The morning call., 1892-08-26
An ADVENTURE.

"Certainly not many sailors. sir. but can
boast of some narrow escapes in the course
of their lives" said old Jack Manly, land
have seen my share. One experience that
befell me In my early manhood stamped It
self indelibly upon my memory and opened
my eyes 20 p realization Of the overruling
power of beneficent providence. / was
second mate on a whaling schooner. one Of
those light-heeled skimmers Of the sea that
warns an old tar's heart and rouses all that
Is best and noblest in a young mans ma
ture. Oft as / stood on the deck and
watched the feetng waves roll by have l
felt my breast swell With a soaring, vital
ambition that could override and laugh all
obstacles to scorn. There is a passionate
love in a sailors heart for the old ocean that
surpasses the love Of woman.
I've were on a whaling cruise off the
banks Of NewfOund land and our well-st0red
hold told Of very prosperous voyage, but
winter was upon Us and the thin sheet Of
ice that had begun to form on shrOud and
mast and deck warned us to turn our faces
homeward. Besides, the changing color Of
sea and the vivid glow along the northern
horizon that a sailor never mistakes lndi-
Gated the dangerous presence Of lcebergs
"a stormy night OF mingled snow and
rain bad closed IN and | had the first watch,
with an Injunction to keep a sharp lockout
ahead. We were scuddlng along under bare
poles, but the wind had risen 10 a wintry
gale, aud it struck me even then that cur
progress was rather too speedy for the un-
Certainty OF our position. Inky blackDeSs
enveleDed Us. The heavy clouds overhead
cut of all light from heaven and the flcker-
ing fame OF the bUWsprit lantern cleaned
weirdly in the mist and rain. could bear
the heavy roll of the swell under our bows
and tie Kissing Of the rJin upon the vast
expanse Of NateTs, broken now and again
by an icy blast Of wind that swept the deck
sDd cut my face ike knife
with my hatdragged down firmly TO pro-
tect my head and my coat butt0aed around
NE l stood endeayOTlng to pierce the dark
ness ahead ia vain. As well might one try
80 peer through a solid wall as 10 discern
anything beyond the lanterns light. II was
one OF those positions, sir, in which mans
own helplessness is brought home 10 him
aud 4 realization OF his dependence On
divine hand for guidance.
The midnight hour was drawing on,
when suddenly, from in advance, my ear
caught an OminOus sound. family at first,
Rs though beating lis way against the wind,
but swelling with terrible rapidty until il
grew TO muffiad roar, deep and hollow. l
could not mistake II, no sailor on whose
ears II has smltten Will ever forget tha.
heavy rumble, Ike distant thunder 1t was
the noise Of the waves breaking upon
rock-bound coast or some neishbnring ice
berg; and we were hurryinE dead upon the
danger-rushing madly to destracjonl
i am ordinarily a coOl-headed man, no
danger easily dislurbs me, but ] confess
that eveTawing moment nearly unnamed
me. \ Ell l managed 10 grasp the icy sD1ges
Of the wheel, changing our course almost
instinctIyely, even as note OF alarm pealed
from my lips. 10 moment the men. half
dressed, came pouring on deck, for, iEuTa-
fIFPlV SnnaElUV flnV silent with
open In times Of danger, and were ready for
an instant summons.
the hollow roar OF the breaking waves
smote cur ears with fearful dtstinctness
The men instantly cCmprehended the i'm
n nence or the peril There was no panic /;
brave fellows like them, Injured to every
danger, can be relied upon in an emer-
gency. We had a captain whom the men
swore by-a stern mau whom no peril how
ever sudden, ever found unprepared-one
Of those rare characters in the world al
WAYS utterly self-pOssessed.
His firm voice rose above the tempest
with an uDmoved, decisive caimneSs that
reduced all to order 1t once. The men took
their places with pale faces and set teeth /;
but no sign of coWaTdly fear escaped them.
Then order upon order rolled from the
trumpet and we orked quickly and in or i'm
silence. 1t was no time for hesitation
death stared US in the face and every mo.
ment was as precious as our life blood.
danger; aud as we struggled the deafenlng
grumhle grew upon US until it seemed to
peryade the air on all sides. Before, be-
hind, TO right, to left, came the shock of the
waves upon the Ice.
Would we escape? Was 1t too lateP Even
as the questions framed themselves in nv
mind l saw wall Of ice loom up ahead, re-
fiectlng back the light of the lantern as from
myriad Of sparkling diamonds. II was a
glorious but an awful sight, and despair
seized upon me.
"a wall OF anguish arose from the crew.
and an instant later we struck. | was lean
Ing on the forward larboard rail as the shock
came; the schooner, quivering ia every tim.
Der, recOiled suddenly, and | was precipi-
tated headlong on TO the iceberg. With a
cry and a desperate clutch / managed To
seize projecting point of Ice, and lust
saved myse from sliding into the water
'Ihe vessel SHE'D off ike a frightened
steed and spec away unnsrmed into the
mist and gloom. ! watched her light fade
and die from my sight with feeling of de-
spair that, God knows, / never wish to ex-
perience again.
Il was alonei Alone on floating noun
tain; lost IN the vast Atlantic; In the storm
and night and coldI Did ever mortal find
himself so placed before? l can never re-
call my sensations on that terrible night
without strange feeling as of some chill
hand gripping my heart
Numbed with cold and drenched bv the
Icy rain, Sill managed 10 drag my stffened
limbs TO hollow niche in the ice, where
was shielded from the wind and free from
danger OF Slipping into the sea- There
sank down faint and overcome, and am
afraid that in my desolation and despair
wept Ike child. 1t may seem strange 10
you, sir, but even now l cannot say l won
der at myself.
Then fell to praying. l was new at
mat business, but my crude and halting
duplication was heard, and something like
resignation claimed my spirit. / arose and
raced my slippery limits, determined to
struggle against the terrible death stuuor
that faiis upon one when exposed 10 cold.
oecaslonsily l cried for help, not In any
hope, but Tor the purpose of cheering myself
with the sound of my own voice. Donbtless
the shout was lost in the roaring tempest
ere it had gone dozen yards,
The night dragged on-the longest night
that ever mortal endured =. and toward
morning the storm died out and the clouds
rolled away. j watched them scurryinp off
turned my eyes 10 the rosy streakings of the
eastern sky, with a faint revival of hone
OIL how eagerly waited for the first rays
of the rising sun TO strike across the waters.