Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-05-14

Not II our luck holds. DO you be-
lieye in luck. doctor?"
YES. most firmly" said l. The ques-
tion recalled most unpleasantly the trib-
ulations OF life on shore, which, for
little. | had shaken of, but 10 which n
return was inevitable.
And so do !" said the skipper. Still,
with Mary with us We can't meet any
great misfortune. Old Ocean wouldn't
be malicious enough To build up her
health only TO make her fate a ship
wreck"
His eyes met his wife's for an instant;
the look on the faces of the two re
vealcd that, notwithstanding their we'd
ding day was far behind them, they
were still lovers.
Take off those wet things, dear"
she said. Surely you can spare Us a
half hour. You're not needed on deck
all the time"
'rll be with you in two minutes" he
answered, cheerily. His hand was on
the latch of his stateroom door, when
there came u shock which almost
knocked him from his feet. A tremor
ran through the fabric of the vessel.
Then there were shouts from above
and the noise of men running along the
deck
Mrs. Peck started from her seat, her
hands clasped and her lips moving,
though no sound came from them. l
had sprung after the captain toward
the campanion way, but he turned upon
me fiercely.
Look after my wife!" he cried.
don't leave her, man! Back with
you!"
And back l went, though it was little
In my power TO comfort her. Yet |
strove to reassure her, as if frightened
woman could be cheered by an equally
frightened man. Neither of us knew
what had happened. In our ignorance
we could only dread horrors none the
less terrifying for the indefniteness of
them. So for many minutes we sat,
pale and trembling at the prospect of
dangers we knew not what. But the
motion of the ship and the tell-tale
compass showed that she was still
speeding on her course, and after time
the fact began to revive our courage.
At last-how long the interval seemed
there is no need of relating-Capt. Peck
rejoined us.
What was it. Abner?" gasped his
wife. What was it?"
Here, here, that won't do" he an
swered. Don't worry. We're still
afloat, and likely to keep afioat, which
is more to the point"
"Then what has happened 2" l broke
in.
I'VE struck something. just what,
we don't know, but something quite
awash. for nobody saw anything of 1t.
Whatever il was, we must have sent IL
even glimpse of the thing as we went
over it,"
~ derelict?"
Perhaps However, we're not badly
damaged, so far as can be discovered.
There's no danger"
With n great sigh of relief, his wife
sank back In her seat. Her husband
bent over her and kissed her.
Don't let her get down-hearted, doc
tor" said he. "She's brave little wom-
an If she has only chance. Remember,
both of you, we're not sinking, but
afioat in as sound ship as ever
was sent off the ways. And now I've
got to go on deck again"
In spite of the confidence he felt, or
assumed, there was little rest for us
that night Morning, to be sure, showed
the vessel apparently uninjured. at least
to unsl1illed eyes, though one could not
help noticing that the faces of the
mates were unusually grave, and that
the men talked earnestly among them
selves. The pumps had been going dur
ing the night, as knew, and now, at In
tervals, the clank of them penetrated
the cabin. Nevertheless the captain
again nnd again declared that there was
no danger, until by force of repetition
he succeeded in allaying the fears of his
wife.
We held the breeze for three days.
Then followed gale of 20 hours dura-
ton, which left behind IL an ugly sea-
The next morning the pumps were go
ing steadily. The cold had moderated
sensibly, and from under the lee of n
boat enjoyed a pipe and watched the
men ut the brakes After little the
skipper, who had been standing near
the wheel, crossed over to me.
Doctor" he said, ave something to
tell you. 1t is better for you TO learn 1t
now than TO come at it after awhile by
guesswork. We've changed our course
and are headed for Rio"
Then the ships injury is greater
than you supposedly" asked, with all
my old terrors aroused.
"Yes. We have been leaking forward
ever since the collision. The pitching
and rolling in yesterdays blow In
creased the trouble and made my duty
clear. 1 want you to understand this
and to aid me in keeping up my wife's
spirits. Make her believe that seeking
port for repairs is more of an extra pre-
caution than a necessity"
"Ill do my best" 1 promised, and,
though my success was doubtful. l
honestly strove to aid the captains de-
signs. OF the anxious days of that
run to Rio there is little to re-
cord; but. reach it as we did ut
length. with the pumps going, the
men almost worn out and the ship
showing n good deal less freeboaTd
than she had displayed in the Pacific.
We learned, soon after our arrival. that
Perez was out of the city, and that 1t
was uncertain when he would return.
The work of repairs on the ship was
o., doe 10
lose ns little time as possible. There
were some cases of fever reported
among the shipping, and once or twice
/ was called aboard vessels to prescribe
for men lying Ill of the disease.
doubt whether my ministrations had
much effect, Yellow Jack being then
more of n stranger to me than was the
case somewhat later. While spending
q day ashore ] was seized by the fever.
] was hurried to o hospital. there to
fight my battle with the grim enemy.
The struggle was so close. Us l learned
afterward, that probably it would have
gone against me, had not Perez, re-
turning TO Rio, got news of my attack
and secured for me oil that money could
command in the way of treatment and
attendance; and when was GONZALES
cent he took me to his fine estate In the
highlands. The Mary Peck by this
time was well on her way to New York,
her captain easy in the knowledge that
he had left his surgeon in good hands.
OF the weeks passed as Perez guest
1 shall ever cherish grateful remem-
hrancc His Kindness MnS unVarVing.