Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-07-05

401 CndhCC tAidt BIC "OuAo C1CdI Vic
bar where it deepens off Highland
light, five miles to the northward.
But the wheel was mere plaything
for that wind and that sea. At seven
o'clock the Jason, almost directly
head on. struck the bar with shock
which ripped her keel from the plating.
A great sea was in her wake, and, as
she recoiled, swept the deck from stern
to stem, Capt. Mcmillan, starting for
the starboard life-boat, was beaten
with it overheard. The keel worked
up, and, hammered on by the waves,
showed itself through the hold and
lifted a section of the deck near the
poop. The crew took to the miZzen-
rigging, only to be knocked off by
tumbling spars and kissing seas, and
the wind that ripped the canvas from
the bolt ropes, and tore out even the
| furled sails. Three minutes after the
Jason's nose touched the sand she lay
an ocean-swept hulk with no breathing
| thing aboard of her. So ended the
| cruise of the ship Jason, Capt. McMl-
| Ian, one hundred days out from Cal
| cutta, laden with jute.
The surfmen, crouching back on the
beach, on hearing a great crack, ran
down to the water, and stretched them
selves-a living rope-along it, run
ming out and back behind the waves,
| with eyes strained. One of them heard
| a cholked cry ahead of him, and bound
ing towards it, clasped a mans leg.
| The two were dragged out the length
of the rope section, and the surfman
| battled with the undertow and the
| caving sand until he lost conscio us
| ness. His neighbors knew nothing of
| his plight for half an hour, when they
found him almost cut in two by the rope
around his waist After that they had
no heart to follow the waves, especial
| ly as they knew that now it would be
but to gather corpses a few hours
sooner than the sea would of herself
| give them up. For the sea always
brings the dead and lays them on the
sand, with guiltless smile, and with
ripping murmur of wonder at see
ing men and women weep.
Mine is the duty of the day that fol-
lows storm. All along the miles of
! treacherous beach - all along the
dreary dunes from Monomy to Truro
the folk of the Cape followed me, lift
ing bodies in blue jackets, and tearing
off the tangle of weeds and shell.
Fifty-four corpses we took up that day
and the next, and no man of us needed
to keep tally of the growing horror.
On Sunday the bell would ring for a
memorial service in the Puritan church
| at Provincetovn. but knew that the
anguish of many an English mother
| would calm itself the sooner for know
ing that hel lad had been laid to rest
with the words of the PrayerbooK.
That is my duty the day that follows a
| storm.
I began it little after noon. Tha
was not too soon, for there was no one
to identify the dead, and no need to
identify them; the shipping articles in
the owners offices would give list of
them. Then there is always a good
supply of rough collins on this coast.
and the women are skilled in dispos-
ing bodies for burial I began with
those who were to be laid in the Will
feet graveyard. There was with me a
group of perhaps a dozen men; all that
could be spared from among the wreck
ers. I stood at the head of the graves,
the men by the wagon, ready to lift
the collins. I read the sentences; the
psalm 1 was moved to chant to that Z
fat monody of Felton's. 1t was echoed
from the sand hill in front of me:
Lord, let me know my end, and the
number of my days, that 1 may be GER
titled how long 1 have to live
But it was not the echo of the sand
hill that sent back the chant, with the
words clearspoken, of the second
verse:
Behold, Thou hast made my days as
it were a span long, and mine age is
even as nothing in respect of thee; and
verify every man living is altogether
vanity
1t was the ringing voice of boy
trained surely in some cathedral choir
There he stood among the men, who
looked at him in wonder-a lad with
light tumbled curls, hands cfasped in
front of him, and eyes looking up as al
some invisible thing, singing out with
a voice like a flute. / recovered my
self from surprise in time to take up
For man walketh in vain shadow,
and so antiphonal1y we chanted the
psalm.
had the committa1 to say a score O.
times there. I am afraid I hurried il
and the collects. The boy said the
Amens. After the grace l turned tc
him. The men were standing looking
at him with a wonder that was also an
awe. They told me afterwards thai
none of them had seen him join the
group; so far as have been able tc
learn in these now many weeks. nc
human eye saw the boy till he began
to sing there at the graves.
Where do you come from, my lad:
And hadn't you better put your hat
on?" 1 said. as 1 smiled into his fine
eyes and smoothed his hair with my
hand.
81 came from the ship. and, please
sir, have no hat"
ship? What ship, lad? And what i:
your name?"
He took his eyes off mine and turned
towards the sea. He covered his face
with his elbow and seemed to shuddei
as he pointed a finger towards y:hat
was once the Jason. He did not tel
me his name; he never has told me.
1 had him in my arms in a second. 4
dozen coats were off to wrap around
him, though he was clad warmly
enough and was in no distress.
do you mean to say you were in the
wreck?" 1 exclaimed, and the mer
pushed up close and tiptoed to look al
him YOu can imagine what OIlr ex