Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-05-13
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Captain Storms put the glass to his
eye, and took a long look. Far on
black against the silvery horizon line
that shapeless speck showed. What
was it? Captain Storms prolonged
survey ended, he slowly dropped his
glass, and turned to Mr.. Scott, the
mate.
II knew was right" he said; cit IL
a wreck, a dismantled hulk, drifting
about at the mercy of wind and sea
There may be no one left aboard, but
we'll bear down and have look"
And then Captain Storms lifted uI
his voice-a stentorian voice it was
and gave the proper orders to the man
at the masthead, or at the helm, OF
somewhere don't know exactly.
would tell you the precise words which
Captain Storms used on this occasion
IL l could; but I'm deplorably back
ward in nautical matters. So you'll
have to be content with learning that
the gallant bark, the Lovely Lass, bore
straight down upon that dark mass
outlined against the sunny sky.
Captain Storms leaned over the side
and lit a cigar. He was a bronzed
young man, stalwart and gallant as !
take it sailor men mostly are! and he
looked the very beau ideal of dash
ing seaman, in his off-hand seafaring
costume. He had a beard, and he had
a mustache, big and brown, like him
self; and, from the crown of his glazed
hat to the sole of his boots, Captain
Storms was sailor, every inch of him.
The Lovely Lass bore down along the
sunlit tropic sea and reached that float
ing wreck. Captain Storms was the first
man to hear the moaning cry of faint
human voice. No living thing was to
be seen; but from corner of the deck
that faint, plaintive cry walled.
There's some one alive here STILL"
said Captain Storms. Speak, friend!
Who are you? Where are you?"
F., Again that unspeakably mournful
wall. Captain Storms strobe across to
where heap Of torn canvas and rotten
wood lay, and looked down. There in
the garish sunshine, with her face
upturned to the serene sky, a woman
lay dead. Crouching over her, skele-
ton child, with long, wild hair, sat
making that feeble moan of dumb
agony.
my child" Captain Storms said.
pitifully my child, what is this"
The CHASTITY little creature lifted a
bloodless face and pair of haggard
eyes.
Mothers dead!"
my poor little girl" said the sailor,
bending over her as tenderly as that
dead mother could have done, "you
must come with me, or you will die,
too. Comet"
She rose up-a frail little shadow of
ten years-and held up her skeleton
arms.
Peace is hungry" she cried, piteous-
ly. Peace is sick and cold, and
mothers dead"
And then as the strong arms lifted
her as though she had been a wax doll,
the blue eyes closed YEARLY, and the
weak baby dropped heavily against his
breast; and hunger, and sickness, and
cold, and death were all blotted out in
blind darkness.
And for weary days and weary nights
while the Lovely Lass sailed along
the southern seas, and the dead woman
lay quietly under the great Pacific
the little rescued waif lay fiuttering
between death and life. And during
these endless days and nights, the big
sun-browned sailor watched over his
little girl as a father-nay, as a mother
might have done, until the fiuttering
spirit ceased it's struggles and grew
calm in strength and health once more.
Little Peace-her name was Priscilla
Weir, she said; Peace for short-came
up on deck by-and-by, pale and weak
still, and lisped her story to the soft
hearted sailor.
There had been great storm-oh a
dreadful STORM" Peace said, with a
shudder; and they went away in boats
all the men did-and mamma was
sick down in the cabin, and left behind
and Peace stayed with mamma and was
left behind, too And then mamma
came upstairs on deck, and died; and
Peace sobbed. and was so iii and SO
cold; and then you came" looking
gratefully at the captain, land Peace
doesn't remember any more"
Does my little Peace know where
mamma came from, and where she was
going?" Captain Storms asked.
Yes, Peace knows. Mamma came
from New York and was going to China
to papa. Papa lived in China and was
rich"
But that was all she could tell; and
Captain Storms knew that among all
the unlikely things on this earth, the
most unlikely now was that papa and
his little girl would ever meet.
The Lovely Lass spent nine long
months on the Pacific coast, and then
sailed back for America.
And / shall leave my little Peace be-
hind next voyage" Captain Storms
said. i have . sister who keeps a