Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1893-08-24

arm the vessel struck the bottom and
the three men were perched ON the
frail support with the storm raging
over them and the wild sea around
them. Some time during the night
one of the men became exhausted and
fell into the water. The other men were
unable to give him n assistance, for
to release their hold ON the mast for
an instant meant death to them. The
storm subsidized the next morning and
h sea ran down. The heat Of the sun
became almost unbearable and the men
o began to suffer from thirst and
then hunger. The waves raj about
two feet under the yard ON which they
stood, and to render their situation
more horrible a number Of sharks gath
cred ABOUT them, splitting the water
with tlf&f Gns and thrusting their noses
above the water as il already relishing
the feast that they were waiting for.
Bound TO a Mast.
In the afternoon the Danes compan-
ion lost his head and sprang into tho
sea, and the Dane saw him crunched
in the Jaws of the sharks that fought
over his body. The sight terrorized the
Dane, and, determining not TO afford
food for these fish, he bound himself
with his belt and portions OF his shirt.
that he tore into shreds and twisted
INTO a 10 to the mast. Suffering the
torturcs of death a thousand times a
minute, the Dane stood on his perch,
watching the horizon for a vessel. lie
lived ont the day and the night follow
ing. When the sun rose the next morn
ing the neat rendered him unconscious.
That afternoon the whaling bark Witch
OF New Bedford took him off the mast
a raving maniac, and it was necessary
to keep the Dane closely confined for
several days Careful treatment and
food finally brought the man u of
the delirium, and he was able after q
few weeks TO resume labor, and he be-
came a member OF the crew OK the
Witch.
Ill luck had got TO running In the
direction of the Dane, and he eemed
in a fair way of ~succumbing to il. Six
months after he was rescued from the
mast he had another thrilling expert
ence. A heavy storm came up and the
Dane was sent aloft to assist in furiing
a sail. He was at the extremity or 4
ward when the vessel suddenly lurched
and he lost his hold. He fell into the
water, but beng a good swimmer he
managed to keep afloat and the next
wave that came swept across the deck
of the vessel carrying the sailor with IL
and lodging him under the lee rail with
n force that broke one of his legs ana
knocked his senses completely Out vi
him.
Once more this i'll starred man was
spared and in a few weeks he was able
to hobble around the deck on a crutch
and in due time resumed labor. A
short time after that the Witch started
for home. The storm must have tried
her severely, for she sprung a leak and,
in spite Of all that the men u uo
at the pumps, the water gained on them
and they were finally compelled 10
take to the boats and abandon the
vessel.
They floated about five days. They
suffered from the heat, but they had
plenty Of water and provisions TO keep
them alive. There were three boats OF
them. On the morning Of the sixth day
they espied a small island q few leagues
away and made for it.
The surf was running high on the
shore Of the island, but the sailors
thought they could land safely, and
they made the attempt, with the result
that the entire number, with the eXcep-
ton Of The Dane, was drowned. HS
got hold Of an oar, and after a hard
struggle he managed to reach dry land.
The island was a small affair with a
few trees on 1t. Fortunately for the
sailor he discovered a spring Of water
among the rocks lear the shore. Three
months the man managed to live there
with nothing to eat but some sweet
berries that he found growing on
bushes in The interior of the island.
One day. while gathering these berries,
he was bitten on the hand by a spider,
and his arm swelled to double its nat
ural size. He felt sure that this time
he was going to die, and for that pur-
pose he lay down under q tree. But he
didn't realize his expectations He suf-