, il wns
terrible! H..
Az nour maybe more, and then
heard all too plain, even above the
wild roar of the storm, the sound SO
sullen and deep oi the surging break
ers, I Pushed aft and shouted the
fearful tidings in the captains ear.
'God. help us!-God help us.'' was
all he said
An instant after We We're in white,
seething, kissing water, upd fhen,
lifted skYward oi L mountain roller.
crash upon the dreaded rocks.
How long seemed that night. while
could feel that the shattered rem
nants OF the old ship We're going fast
from under me! But the blessed day
light came ut last. and even the sun
shone out. And ! saw, lashed like
myself to the deck, but one man-that
man was the captain. Whittier than
foam was his face, and fun IL white
his hair, which had been glossy brown
on the day before. Our eyes met-his
were wild and wollish-insanity' fire
was in them.
The sea now drove the last part OF
the wreck asunder. and for n moment
l thought we both were gone: but on
one high spot OF rock We got Il foot
hold, and there clutching the coral
crag with bleeding hands We hung;
Until then neither OF us had looked
away from each other or the wreck
But together glancing southward,
there we saw, not mile distant, beau
tiful. nower-carpcted, fruit laden Cuba.
oranges, and tall palm trees: never
had they looked SO beautiful to me.
Yet mile of terrible breakers lay
between lis and it--a waste of
waters, through which the strongest
swimmer could not hope TO pass.
And the ship was gohc-no, one
plank-a single plank-small, but
large enough for one to cling to. came
drifting in our reach. With one hand
each of MS seized it. while with the
other we chung TO the peak of rock
destruction. .-.-. ...s
Let 20 the plank, it is mine. |
will lash myself TO it and live.n cried
the captain. his eyes glaring iiercely
on me.
Il will not yield my right; the plank
is mine. and life is as dear to me as TO
you!' | shouted.
II have Il wife and children: you
have none: let nc live for them!" he
pleaded.
Il have one dearcr than all the
world; / will live for her who vet
shall be my wife, cried.
'.Fool--fool! she shall look for YOU
in vain!"s And as he said this, he
drew Il pistol from his bosom. Well l
knew it was capped watcrproof-well
| knew how surc he was in aim: but l
drew the plank towards me which he
had let go of when he clutched his
weapon. He raised his hand. his
weapon was lcvelled at my heart.
give up the plank.' he shouted.
Never. coward-never! Fire and
I,-ip ,-ifh t-1t,fff
Iclosed my eycs-I knew my fate
but wild rush of water n fearful
wave, swept me far, far away from the
rock. Then ] was drowning-gurg-
ling. choking in the wafer. But rose.
and as did something hard touched
my body. / clutched tit was that
blessed plank. To it I clung with IA
death grasp; yet 1t seemed as If / was
doomed to die, after all. for the waters
covered me. and I lost all conscious
ness.
But not for all time. ! was restored
to a knowledge that dear life was yet
mine by the kind acts of Cubans who
had drawn my body. yet clinging to
the plank, from the surf. and were
applying stimulants when / opened my
glad eyes once more on the face of
bright humanity.
! asked If any others had got TO the
shore. They carried me TO u mourn
foul-looking group of bodies. l saw
several of the crew, but not him-not
the captain. But even while we stood
there II great rolling wave swept him
In, aud for an instant j thought he
lived. he looked SO grim. with the pis-
tol yet clutched in his hand. But he
was cold and dead, aud after they bore
him TO the corpse-pile OF the rest, and
/ had grown stronger. ! took the pistol
from his stitTened grasp, took aim mt II
piece OF the wreck and fired. The bul-
let which had been intended for my
heart went deep into the oakcn wood.
! went down on my knees then and
there. and thanked the Almighty that
was saved for my poor Ella; and
though | have since done sailors
duty In protecting and aiding the wild
ow and orphans Of the poor captain, l
never have been so unseliish MS TO re-
grct that had possession OF tho last
plank.
Three .lood Tonics.
There are d great many cases III
which people dose themselves with
medicine when they should instead
,,..,u =, r,,,,,,J ,,.x a. hnrnxlu N,u-