Rocky Ford enterprise., 1897-04-29

we beheld the treacherous rocks
straight ahead of us. As I saw the
white waves-whiter because Of the
darkness which surrounded us-dash-
ing against them, l had no shadow of
doubt that we were lost. Pitch dark it
1t was, but sailor can see rocks with
out light to guide him-for the matter
OF that, believe he can smell them
and 1t does not need a sailors eye to
see the white foam from raging sea
dashed from an iron bound shore back
Into the black waters. Many's the time
l have seen the spotless spray leaping
up the sides Of the rocks that line the
foreign shores, and, curling back again
In beautiful showers. laughing in the
sun-sparkles that filled them with light,
and made them look like millions of
living silver stars: but then the days
were fne, and the sun was shining. 1t
was different now. There was 10 sun
and no moon. and the swell of the sea
toward the shore came to my ears like
the sound Of muffied drums.
The task we had before us now was
to prevent The Rising Sun from set
ting bodily toward the land; but tho
task was too much for us. and though
we worked with will we could not
avoid our fate. The vessel hardly had
steerage way, and the heavy southwest
swell was driving her nearer and near
er to the black rocks. By midnlghk
she had become perfectly unmanage-
able; and all the passengers. being now
alarmed and aware Of their peril. were
on deck. keeping their feet as we'll as
they could. looked out on the lee
beam. and saw the land, like . fog
bank. creeping nearer and nearer to us.
In the midst of my duties had striven
hard, but without success. to discover
Bob and Pearl, and 1t was while was
thinking of the land with a feeling of
agony that a woman's voice. falling on
my ear. sent shock through me which
curdled my blood.
Hush, my child-hushw were the
spoken words: and 1t was my wife who
uttered them to my boy.
Dumb with fearful Joy and amaze
ment I turned toward the voice. when
The Rising Sun came crash
against a sharp. jutting rock.
and, II you will believe 1t.
carried part OF It away. In the midst
of the cries Of despair that accompanied
the crash, l myself called out: MA
bel! Mabel! give me my boy!" But my
voice only added to the general terror
and confusion. and before we had time
to recover ourselves. the ship lurched
on to another point Of rock. which
carried away her spanker-boom and
rudder. And now. dark as 1t was be-
fore. 1t grew darker. Ay. It was like
the Egyptian darkness, for 1t could al
most be felt. and Tho Rising Sun
seemed to be slowly cutting her way
through 1t. rs II 1t were n substance.
The two points OF rock which the ves-
sci had struck formed the entrance to
huge water cave, and into this cave
we were now fatally working our way.
This accounted for the increasing dark
ness. for above us and before us were
savage rocks. from the walls OF which
the thick slime was crawling down to
the sea. This much know, and this
much I saw. but I was mercifully
spared from the conscious knowledge
of n great deal of the agony and terror
Of that awful night. The mizzen-top-
gallant mast coming down with tre-
mendous force. was struck prone to
the deck by 1t. and for time partial
ly lost my senses.
TO nscoSrtSusb.,