The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-03-24

miraculously To float. Many days passed ere
/ could make survey and ascertain the nc
tual damage she had sustained or what
stress Of weather she might still be able 10
stand, but after the first day ii was obvious
that if the crew had not been cowardly in
leaving her they had at least been precipi
tate But as / grew accustomed TO the lone
liness-my hope keeping strong-l was not
sorry they had gone; indeed as time ran and
| was still safe my fear was that they might
spy the brig and return. The wish that
might never look on one OF them again,
Mr.. Watson only excepted-and he, knew,
must have perished-grew with my grow
ing strength, and my strength increased
hourly For some time the fever troubled
me in the evening, but hope and a good
constitution, with a few grains OF quinne
Der day, gradually overcame it, and within
week was able to make my way with
comparative ease about the lower part of
the ship.
1t might have been the fifth or sixth day
from the time was deserted when | man
aged to crawl up the companionway. and
surely never shall ] forget the strange, &C
static feeling that came over on stepping
again into the sunlight and The open air. 1t
was lonely and desolate enough, heaven
knows 20 find ones self the only soul on
board derelict ship in the midst of the
ocean, but even with desolation il was re
turning life, and was glad beyond express
sion. stood for awhile at the head Of the
stair inhaling the balm, then / turned my
attention 10 the brig
She was as ragged and battered as any
craft that ever encountered and survived a
hurricane in the tropics. The jib boom
was gone, the broken forcmast lay over the
side entahgled In mass of shrouds and
rigging that it had pulled down, the un-
furlsd sails were hanging in ribbons, show
ing that the blast had caught us uneXpect-
edly and found ms unprepared, and the deck
was strtwn with wreckage | could not
discover, however that the hull had suffer
ed very seriously There were sprung
plAnks and boards indeed, tho bulwarks
were smashed, as wei as part OF The after
deck, but rs these injuries were above the
water line they might not mean much. The
most serious damage was 60 the steering
gear which was completely wrecked. The
brig lay heavily TO QNe side like vessel
running close hauled, and she was going so
slowly that there was scarce ripple at her
cutwater. Ny examination increased my
hope. SO long as the weather held fair was
safe.
My survey finished, sat down on the
booby hatch TO take the air. The ocean
was asleep There was not sound In all
the wide solitude. nor, so far as could see,
any living thing to break the eternal ST.
lence. The brig was all alone, "a speck on
sky shut seas. and very Insignificant
speck, too, when you come 20 think of II.
] wonder II any man ever before sailed
those seas in plight like mine or was 50
utterly alone since Robinson Crusoe built
himself hut on his island.
suppose Il is evidence Of the inherent
cupidlty Of human nature that very soon |
began TO think how should dispose Of my
goods in the event a my being picked up
or Of my drifting into some port. Would
the profit be honorably mine or ought II TO
20 TO Mr.. Mathesoni Yes, IL should be his,
for he owned both ship and cargo. de
cided to sell the goods, return to Bombay,
hand him over his money, report the con-
duct Of his men and turn TO my own Affairs.
Ny experience had not yet taught me the
folly Of speculation. Providence had de-
creed that ship and cargo were to be dis
posed OF I'm manner that little expected.
CHAPTER VIII.
A GREAT SURPRISE.
Ten days must have passed thus Ia the