Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1894-04-26
room below. The Australaslan was

/! room below. The Australaslan was
] going at full speed, but in marvel
lousy short time. as it seemed to all
| on board, the great ship had slowed
down to perfect standstill, and then
had reversed her engines, SO that she
| Law, lust nose to the wind, awaiting
| further orders. In the meantime, al
most as soon as the words were out OF
the bo'suns lips, a sailor amidships,
had rushed to the safety belts hung up
by the companion ladder, and had flung
half dozen of them one after another,
far astern, in the direction where
Felix had disappeared in the black
water. The belts were painted white,
and they showed Tor a few seconds, as
they fell, like bright srecks on the
surface of the darkling sea; then they
sunk slowly behind as the big ship,
still not quite stopped, ploughed her
way ahead with gigantic force iuto the
great abyss of darkness in front OF her.
1t seemed but minute, too, to the
watchers on board, before a party OF
sailors, summoned by the whistle with
that marvellous readiness to meet any
emergency which long experience OF
sudden danger has rendered habltual
among seafaring men, had lowered the
boat. and taken their seats on the
thwarts, and seized their oars, and
were getting under way on their hop
less quest OF search, through the dim,
black night. for those two belated souls
alone in the midst OF the angry Pacific.
It seemed but minute Or two to the
watchers on board, but oh. what an
eternity of time to Felix Thurstan,
struggling there with his live burden
in the seething water!
He had dashed into the ocean, which
was dark, but warm with tropical
heat, and had succeeded, in spite OF the
heavy seas then running, in reaching
Muriel, who chung to him now with all
the fierce clinging of despair, and i'm
peded his movements through
that swirling water. More than
that. he saw the white life-belte
that the sailors flung toward
him: they were we'll and APPLY flung, in
the inspiration of the moment, to allow
for the sea itself carrying them on the
crest of it's waves toward the two
drowning creatures. Felix saw them
distinctly, and making great lunge as
they passed, in spite Of Muriel's strug-
giles, which sadly hampered his move
ments he managed to clutch at no less
than three before the great billow,
rolling on, carried them off on it's top
forever away from him. Two OF these
he slipped hastily over Muriel's shout
ders; the other he put, as best he
might, round his own waist; and then>
for the first time, still clinging close to
his companions arm, and butfeted ABOUT
wildly by thatrunning sea, he was able
h in oil a
moment, and realize more or less what
had actually happened.
Bv this time the Australasian was a
quarter of mile away in front of them,
and her lights were beginning to be-
come stationary as she slowly slowed
and reversed engines. Then, from the
summit of great wave, Felix was
dimly aware of a boat being lowered
for he saw a separate light cleaning
across the sea-a search was being
made in the black night, alas, how
hopelessly! The light lowered about
for many, many minutes. revealed to
him now here, now there, searching in
vain to find him, as wave after wave
raised him time and again on it's
irresistible summit. The men in the
boat were doing their best, no doubt:
but what chance OF finding any one on
dark night like that, in an angry sea,
and with no clew to guide them toward
the two struggling castaWays? Cur
rent and wind had things all their own
way. AS matter Of fact, the light
never came near the castaWays at all;
and after half an hours Intellectual
search, which seemed to Felix whole
long lifetime, it returned slowly toward
the steamer from which it came-and
left those two alone on the dark Pa
cific.
There wasn't chance of picking
'em up" the captain said, with philo-
sophie calm as the men clambered on
board again, and the Australaslan got
under way once more for the port of
Honolulu. II knew there wasn't a
chance, but in common humanity one
was bound to make some show OF try
inc to same 'em. He was a brave fell
low to go after her, though it was no
good, of course. He couldn't even find
her, at night, and with such sea as
that running.
And even as he spoke, Felix Thurs
tan, rising once more on the crest of
much smaller billow-for somehow the
waves were getting incredibly smaller
as he drifted on to leeward-felt his
heart sink within him as he observed
to his dismay that the Anstralasian
must be steaming ahead once more,
bv the movement of her lights, and
that thew two were indeed abandoned
to their fate on the open surface of
that vast and trackless ocean.
ITO BE CONTINUED.