The Bossier banner., 1892-03-10

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flashed and his clear, ringing voice was
heard:
AYE, aye, STRIP
Up the main shrouds he went-up
higher and higher, determined to do
his duty even to the death.
With difficulty he held to the shrouds.
Several times his feet were jerked from
under him, but he drew them back and
kept bravely on.
He reached the top=gallant mast.
The ship made terrific plunge. Then
she came up with tremendous jerk.
The boys feet again flew from Under
him. He was flung from the shfouds, |
but he just saved himself from falling |
by clutching the top=gallant halyards.
He threw himself back into the |
shrouds. He gained the top-gallant
yard, and laying (going) out on the
foot-rope, he clutched the yard with
one hand and with the other seizing the
sheath-knife In his belt he endeavored
to cut the sail clear.
Wilder and more violently Slated the
canvas every moment Several times
it struck him with tremendous force,
when he only saved himself by cling
ing under it, with both arms, to the yard
The instant it few back, affording him
chance to work with his knife, he
was busy cutting at the strands. He
almost cleared the sail from the spar
when the ship plunged again, coming
up the next moment with a jerk that
made everything reel
A crack like the report of musket
was heard and away went the top
and top-gallant mast by the board, as
the stays parted. Tom, when he felt
the mast going, had thrown himself in.
board, clutching two ratlines. BY
these he hung, falling, with the spar,
into the sea. AS yet uninjured, with
the exception of few slight bruises,
the boy threw both arms around the
spar, clinging firmly to it.
The ship, dashing on, was soon lost
to his view in the dark rack, the mist
and the spray of the storm. No boat
could be lowered for him in such
gale There he was, all alone, adrift
on the stormy ocean.
The mad wind howled and shrieked
in his ears, the sea and the spray flew
around him, almost binding and chok-
ing him. But he held to the spar until
he felt his strength leaving him, when
he lashed himself to the timber with
some of the trailing ropes near him.
Hours passed. Night came, with the
tempest still raging. Through all the
darkness and the storm, the boy, now
nearly senseless, was carried on, fast
to the spar.
By dawn the violence of the gale had
abated The sky was clear, the tints
of the rising sun were on the eastern
wave.
Feebly Tom raised himself on the
, floating mast Thank God! there was
a sail, like a slender, white column, il
the distance.
Was it his own vessel? He hoped so
7 Up went his kerchief, waved abou
S his head as signal The craft drew
d nearer, when he perceived it was no
y the Dolphin. Soon he was seen. Th'
ship stood toward him, a boat wa
, lowered, he was picked up and takei
g aboard. The hardships he had under
: gone had proven too much for him. HI
e had kept up until the boat was nea
:, him: then he had fallen prone upol
the mast insensible. When he opene'
d his eyes, he found himself in snul
t berth, with an old man sitting near
by his side lovely girl of thirteen.
n "He has come to! Oh, papa, 1 am S
= glad!" cried the girl, ciapping he
J, hands.
l. Toms story was soon told. He the
n learned that he was aboard the shl
t. Trumpet, bound home from Calcutt
e to New York.
a That same day the after part of tn
it Dolphin's hull was discovered, bearin
1t her name, proving that she had bee
le lost not long after the boy fell owe
board.
-e The crew, who were in her when sh
lie was wrecked, were never heard
d; All hcd perished after she went
re pieces. Had Tom been aboard of ht
ID then, he, too, would have tfound
watery grave His courage in obeyin
rs orders-in mounting that perilo'
I'd mast, to do his 6uty-had been his sa
" vation. To use the homely words
it. his sailor adviser, he had "come out a
s, right and shipshape in the end
f. Not only had his life thus been save
but a piece of rare, good fortune fe
err lowed. The old man and little gin
It. who sat near him when he recover'
il his senses, were wealthy oil mercha
1g and his daughter When the vess
he arrived home, the child coaxed b
father to take the lad into his emplo
he In due time, by constant attention
n, his duties, he became head clerk, saw
* money and was finally made partn
in the firm of his benefactor So
ut after he married the merchants daue
ter, who. on the night before their we
W ding. blushingly confessed to him tn
Mt she had loved him ever since that me-
orable day when. picked mp from
lat drifting spar, he was brought sensele
ng aboard the ship Trumpet--Rufus Ha
ay in N Y. Ledger.
'uS --
I'D Worse to Him.-''What's the IN
vn ter?" asked the man behind the des
as the policeman rushed in. II