Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-07-18
PUT TO THE TORTURE.
Continued from second mace


I'D, blue eyed boy of seven-lifts her head
IN sudden alarm and looks about her with
eyes betraying the terror i'll her soul. l
know the cause. She has read and heard
Of shipwrecks in midocean-of boats drift
ing about until food and water We're gone
of nen and women casting lots to see
who should die. Our food and water are
gone. We are dying of hunger and thirst.
She is holding the boy in her lap. She
looks from his pale, pinched face to the
bo'sun and back, and her breath comes in
gasps.
Now the mother of this little girl-a
sunny haired little thing scarce four years
| old-betrays the same fear. | am next to
| her. As our eyes meet | can read her
| thoughts; they are the thoughts of the
| other mother. Twelve days ago she was
! handsome woman. This morning her
| face is so pinched and drawn and Drowned
| that l stare at her in amazement. There
| Is fear in her eyes she looks up at the
| bosun; the fear is replaced by defiance as
she chances at the others.
| Midforenoon comes, but there is no
| change. No one has spoken-only two or
| three have changed their positions.
| 1t is noon now Even the bo'sun has fall
| len into a stupor, and one looking over the
| quarters might notice that the sharks had
| drawn little nearer.
| Somebody has got to die Do yo' hear
| me, bo'sun-we must cast lots to who
shall dien'
| 1t was the black whiskered beetle
| browed sailor whom had noticed hungrily
| cycling he little boy the day before. had
| said to myself then that he would be the
| first to clamor for sacrifice He had
| thrown off his stupor and risen to his feet,
| and as he shouted out his words his eyes
| glared like those of a hungry wolf.
| We'll wait another day, Daniel" re-
| piled the bosun with painful effort.
| sNot another hour!' screamed the man.
| "Aye, and that's metz
| "And me-!
| "And mer'
| There were four sailor men on their feet
| confronting the bo'sun-five sailors in all
| as the crew of the boat
The bo'sun looked from man to man, and
then his gaze was directed upon each pas
senger in turn. 1t had come suddenly, but
he was not surprised. He had reasoned
| that it was only n question of time
wait until sundown," he finally said.
| well either cast lots now or I'll have
one of the children shouted the black
| whiskered man, and the others cried out
| after him that it was no use to wait longer.
The bo'sun stood up and took long sur
| vey of the sea. Thirst and hunger and
| want of sleep had dimmed his vision. He
rubbed his eyes again and again and final
ly sat down with groan and said:
"Some one prepare the lots"'
L handed the black WhlSkereQ man an
envelope from my pocket. He cut it into
twelve strips and then shortened one of
the strips and handed all to the bo'sun.
The officer arranged them in his hand with
his back turned 10 us. BY this time all
were aroused and looking on. Even the
children were awake and looking about in
queer, dazed way. As my eyes rested on
them, and l noted how hunger and thirst
had reduced them to skeletons, / laughed
outright at the idea of one of them being
sacrificed to keep the rest of US alive. A
ships rat would have more flesh on its
bones.
Me firstr' said the black whiskered
man as he reached out his hand.
| All the men drew first, and as each one
drew the others eyed him hungrily. The
childless woman came next. All the
women understood what was going on,
but all were silent. There were four slips
left.
"You draw for yourself and then for the
child" said the bo'sun as he extended his
hand and turned his face away.
The mother of the hoy drew last of all.
One of the slips the short onel
1T was n fair draw-hand him over!'
Crowled the black whiskered man as he
gazed at her with the eyes of a human
wolf.
| For answer the woman sprang up with
the boy in her arms, and standing with
one foot on a thWslrt ana the other on the
gunwale, she cried out:
| Don't you dare to touch us! Well go
to the sharks before you shall kill him.
| The monster shark on the port quarter
drew alongside the boat ready to seize his
prey. For half n minute spoke, no
one moved. Then the mother suddenly
pointed to the north and shrieked:
See, See there! God in heaven, l thank
thee"'
| 1t was a great black steamship bearing
down upon us and not over n mile away.
She might have been sighted two hours
| before had the bo'suns vision been keen.
| When boat came alongside her crew
needed no explanations. The women were
in dead faint, the children moaning, and
of the men some were weeping and some
waving their arms and talking about
green valleys and cold springs and trees
loaded with ripe fruit. The bo'sun sat
| with folded arms and closed eyes, and
| whispered that it was all a dream. The
mate of the steamers boat looked down
upon us with wonder. and pity, and L
heard him. like one afar off, saying to his
| crew
God pity the poor wretches and grant
that we have come in timer
NJ. QUAD.