Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-03-21
CHAPTER VII.
'ALoNE, ALONE, ALL, ALL ALONE; ALONE ON
WIDE WIDE SEAn

CHAPTER VII.
'ALoNE, ALONE, ALL, ALL ALONE; ALONE ON
A WIDE, WIDE SEA-"
BY the glare of streaming fires l could
watch the boats driving deliriously before
the wind, which still blew with hurricane
force. Toany eye but that sharpened by
the terror of despair the flying, leaping
spccks would not have been distinguishes
bic from momentafy riffs in the careering
pillows, for in that terrific scene nothing
was distinct, nothing individual. There
was no ocean and no SKY, but high and low
whirling chaos OF foam and spray, with
CLEANS of ghastly green in the breaking
mountains and of hellish lividness in the
swirling chasms and shattering crests.
The din was as the crack of DOOM Sea
and thunder crashed together as if the uni
verse were splitting and rending, the wicked
treble of the tempest breaking in at times
like the spteful screams of congregated
demons exulting in the work of destruc
tion The waves, in certain aspects blood
red and dripping Il crimson froth, reared
and curled like monstrous snakes as they
rushed, trampling, upon the helpless and
staggering brig. They seemed alive and
mad with passion to destroy. Leaping
upon their victim like the fures broken
loose, they would pound her as with steam
hammers, then catch her and throw her
aloft as if to see her go to pieces in the
fall; then, disappointed at her toughuess,
hurl her headlcng intoa boiling gulf, aad
as she houndered heavily fling themselves
afresh upon her in Il frenZied effort to put
her forever out Of sight.
Then there would be 4 swift recoil and =
momentary pause but only because the in.
furiated waters were gathering for a fiercer
and deadlier attack. Raliying in piled up
seethng MASSES, on they would come again
in wreathed and yeasty avalanches, burying
her deep and crushing ard tearing her tim
bers till she groaned and cried like thing
in the last agony. How she lived was a
marvel A right good sailor she must have
been in spite of her ugly looks and evil
name, tighter sailer than many craft
with prouder head and a better reputa
tion.
Smotheretl and pelted and tossed, only
the tenscness of grip which the fear of
death gives to nerve and muscle could
have he'd me in my place. AS often as
had vent / shriclicd in competition with
the storm-shrirked till my voice failed me
and my cry sank to the hoarse gasping
rattle that tore chest and throat as raw rs
If barbed cylinders revoved inside
My situation WAS the more cruel that
had strength enough to feel and none to
act Had been myself, should have been
on deck in an instant and hea.llong into
the surgiug wilderness in pursuit of the
desertcrs. My fate would Eavc been soon
decided, for the swimmer did not exist
who could that night have escaped the
devouring nav of the sea. But there
would have been an instan;'s diversion in
battling and Il speedy end to suffering As
it was, even the Solace OF making an effort
was denied me, SO ! stood there with my
head crushed into the portfolio and the
Jagged edges Of tie broken glass like saws
in ny flesh, battered, bulietetl, choked by
the pitching ship ana the preaching seas
yet fran,!c;!iy Straning to hold on and to
hail the quickly vanishing boats.
Every fiber in M body shock with Il
morta! weakness and terror. My fingers were
getting craHpcd and palsicl: my breath was
gone to Il gasp, yet ever as my strength
waucG the d"sirc 10 shout for succor be
came Tie mere desperate. Have you ever
seen spent animal painting with open
mouth for !; little aid in its extremity;
Even so panied then with distcndcd but
voiccicss lips. would have giYen Il mil
lion worlds had | owned them, for the re
turn of my voice just for an instant to
make one last appeal for help that would
rise above tlIe voice of the storm. But my
weakness doomed me TO silence.
", c,,IIn,, Inrl pp:S no lpc oF q
mcnGous broadside hurled me back with n
bellyful of salt water. scrambled up
suffering, to lie hit and knocked down
again. The second time rose with greater
difficulty and clutching dizzilyat the port
hole looked over the wcltering flame lit
waste. There were no boats. Either the
sea had swallowed them, or they were hid
den in the scudding mist of spray. In
either case they were lost to me. a sudden
sickness seized NE, my head got strangely
light, the din fell to farof murmur, and
slipping my feeble hold l sank splashing
into the water on the floor. A period Of
Inconsistencies must have followed, for-l
remember no more until, half crawling.
half swimming and in utter darkness,
somehow got back to my berth.
Then, with my mind settled in the con-
viction Of doom that was not to be averted,
no words could tell the awful sense of desc.
lation that fell upon me.
thought it would really have been an
act of humanity on the part of my late
companions to have thrown me into the sea
or drawn a sharp blade across my throat.
Either would have ended my torturesq quick.
ly, whereas had now to be looking into
the face of a death advancing upon me by
inches. TO be tortured thus is to die many
times. But the brig could not long hold
out, and when she should 80 down all would
be instantly over.
closed my burning eyes, feeling that no
light would ever more fall on them till that
light rose that shall not fade away. Ere
the morrow morning | should be deeper
than did ever plummet sound" coflined in
the black hulk Of the engulfed brig, and
no mortal should ever look on my grave
among the green and Shiny things that
strew the Indian ocean. There was 4 paug
in the thought that no one could mark the
place where I slept But that pang, to-,
must pass in the great lull, the lasting
quiet that was ut hand.
| lay very still, for there was no longer
any motive to move. The tempest was evi.
IDENTIFY much abated, though the waves
were still leapIng madly against the ships
sides, and sometimes making clean breaches
over her. Iwondcrcd why she held so long
afloat. But doubtless she was going stead
lily, if slowly, down. She would sink gradu-
ally for awhile, then in the crucial moment,
when the flood should have gained proper
L lnn
dizzy gurgle and swirl rs if sucked by the
lips of the maelstrom. | could anticipate
the motion and my own sensations in the
embrace OF death. There would he mo-
mcntary, involuntary effort to hold back,
gasping for breath, brief pain as of one
choking, IL sudden ciddincss fading swiftly
into Inconsistencies. and then absolute