Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-09-23
THE STILL.

.rsere's no use cooking any more
..,cba. Theo, I can't cat another
SSnthful of anything tin Ihavescmc
~ Come down TO tho boat"
Tsoo. a brswny negro boy Of eight
~ twenty, barefootcd, with his
.,,sers rolled TO his knees, his shirt
W. an at tho throat and tattered
o CIV lat on his head, followed TO a
~. ~ mat lay well up ON tho beach
i,h a great hole stove in her side.
~ brought YOU down here, said
y,rrv waterford. leaning his back
in.o,nst the boatand looking seriously
,he colored boy, because / don't
~ s,nsom to hear what ! say.
nat This thing is coming to an end.
~, see how SAMSON sits there with
t,sbead on his knees, looking at the
-,,eri Hos been that way all day
mats The thirst. He feels 1t worse
.,.n we do because he Is n mulatto,
vi they haven't tho strength of q
~ black or n pure white. But
IN be the same way by tomorrow
'.isansom will be worse. This is
.sthird day without water, and in
,-other twenty.four hours wen not
Z able to help ourselves"
That's true, boss" Theo replied I;
s,pchs is salt, and they make pow
,riui thirst; but what arc we going
pdoi"
Il am going to throw the ballast
m, Of this boat, patch her up and
M to take her to Nassau. Ii Is a
Yin chance, but ! might as well
invn as die here Of thirst"
They were on Pelican island, these
hoys. only twelve miles from Mas
,,u in the Bahamas. But in the
terrific hurricane that WIS blowing
,bey might as well have been thou
and miles away, even If they had
not bilgod their boat while landing
On the island.
Harry Waterford, an American
oy spending the winter in the hotel
IN Nassau with his father, had gone
cut fishing with the two colorcd
bostmcn, and when the storm sud.
DENLY broke up they had managed TO
mach Pelican island. with no food.
md with their wator jug washed full
Of salt sea water.
The lack Of food was n small mat.
ter, for plenty OF conchs are TO he
found near tho shores OF these is
lands. and conchs when properly pre-
rarcd are us wholesome Us CLANS.
But the waterl Pelican island was
not more than an acre in extent. 4
solid limestone rock, with thin soil on
Ton and not u drop Of fresh water
They had suffered terribly fol
three days and now they had reached
the danger point.
might rs well throw yourself into
,hesea at once. boss, Thee answered
There Is no small boat made could
live In this sea. And the wind would
pick Il right ont of the water. This
Is whatwe call a long galo-thc wine
keeps in the same quarter. 1t may
blow so for five or six days. Their
wouldn't no Nassau boatman CONT
out while II lnsts for no money"
u am going TO try It," Harry 70
piled. 1T is sure death to stay here
You ard Sansom can do as you like
but have made up my mind TO go
Tnewind blows dead for Nassau, anj
] shall lash the sail over this hole il
the side aud try 1t with a double
refed lib"
"You1l 90 down, boss, sure" The
expostulated.
How can She sink If we throw
out the ballast" Harry asked. ~
ihe iillssho'll still! loat. Shell DO n
good as raft
"You don't know what a sea /
breaking on tho Nassau shorew The
argued.
No said Harry, "but l know
what thirst Is killing Us here Civ
mo n hand with these planks, ant
well got the ballast out"
Harry picked up the end Of one o
The planks that formed a false boz
tom for the boat, under which tn
ballast lay, and Theo. seeing IL ust
less 10 oXpostulate, seized the 9th,
cad and the plank was thrown ov,
the side.
Harry did not stoop to lift anoth'
plank. Something lay there in d
bottom Of the boat that his ey,
liked upon. He looked and look,
as though fascinated and dreadiI
tomove lest he fluid il all n mistals
What's the matter, bossp TIL,
asked at length.
What is this boat ballasted wit
Theoi7
Lead pipe Theo answered. ''
was better than sandhags, because
took less room. We bought it out
he big Spanish steamer that W
wrecked year ago.n
And didn't r'-'
harry's throat was so parched al
DC was 30 much excited he could IL
speak.
What is it, bossi That plank mu
nave been too heavy for you,
oown few minutes and rest
on, I'm all right. Didn't | sec
eakettle in the loclSor?n
Yes; we always bring that copp
paklttlo along. Most boatmen II
eollee, but we like tea"
Before he had finished Harry h
jumped out of the boat and was wa
my his hat frantically. "IIura
Ma'erl Waterl Oh, can taste
alreadyr