San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-03-03

"Now the men are shouting and the boy
blows the horn. They are e~ndeavoring to
make themselves heard on board the
steamer. viii they succeed?
evidently we are in danger; but of
what? I cannot tell yet. We shall soon
know.
'The steamer approaches. She looms
up like Il great mountain through the
mist; the swish of the screw is distinctly
audible.
Help mel | am frightened. am too
young to die. Captain Colwood says she
will run us down. All are alarmed; there
is nothing but confusion on board. What
shall we do9 They do not near us on board
the steamer, for she has not altered her
course by a hairs breadth. Is there no one
on board herr Surely they do not intend
to murder us in cold blood"
The clairvoyant here almost sprang from
her chair. Her cheek was blanched. Her
whole attitude was expressive of alarm.
A slight pressure of the hand and a kind,
firmly spoken word tranquilized her. She
resumed:
1.-THE vessel is upon us. She strikes.
The two ships grind together; the spars
twist and Irvine. Oh, what a crashl The
oSCdilCt otdchihS, Shc phTOS iTOLl us. All
what an awful collision! We are cut down
A yawl might sail through the chasm,
We are doomed to destruction.
1.-THE captain speaks. He tells the crew
that there is no time to launch the boats.
They must jump for their lives. He is
going to stand by the brig until the last.
1.-THE men are in the water. They are
unable to swim. Fear and cold have be-
numbed and ~paralyzed them.
1.-THE steamer is almost out of sight.
Those on board of her have left us to die.
They are guilty Of murder.
''The men have disappeared from view.
No, | see them; down, down below the
black water. Harry Colwood has the boy
Stephenson in his arms. am looking upon
the faces of the dead.
"The captain and l are left. The Auda-
cious is settling down by the stern. Only
her deck is above water. She reels. She
is sinking stern foremost. We ere waist
deep in the water. Fred Colwo.D is NUT
tering something-his prayers. No! He
says, Bessie"
Here the sleeper once more sprang from
her seat, crying p~iteously: "Helpl | an
drowning. Save me-do!" a
The demands of science are inexorable.
Heart must not be permitted to triumph
over brain. Quietly but firmly l compelled
the maiden to be seated, and babe her con-
tinue. She went on:
81 am alone in the sea. / can see no one.
The captain must be drowned"
This was sufficient. The fate Of the Au-
dacious and her crew had been strangely
revealed by means of this occult art.
The vessel, like too many others, had
been run down by passing steamer which,
because merchants look on the time as
being of greater value than life, had inhu-
manly left its wretched victims to perish.
Who was the Destroyer
This was not difficult to discover.
Almost Immediately the c~lairyvoyant
was placed upon the runaway's deck and
her detective mission was made clear to
her.
With an air Of mysterious excitement
the ~pythoness twas she not thisO recon-
menced:
81 am on board a steamer This is the
first time | nave been in such a place.
How did | come heres What a wonderful
ship it Isl Larger than the whole Of our
village.
1.-THE crew are mustered on deck. There
are forty of them-men and boys. The Of
fcers are present; all are talking together.
1t is quite "A Babel, for not one-half of them
are English. They are blaming the look
out and say that he was asleep. What
does he reply2 am unable to say. He is
a foreigner, and his English is SO bad that
it is impossible to understand him. They
are swearing horribly; the officers at the
n,oy, on1 tho man uf 0na annfhnr
"The captain commands order.
"Now all is silent except the hollow thud
of the engines.
1.-THE captain is surely a bad man. Lis
tenl He is offering each man and boy an
maintain absolute silence about the col
lision.
'They swear, and they will keep the Sc
breasts.
at is awful | am among murderersl
81 shrink from addressing these men.
Yet ! must do so. A stronger power han
my W compels me to speak to them. ]
ask the nance of the ship.
THE captain answers. He refers me to
the nate. That person is rude and boorish.
He swears at me and bids me be gone. No
gentleman would swear ut a woman.
at is impossible to discover what the
ship is or whence she has come. l question
the men, but elicit no replies.
II will search her.
81 am in the hold" The black, yawning
cavern is filled with barrels. These consti-
mte the bulk of the cargo. They are filled
with sugar. Having discovered this l re-
turn to the light of day.
what strange force impels me? l am
dragged by invisible hands to the side of
the vessel. They raise me. l am unable
to resist; the. water is beneath me. stand
upon the waves as upon the solid earth.
Above me towers the great souare,stern |