The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-03-23

aresn upon her IN a frenzied effort to put
her forever out of sight.
Then there would be a swift recoil and
momentary pause, but only because the in
furiated waters were gathering for fercer
and deadlier attack. Rallying in piled up,
seething masses, ON they would come again
in wreathed and yeasty avalanches, bprying
her deep and crushing and tearing her tim
bers till she groaned and cried like thing
in the last agony. How she lived was q
marvel A right good sailor she must have
been in spite OF her ugly looks and evil
name, tighter sailer than many a craft
with prouder head and better reputar
tion.
Smothered and pelted and tossed, only
the tenseness of grip which the fear OF
death gives to nerve and muscle could
have held me in my place AS often as I
had vent / shrieked in competition with
the storm-shrieked till my voice failed me
and my cry sank to the hoarse, gasping
rattle that tore chest and throat as raw AZ
If barbed cylinders revoIved inside.
My situation was the more cruel that
had strength enough to feel aud none to
act. Had been myself. should have been
ON deck in an instant and headlong into
the surging wilderness in pursuit OF the
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 instant's diversion in
battling and 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 the broken glass like saws
ia my flesh, battered. buffeted choked by
the pitching ship and the preaching seas.
yet frantically strainin8 10 hold on and to
hail the quickly vanishing boats.
Every fiber in my body shook with
mortal weaknessa sand terror. My fingers were
getting cramped and palsied; my breath was
gone TO a gasp, yet ever as my strength
waned the desire TO shout for succor be-
came the more desperate Have you ever
seen a spent animal painting with open
mouth for a little aid in its extremity?
Even so / painted then with distcnded but
voiceless lips l would have given mill
lion worlds, had owned them, for the re-
turn of my voice just for an instant TO
make one last appeal for help telt would
rise above the voice Of the storm. But my
weakness doomed me to silence.
In a sudden darkness the shock OF tre-
mendous broadside hurled me back with
bellyful of salt water. 4 scrambled ups
sputtering, TO be hit and knocked down
again. The second time l rose with greater
difficulty, and clutching dizziIy at the port
hole looked over the weltering flame lit
waste. There were no boats. Either tho
sea had swallowed them. or they were hid
den in the scudding mist OF spray. In
either case they acre lost TO me. A sudden
sickness seized me, my hend got strangely
a LII
clipping my feeble hold sank splashing
into the water on the floor. A period ~
unconsciousness must have followed, for A
remember no more until, half crawling.
half swimming and in utter darkness, 1
somehow got back Co my berth.
Then, with my mind settled In the con-
viction Of doom that was not 90 be averi,d.
no words could tell the awful sense Of desc
lation that fell upon me.
CONTINUED Tomorrow