River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-04-13
UGLY JIM
His Kind Heart Under Cover of a
Rough Coat.


o'clock on that night in March, 81,
which fate had ordained should never
forget. I had heard the cry of "Au
hands on deck" beloved down the
fO'castle, the scurry II feet. the hoarse
command: "All hands aloft to shorten
sail. Quick, lads, for your lives" and
had bounced ont of my berth. ierlsed
into my clothes and tumbled up the
companion-way TO the slippery deck.
What was doing aboard the ship?
Well, Dy profession I am doctor and
by occupation a rambler. Not that It
IS part of my business as 4 doctor to
ramble; but, you know, a doctors mis-
sion Is 10 try to restore natures Jewel.
health, and !, being a doctor Jas / said
befOrcl. was endeavoring 10 do my
duty to myself and find that which
had studied hard TO be able to restore
TO others 80 there ] was standing, or.
rather, trying To for the northeast
gale nearly blew me off nv feet. on
the quarter-decll of the little brig Jen-
ny Lind, bound from Liverpool To- Que
bec- HOratio, wasn't IL coldl and the
sharp sleet, driven hard before the
gale, seemed like sandblast cutting
who were to be that night laid for their
last rest, rocked in the cradle of the
deep"
Wei may the poetic dreamers sing
the praises Of SNOW, snow. beautiful
snow" They view il from the inside
of warm, CHEEKY room, reclining in
an easy-chair. pipe ia mouth, watching
the little feathery flakes peeping
slyly in through the glass and then
driven roughly away by their master.
wind, for daring such impertinence
Aye, il is beautiful snow then. But
change the scene. a night, as black
as coal and almost as dense. for the
eye can hardly see a rod away, the
wind tearing. booming. how ling
through the taut rigging, the sIeet
driving, cutting, grinding the flesh ex-
posed TO it, and the little brig of only
one hundred and fifty tons lurching
grooming, bouncing here and there in
the mad, fierce grasp Of the sea Lord,
what yells! l start, shiver and find it
is only that devil, wind, laughing as it
slaps cid Neptune in the face, flashing
him to still more fury ] am almost
frozen, for the heavy spray which flies
over rs as the brave craft holds its own
freezes As fast as it strikes, coating MS
with thick crust
This is a fearful night" ] say To
the man at the wheel, and his answer
of AYE, aye. sir. comes through teeth
set as wise. With feet planted, or
rather. rooted TO the deck, body bent
forward. eyes trying hard TO make out
the canvas he cannot see, he moves
only as the orders shouted through
the trumpet come family to him:
''iIard a StaruOard.' steady" Ease
her a little straining hard at the
wheel 10 put IL port or 'starbOard''
as is ordered, and between his white
lips growing back his Ave, aye, sir"
Py the fitful flicker of the pinnacle
lamp see his face and know him to be
Jim Peters the hardest man IN the
crew. Nobody liked him or would
have anything TO do with him. lie
was not a prepossessing object To look
at His face had as much sociability
and kindness in it as a tombstone.
Heavy, square jaw; large mouth: eyes
black. or rather. one eve, for a large.
red scar running across his forehead
and down his left cheek back Of his
shaggy head of sandy hair and I'M
kempt beard did their part in hi, make
M of ugliness- I SAID nobody would
have anything to do with him. I'll
take that back. for there was one
aboard vino pitied and tried To- be
friendly To him lie was the ships
boy. nice. likely lad, gOcd-I0Oking
and smart and q sailor. every inch of
him. There was one thing about Jim,
however. which le could get back
Of, and tl.as wa ..c was strong as an
OK and as good 4 sailor As ever trOd
deck. lie was the only man aboard
who could have held tine wheel alone
in such night. On we drive, a reel
and then a plunge, and the little brig
comes out of the trough of the sea
and shakes herself and then leaps on
ward.
What's thai cry for'da Jim starts,
and see his face pale, as with all his
mighty strength he puts the wheel to
port
Hard jim. hard. down.. comes a
faint voice. and the captain comes run
ming aft. You did well. Jim, but your
three times - port were too late 10
crash She strikes and commences 10
settle rapidly. \ rough hand grabs
my arm and deep voice growls;
Its the ice, doctor; jump for it
jump for IT."
Before can do 81. 7 am taken of
my feet; and the next moment ] feel
myself going through the air; then a
sudden stop, and l find myself on a
fiGld of drifting ice. I turn tothanlS my
deIiverer. and fnd 1t was Jim whose
clear head aad strong arm isai saYsd
me. try To thank him. but he says.
shortly: ia a done il 10y the ships
dog. doctor. rs soon as yc, had he been
as handy" Nevertheless shake hands.
and saw few words 70 him. as he
turns on his heels and joins his mates
straiuing their eyes % pierce the black
ness and see the little crafts last
plunge Like bird whose wings fiut-
ter aud then drop. her canvas shakes
and she dives. never TO come up. The
crew sadly bid her farewell and even
grOuty Jim says: 'GOod-by. little I'M "
You folks ashore can't realize the fear
that came over rs as the waters closed
over the little craft that had been 10
Ms our home. our '.all in all d" feel
ing 81 dreadful loneliness thrilled rs as
through the inkv darkness We tried TO
read the expression in our companions
faces
mentioned II was cold, but words
are inadequate TO properly convey the
lev intensity. now that the blood which
had been quicl1ened by the strain and
excitement had become normal Added
20 the bitter cold was the chill % fear
We drew close together 10 diagnosti-
cate our case. Naturally we looked
10 the captain Tor advice. and when
asked what we should 90, he said
terseIv:
stick here till morning Then we
can get our bearings. aud shape our
course accordingly"
Now, when the brig stuck. we had
had a close call and so had chance 70
save nothing but what We stood in
The captains advice was excellent as
far a. II went; but 20 stay where we
were, huddled together like 50 many
frightened sheep. meant certain death, /
and The dawn. as It broke, would fall
unheeded CT fifteen frozen CorPses /
that, few hours befors. had been tho
esew % TIE !ist.s gallant JeaaF Ilad /