Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-08-30

crumbs with one DOW. paiomDo Win
difficulty got enough wood to build q
fence around his hut. As for the men,
nearly all Of them were horribly dis
figured and mutilated. 1t was pitiful
to see them clinging together In
lunches. We found the captain in
gala uniform; the chaplain with his
stole, In corner, between two rocks,
there was little cabin boy, with his
eyes open. One might have thought
him alive; but, no, it had been decreed
that not one should escape" Here he
stopped.
Careful Nardi," said he, "the fire Is
going out"
Nardi threw two or three tarred logs
on the embers, which quickly blazed
again,
Lionetti continued: 1.-THE saddest
part of the story is yet to come, Three
weeks before the disaster a little cut
ter, which was going to the Crimea
like the Semillante, was wrecked In
the same way, nearly In the same
place, only this time we managed to
save the crew and twenty soldiers who
were on board. We took them to Boni-
faclo, and kept them there at the sta
ton with us for two days. Once
thoroughly dry and on foot again, 1t
was good-by, good luck They re-
turned to Toulon, from which port
they embarked again several dayslater
for the Crimea, And imagine on what
shipl On the Semillante, We found
them all-twenty, lying among the
dead just where we are now. lpicked
up myself u handsome brigadler, with
long mustache, strapling from
Paris, whom had taken to my own
house, and who made us laugh all the
time with his stories. To Zee him there
crushed me, Oh, Holy Mother"
Thereupon the good l.'onetti, much
moved, shook the cinders from his
pipe, and rolling himself in his cape,
wished me goodnight.
Still under the influence Of the lugu-
brious tale which had heard, tried
to rebuild In my fancy the poor, de-
parted ship, and the story Of this agony
Of which the seagulls were the only
witnesses. Several details which had
struck me, the captain in gala dress,
the chaplain's stole, the twenty sol
diers, helped me to imagine all the
scenes of the drama. saw the frigate
leaving Toulon in the night. She
loses sight OF the port. The sea Is bad,
the wind high. The captain Is val
liant officer, and everyone on board Is
undisturbed. In the morning a mist
rises from the sea. They commence to
be uneasy. All the crew are on deck,
The captain does not leave the bridge.
Between decks, where the soldiers are
shut up, 1t is dark, the air is close.
Some are Ill, lying on their knapsaclks.
The ship pitches horribly. 1t isimpos-
sible to stand up. Sitting on the floor,
talking In groups, they cling to the
benches. 1t Is necessary TO shout TO
be heard. Some begin TO be fright
ened. Listen then; wrecks are fire.
quent In these waters; the sailors are
there to say so, and what they say Is
not reassurlng Their brigadier, too,
a Partisan who always talks wildly,
makes their flesh creep with his Jokes.
"A wreck Oh, a wreck Is amusing,
very. We will be we'll out Of II after
our Iced bath. Then they will take us
70 Bonifacio, to eat blackbirds with old
Lionetti."
Suddenly a crash What Is III What
can 1t be?
"rhe helm Is gone,' cries dripping
sailor, who goes running between
decks. "Bon voyage" shouts that
mailman, tho brlgadier-but no one
laughs now. A great tumult on the
bridge. The fog prevents their seeing
one another Tho sailors 90 and come,
cropping along frightened. Tho helm
is gone 1t Is impossible to guide the
ship. The Semillante adrlft, flies be-
fore the wind.
1t isat this moment that the douanier
81 Is her pass. 1t Is half-after eleven
Just ahead, they hear, like the roar Of
a cannon, the breakers The breakersl
1t is finished. There Is no hope. They
are going straight on the rocks. The
captain goes down to his cabin. lie
comes up In moment to take Ills place
on the bridge In his full uniform. lie