Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-03-04


reason for thanldulness As pinnacle and |
compass were both gone was impossible |
10 Judge the course save vaguely bv tho
stars, and as the heavenly bodies had never
peeh much among the objects Of my con.
temptation my reckoning was wild enough.
but my conclusion was that we were max
ing, OF more correctly drifting, w. \. w.
anu that barring accidents or good fortune
OF Delng picked up, should sooner or later
touch somewhere in the neighborhood Of
the Persian gulf This pleased me little
Tor knew the entire region to be infested
by bands OF pirates, who, should they dis.
cover us, would muke short work Of both
me and tho brig. But, as hnvesnid I was
powerless to alter the course, and sob 10
drift on, trusting to Providence for safety
One evening there iprang up a breeze on
our larboard quarter, which, for the first
time aimee had been left alone, pushed the
Bird Of Paradise to something Of pace.
"l'll take it as a good omen said to
myself. III she keeps at that, shall soon
arrive-somewhere.h
sat on deck that night longer than
usual, partly to keep a sharp lookout.
partly to enjoy the bracing breeze. 1t could
not be called clear night, but there was a
strange light on the sea, half aerial half
phosphorescent, that would have made n
sail visible at a considerable distance had
one CHANGED to come that way, which it
didn't
About II o'clock I went below, and hav-
ing fed my family Of rats-a thing which
did us regularly us ! said my PRAYERS
turned into bed. lay long awake, how
ever, with II prcmon!tion that something
| was going to happen. 1t could not be
called n painful feeling, rather vague
sense Of some impending change that
might prove important However, fell
asleep after time without disturbance
Of any sort.
The sun was already level with my Peep
hole windows when awoke After dress.
/ ing leisurely went on dccl, to 80 through
the usual morning exercise Of sweeping the
ocean to see whetherHuy sail had wandered
/ into view AT first l could discern moth.
| ing and concluded was still NIL alone, but
| presently, taking second look deserted
the tinicst black speuk-it might be a float
ing hat-between INC and the horizon. My
heart thumped in sudden excitement
Nov, what the deuce is thatW found
myself saying with quickened breath ut
doesn't look like n snil No, it can't I've
sail I'll were anywhere in the tract, Of
civilization, should say IL WAS buoy,
But buoy where ships never appear to
come would be m impossible piece OF alb
surdity.n
gazud with all my might, rubbing my
eyes when they were 0ag1led and smarting.
and going at 1t ngain like one whose hope
Of salvation Is conferred in his seeing prop.
erly. My curiosity increased without
bringing me any clearer knowledge. Per
haps il some monster fish taking the sum-
| said aloud, as II / had listening eompan-
ions. But no fish that hGl ever heard OF
was fond Of being hroiled alive, 1t did not
move nor show signs Of life "Flotsam,
ietsam, liaan'-I went over the poslibli-
ties, pieces of wreckage, goods sunk by
pirates to be found again at convenience, "
Neither theory was satisfactory, and my
anxiety was ieversh. TITS The Old Man OF
the Sea, ~" l thought frlvolously, ora ner-
maid-no, it's too bluek for mermaid.
The creatures are fair"
But / was too painfully Interested To
give way To a Whimsical spirit, so ia good
earnest coniectured, propoundihg theories
TO myself and immediately rejecting them.
rubbing my eyes when they saw double
taking u turn about the ship to ruminatc
making n childish compact with myself
not to look ugaiu for 10 minutes and yield
ing in 10 seconds to the spell OF the black
speck. ] gazcd till | saw double, treble
quadruplo-till my head was SWIMMING
mud thousaud objects were le8piug and
whirling Enthusiastically on the light rraJ
horizon. Then thought It prudent To s,of
gazing for little and went below fol
breakfast
1t was hasty, perfunetory meal thai
morning, for IN less than five minutes
was on deck again, palpitating with de
sire for knowledge The black speok wa
still ON the glittering plain-distinct, mo
tionless. mysterious as ever The gentles
breeze blew in my larboard quarter, and il
j.. my eanerness ran to the helm, forgetting
, that it was a splintered wreck, as poten
for its purpose Us the tail Of n melting hen
! Then. finding It WIS 70 be gameof watch
! inr. hurr.edly rugged a hammock out o
, the tangled cordage aud sails and climbed
into IL, intent on discovery. Hours passe'
without bringing enlightenment Ih
burning sun beat down on shimmerlng
h,ngen sea whose metallic sheen made m
eddy and nearly blind The breeze die'
: away and the brig lay idle. In all the vas
silence the,e was not q sound sRle IN
humping OF my own heart, nor Yslbl
/ object save that aggrayating black specs
= Rv and BY went hollow with some vagu
, idea of luncheon, Immediately rushing bael
a on deck more eager than ever, Hardly ma
! swung myself into my place than leaps
. down again, calling out, as u the immens
vacancy were peopled, that beyonu aouu
t the thing moved and was growing bigger
a Then after awhile l saw something lk
the flutter Of a flag, and understood "a
4 black spack was a boat with man IN y
9 And he saw the brig. -, a.,
d sYe-hoor' / cried, with ie'p OF ~
IS "peliverance at lastl' And ran aDou
Il the deck like one possessed. shonilng ~
l iIyerauoe. deliyerancer' and could nav
y wept for gladness.
. Bnt all at once cold chill struck me \, !
3 ,bs marrow and put an end 70 tais eAniu
y ,ion what il this were some OF INC . -
y rptnruinnl For one brief moment ny ,n ~
= was blank with fright, but the neAs -
>, ,aI..n NV resolution. Swift as ever nna
y nrcnared FOR an enemy got TWO p'alois ~,
y = mnsket loading thsm aad inlink w .
on the deol, ready for use Then WI ~. Il
Y NJ yst.,nis stronpbna, smAshlhs .ls Z. n
n ,,.;.h m IRON bar aud taking thenee !.
1t 49,, MN =. s,Sord could find That being
s ,on .ssS ,Ss,ght and sufficiently keen. ! 3
y leeted Turkish dagger ana ~. III, ~
- knifa and two more revolver; w -. ~
TO smnnnitiou. Then arraiisea my a, ~ 4 :,
$ and vsaited for the boat. Il VA nv ,hs
n snon,h IA enable me TO discern sh.- ~, ~.
Up - ons man in 81, a discovery ~ ,.
ey was ouN 11.,nc With such IN AFarh'