Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-12-29

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comfort you.
CHAPTER xvii
All that morning tho gale continued
fresh md the sea dangerous. We
found that the ship was regularly max.
ing nine or ten inches OF water an
hour; and after the funeral We turned
To and pumped her out again.
But this heavy work, coupled with
our extreme anxiety and tho pcrils and
labor We had gone through was begin.
ming TO tell heavily upon US. Tho stew
ard showed signs Of what strength no
had coming TO an end, and Cornish's
face had n worn and wasted look. rs 81
man who has tasted long. The boat
swain supported this fatigue best, and
always went cheerfully to work, and
had encouraging words for us all. AS
for me, what | suffered most was,
strange to say, the eternal rolling OF
the ship. At tines IL completely nau-
seated mo. Also II gave me racking
headache. and occasionally the motion
so bewildcrcd mo that 1 was obliged to
sit down and hold my head In my
hands until tho dizziness had passed.
At q quarter past eleven | had Just
gone into tho cuddy, after having had
an hour spell at the pumps with tho
boatswain and tho steward. when |
heard Cornish's voice shouting down
the companion; "A salt saill"
But minute before hi d felt so ut
terly Frustrated that should not have
believed myself capable OF taking half
a dozen steps without long rest be-
tween each. Yet those magical words
sent me rushing up the companion
ladder with Ms much speed aud energy
as | should have been capable OF after
long nights refreshing slumber
The moment Cornish saw me he
! pointed 10 the horizon on the weather.
beam and | clearly bchcld tho sails Of
n vessel Both the boatswuin aud the
steward had come running ait when
they heard Cornish's exc amation.
/ got tho telescope and pointed il ut the
vessel and found she was heading di-
| rcctly for us, | graspcd Cornish by
I the hand aud shook IL heartily, and
then holding the telescope to my oye.
/ oXca mod
"Sho's big ship, bosom. She's car
rying maintop-gallant sail, and
there = a single reef In her forctop sail.
She cant miss usl She's coming rieht
ut rs, hand over fist, boysl Steward.
90 aud tell Miss Robertson to come on
deck. Down with you. and Delay that
squallingl DO you think we're bindpn
Tho small ensign was still alive,
roaring away just as we had hoisted
and left IL; but In my excitement /
did not think the signal importuuato
enough, though surely It was so; and
rush ny to tho nag-locker, | got out
the book OF signals, and sung out to
the boalswain to help me TO bend on
the flags which threw out, and which
would represent that wo wero sinking.
We hauled the ensign down aud run
up the string of flags, and glor Gus
they looked In our eyes, rs they
streamod out In a scmiclrcle, showing
their brilliant colors against the clear
blue sky.
D. Mis- Robertson came on deck with
ont any covering ON her head, and the
wind blew her hair away from it's
fastcniugs and iloated it out like a
cloud OF gold, She held onto tho rail
and stared at the coming ship with
wild eyes aud n frOwnng forehead.
/ The boatswain contemplated the an
proaching ship with an unmoved
ccuutonancc. Powerfully rs tho sight
Of the ship had affected the others ho
showed no excitement or feeling what
over, had infinite confidence IN this
mans Judgment and bravery AMI his
litelossness weighed upon mo like II
heavy prcSontiuent and the cheering
words was about to address TO Miss
Robertson died away upon my lips.
| know that tho sea was ti1n too
liUh a nnrntit ganlinor N h,nt t,,. a.,
but | expected the ship would Ito by
until tho sea moderated which would
probably be by night or the next morn
ing NJ tho latest.
The ship must have been about sew
cnteon miles distant when first sighted
but she came toward us rapidly before
the stir breeze. When about two
miles away she hoisted Russian colors.
was bitterly disappointed when saw
tho nag. / had hoped most earnestly
TO see English colors. Our chances OF
rescue by an English or American ship
were lifiy TO one rs against our
chances with foreigner
"llc's goin' to round tor exclaimed
the boatswain, who watched the move
ments of the ship with an unconcern
absolutely phenomenal to me even to
iNNHh huN, Whtn ConhlueT lnal inc
lives OF us all might have depended
upon the strangers actions
She went gracefully swooping and
smashing along the water and saw
the hands upon the deck aft standing
by at the main-brace to back the yards.
"Boson," | cried, "she means TO
heave to-she won't leave us. "
He made no answer, but continued
watching her with an immovablu face.
She passed under our stern not more
than quarter of milo distant, per-
haps not 80 far. There was crowd
OF persons near the wheel, some look
ing at US through binocular glasses
others through telescopes.
l jumped upon the grating abaft the
wheel aud waved my hat TO them, and
pointed 10 our signals. A man stand
Ing near their strboard quarter-boat,
whom, by the way he looked al, It. l
'"dsad 10 BIO the CAPTAIN. hourished his