The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-15
tALL RIGHTS RESERVED
three points off the port


The skipper and the mate hurriedly
crossed the deck to command viewsof
that part of the ocean which the man had
named, the little crowd of passengers
following. They stared for a moment or
two, and then Captain Sturgess ex-
claimed, II see it; just under the South.
ern Cross there. Kindly step below, into
my cabin, MIR. Rogers, and bring up the
night glass;
binoculars, the captain called an order to
the steersman to slightly shift the helm.
so as to bring the floating object in a bee-
line with the bowsprit. The light wind
was very nearly dead aft, and this tritiipg
change In the course involved no neces.
sity for trimming the sails.
Mr.. Rogers returned and handed the
took a long silent survey. The
was about half mile off; the soaring
moon rode little to the left OF it, and
threw it out clear and black upon the
surface of the sea. Several times during
the slow approach of the ship did those on
board of her hear the harsh baying of the
dog; with strange sort of sepulchral
note in it, too, which struck their ears,
although they took it to be mere fancy.
''It looks to me like d ships quarter
boat adrift,' said Captain Sturgess.
tul ming towards the mate, and extending
the binoculars to him. "See what YOU
make of it, Mr.. Rogers"
The officer, after q short inspection.
said he was Of the captain sSway of think
ing;
her. continued the skipper, although
the barking dog we hear is undoubtedly
in the boat. | think we may manage to
pick her up without stopping the ship
the wind is SO light and we have very
little Roadway through the water. Tell
hand to station himself in the starboard
main-chains with line, ready to drop
into the boat, and take turn with the
end of it as we float past.
LAY, ay, SIR" responded the mate,
and he went away to give the necessary
orders, whilst the captain remained upon
the rail to con the ship true for the boat.
Presently she was close under the bows
OF the vessel, with the dog III her barking
loud and mournfully, and the fellow in
the channels muttering that he didn' t
like having to drop into the craft with
that creature there. However, the in
stlnct of obedience Is strong in the mar
gliding along the bends of the ship, to
Immediately under the overhanging plat
form in which the man stood, he swung
over the edge, and pumped down fair
between the gunwales, causing the boat
to give Accusing splash as her SQUAD
shape ducked beneath his weight. Moth
ing was to be seer from the bulwarks but
the black shadow of her CONFORMATION
upon the inky water alongside. The
dog gave low, threatening growl OF
two, and then fell silent.
IA II fast" cried the seaman, and
the boat veered astern on to the quarter,
and there hung, towing by the rope he
had hi5ched round thwart.
Anything in hsrS" called down the
captain, who stood among the row of
passengers that lined the poop rail. y
There's two men-dead they both seem
to me-lying side by side in the bottom
OF her, and the dawg, which is sitting
atop of one of 'en, looking as though
it would fly at the first person as touched
the bodies"
Bring lantern along" said Captain
Sturgess.
In moment or two one of the watch
came aft. bearing a big globular lamp
screened with brass wire, which burnt
with a brilliant light. This was secured
in the boat. The glare of it threw out
the PROSTATE bodies of two men, huddled
together under the thwarts, face down
wards, in the bottom of the boat. One of
them was clad as common seaman, in
a striped flannel shirt and duck trousers:
the other was attired as gentleman,
and tt,was upon his figure that the dog
a large coIlie-lay stretched.
Is the doctor here?" inquired Captain
Sturgess falling back from the rail to
gaze along the deck.
"Here I am,' responded tall young
man. emerging from among the people,
"Will you just go down and look at
those two men, Mr.. Collinsa' said the
skipper. 'No use our bringing the poor
things aboard if they're dead
The doctor called to the sailor to haul
the boat up under the main-chains again:
he then descended into her, and, picking
up the lantern, stopped to peer at the
prone figures The dog gave hoarse,
croaking, kind Of yelp but the sagacity
of the poor brute seemed to give 1t to
understand that no harm was intended
to tho recumbent forms it guarded, and
it perm tilted the doctor to handle the
bodies in peace. He held the lamp close
to the head of the animal, and then gave
a little groan of pity Its eyes were sunk
and glazed; its tongue lolled out over
its dropping under jaw; and it's mouth
was. full Of oozing froth and saliyisl
DRAWINGS.
Thirst-famine!' he calculated. ssFor
the leve of God, sir, he called to the
skipper, "send down some water at
once!"
He then proceeded to examine the two
men. The sailor he saw at glance was
dead; stark and stiff corpse; but the
other still breathed, although.so feebly
that it needed practised medical ear
to detect the tremulous, scarcely percepti-
BILE Inspirations.
"One of the men is alive, SIR" said
the doctor, looking up at theRoverhanging
row OF pale faces, amongst which he
guessed would be that of the captain,
He must be, brought on board at once. -
At that instant a man lowered down
a deck bucket half-full of fresh water.
The seaman, who still remained in the
boat took it, and extended it to the dog.
The poor faithful beast feebly raised its
head with strange, plaintive cry, and
Tapped thea.water with a voracity heart
rendina to watch; it drank the pail dry.
then gave husky, rattling bark, a con-
vulsive tremor ran through it's long, lean
frame, and it dropped over upon its side
dead. The sailor let drop the bucket.
and started back with q smothered oath
from sheer horror and pity.
"We'll sling the living man aboard in
a hammock, ''.Ssaid the captain He cave
few directions, and as swiftly as posi-
BILE canvas sea-bed was procured from
the mems quarters and let down by
ropes attached to the clews into the boat
h.