The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-12-29

>>>>S--
weather the squall the consul was
plunged in despair. They had to tie
him hand and foot to keep him from
committing suicide. Our light was not
seen, owing to the flying spray, and when
daylight came we were not in sight.
You would say that humane captain
would have made search for us, but with
ship on fire and nearly hundred OTHER
lives at stake our captain did the right
thing by holding the bark on her course
until rescue was effected. We had
then been driving all night and half
day, and the rescuing craft looked upon
our chances as too slim to deviate from
her course.
.'Where am I? Who is there? What
has happened?" were the first words that
fell from Mrs. Roquiere's lips as she re-
covered her senses. She was lying in
the stern sheets of the yawl, and went
aft and told her who I was and how we
came to be in our present plight. ex-
pected to hear her ''take on" as women
do in such emergencies, but was agree
ably disappointed. She reflected for
moment or two and then said:
every we'll; we must try and make
the best of it of course. I am probably
as safe here as aboard of the burning
ship, and I shall make no trouble"
While none of the people who were to
go in my boat had been permitted to
take boxes or bundles, had slowed
away several shawls, cloaks and dresses
for them before she was lowered. I had
also stripped my be6 of sheets, blanket
and pillow. As Mrs. Roquiere was SILVER
ing with cold overhauled the dunnage
and told her to make change. Ten
minutes later, when I returned aft, she
had done so, and I then got out bottle
of spirits and some biscuits, and we felt
quite cheerful after the lunch. We were
helpless except to drift, but with the
drag out we rode like a top, and had
nothing to do except to use the bailer
occasionally.
I made up very comfortable bed for
the woman, and she fell asleep about 10
o'clock, but did not close my eyes dur
ing the night. Had the breeze dropped
should have got the boat around and
beat back to the west, but it held as
steady as clock, and our drift was five
or six miles an hour. I hoped that
morning would bring some change, but
it did not. It continued to blow half
gale from the same quarter, and now
felt that we should never reach the
bark again. If any of the boats got
away, there was just a chance of our
falling in with them.
Nothing was in sight next morning but
stormy sky and wild sea. Mrs. Ro-
quiere slept soundly through the night
and awoke looking happier than l had
seen her since leaving Cape Town. ]
can't say that it was because her hus-
band was not there to kick and growl
and nag her, as was his usual morning
custom, no doubt, but there certainly
was a look of relief on her face, albeit
our boat seemed to be diving to the bot
tom of the Indian ocean one moment
and flying toward the clouds the next.
She was neither seasick nor frightened,
and when I got out the provisions both
of us ate as heartily as if we had been at
the cabin table of great steamship.
was second mate of the bark and
only plain sailor man, as you must
know, while she was rich and born
lady. Under such circumstances some
women would have made it very I'M
pleasant for q man. / was once cast
away with dozen others on the coast
of Brazil, and for three weeks the wife
of an English banker made life miser-
able for the crowd because she was
sshigh toned" and we were only "com-
mon folks" The little woman was
cheerful, chatty and full of pluck, and
that took great burden off my mind.
AS near as I could reckon it out the
Caicos islands were due east of us and
800 miles away. It was shutdown before
the wind fell, and after explaining the
situation to Mrs. Roquiere / pulled In
the drag, made sail on the boat and
headed her for the islands. hoped to
fall in with sail the very next day and
had no idea we would make the run to
the islands before being picked up. To
cut my story short, we did, however.
Not once in that long run did we sight
anything. We had fairly good winds,
and on the eleventh day of our being
afoat we landed on big Caicos island.
Nothing will try the mettle of man
like shipwreck, and nothing can furnish
woman as great an excuse for being
childish and disagreeahle. When it had
been decided to run for the islands Mrs.
Roquiere quietly said:
"You know best, and I have every
confidence in you. Now tell me plainly
what share Of the work I can take?"
I knew it would be better if her mind
and fingers were busy with something
aboard part Of the time, and so it was
arranged that she should lay out the
provisions for each meal and spell me
at the helm now and then. In one day
taught her how to manage the boat
fairly well, and sometimes I got three
hours sleep at time.
Always at 10o'clock atnight I inslsted
on her lying down for the night, but as
Il L.