Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-04-23


and claimed her mothers attention all |
the time. What with the state Of the |
weather and the cries and means which |
rose from the emigrants in the storage. |
the ssDunrobin Castle" was any thing |
but the pleasantest place on the Attain |
tic.
For days together the raging storm |
continued, and it was not until the slow |
old boat had been ten days at sea that |
the tempest subsidized. When it did |
there was a worse danger in store for
them. They were on the Newfound-
land banks in a fog, so thick that the
officers on the bridge were entirely I'M
able to see the ships nose as she
plunged through the heavy swell left
by the storm. The fog-whist1e's con-
tinuous roar only added to the general
confusion which reigned on board, and
when the responding whistle of pass
ing steamer was heard it only increased
the dread and apprehension of the pas
sengers- After about thirty-six hours
OF this commotion the people quieted
down and many seemed to have become
as much accustomed to it as old sea-
dogs with the experience of a lifetime.
But at daybreak one morning dull.
heavy thud was felt through the vessel,
and second later shrieks and cries
rent the air, which would have made
the heart of any listener other than an
old sea captain stand still. Then fol-
lowed few moments OF suspense which
was quickly changed to horror when the
engineers ran up Oh deck shouting:
''The ship is filling. To the boats"'
Then followed the rush of hurrying,
scurrying humanity from the steerage,
terror plainly craven on every face.
while over and above the noise and
confusion rang out the resonant tones
OF the Captains voice shouting orders to
the boatswain. The force of habit ap-
peared even on that scene of danger as
the sailors shouted: "Y'heave Ho,"
while they lowered the life-boats from
their davit3. Louder than all these
sounds and far above the general ex-
element reigning on the "Dunrobin
CASTLE could be heard the shrielzing
| whistles of the steamer which had
struck her, and which was rounding to.
in order to give all possible assistance
in saving the lives of those on board the
fast sinking boat
1t was not long before the unknown
steamer was almost alongside, and then
| commenced the work OF transferring
| the passengers-not an easy matter in
a raging sea. The patience of the Off
GERS was tried to the utmost Strong,
rude men would try to push women and
children aside in their wild efforts to be
first to enter the life-boats, only to be
driven back by the ships officers at the
noses of their revolvers. Occasionally one
more daring than the rest would thrust
a woman aside and try to pass her, but
| mi Fl h he hut Of \;
volver, the captain would knock him
sense1ess, with the promise of similar
treatment to the next who should dare
| to make tho attempt.
All this time the ship was rapidly
filing and it became apparent beyond
peradventure that before many more
minutes the "Dunrobin Castle" would
sink forever into the depths of the
ocean. 1t required several trips of the
life-boats to transfer all the passengers,
but this difficult task was finally accom-
plished. The last load was being taken
and none but the officers were supposed
to be on board, when suddenly the two
detectives in charge of Velasquez came
rushing up the companion ladder excit-
edly exclaiming: 1--WE can not reach the
prisoner! What'shall we do?''
THAT should have been thought OF
sooner" said the Captain. ''Follow meI'
he shouted. eve will rescue him if ii
is possible"
''Let him CO." said one of the detec-
tives. He'll be hung anyhow" But
the Captain knew that although the
prisoner was accused, he was not yet
found guilty and his brave heart would
not permit him to leave even such cur
as Velas4uez to horrible death with.
out an effort to rescue him.
Accompanied by one of the officers
the big-hearted commander hurried
down the steps on to the cabin deck
from whence he attempted to descend
to the lower deck on which Valasquez
was confined. But brave as the ole
Captain was, there was an obstacle in
the way which even he was powerless
to overcome. The water was up too
high and the rescuers could go NJ
further. Already the imprisoned maj
must be driven back to his bunk neal
the top of the room in which he wa!
confined; the wretched prisoner coult
not pass out now alive, and certainl,
none could reach him. Doubtless h
was alive-just a1ive-his life's spar
now to be measured by moments. Nov
he could see how relentlessly the mills o
retr1but1On gr1nO--SO Surely-SO surely
so surely-aye. and SO quickly, 80 mucl
more quickly sometimes than evel
those who manipulate the machinery O
the mills can foresee. Almost Velasque
had paid to the uttermost the penalt
of his crime committed long years be
| fore in the sunny Californian valley.
The ship might go down at any me
ment now, and unless his would-be re:
cuers at once retraced their steps the
might go down with it, so with regret
the Captain led the way to the deck
Sorrowfully he took his place in tn
life-boat, and, as the sailors pulle
away, he looked longingly at the oil
ship that had carried him through S
many thousands of miles of fair an
stormy weather. Before they reache
the waiting steamer the 'Dunrobi
Castle" settled on her beam ends an
, sank in old ocean with a mighty rusl
taking with her, to a higher tribuns
than that of man, Leon Valasquez-
Perhaps it was q poor satisfaction
the widow of Mario De1aro to know ths
her husbands murderer. the destroy
of her happiness, was never. convicte
of his crime-but when Leon Velasque
\ one Of the meanest villains who eve