Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-07-09

were the scattered bones Of q human skel-
eton. At the mainmast foot coiled huge
I python, who lazily lifted his horrid head,
| twisted k..s folds and darted a red ana
forbidding tongue at the horror stricken
sailors. The weather beaten sides Of the
vessel had long lost all trace of paint. No
sign of her name, origin or destination
cculd be scon. she was dcrclict, all that
remained Of her crew being the few bones
Scattered about the deck.
The crew of the Narka laughed, cursed,
swore and shed hot tears of disappoint-
ment and rage. Imprisoned like them
selves. the big ship drifted away and was
lost to sight. Then the crew saw what
seemed to he land Again hope sprang
| up in their hearts But, alas, the land
was merely a floating island, as unfixed
and untenable as tkeir own vessel Yer
cure, vines and trees covered the island.
| Countless birds of bright plumage, ma
tive of clines remote from their island
home, fluttcred in and out Mermcts
chartered and scrambled about in the
boughs Snakes craw!cd about in the
trees or lay basking on logs which floatcd
in the same listlcss manner. 1t was all n
dream seemingly, for no human could
obtain foothold on that land, and none
could survive the attacks of deadly rep
tiles il a landing could be effected.
| Three months from the day the ship
entered the dense mass the first mate re-
ported the startling news that the heavy
weed clinging so closely to the hull was
slowly but certainly dragging it down to
a watery grave. Thus new and still
more frightful peril was added to the Lor-
rors of that floating prison. Explosives
were aboard, and the captain determined
to utilize them to blast away the tendFils
which, like the tentacles of the devilfish,
were destroying their only hope of escape
| Rude shells were rugged up, fuses at
tachcd, ignited and scaled and the missiles
tossed overheard TO work their will on the
closely packed weed Explosion after ex-
| Plosion followed, and the mass separated
| and idly floatctl away from the ship. But
| 1t was soon seen that what was cast off
was speedily replaced by other masses and
the peril renewed, with the ship weakened
from the shocks But the vessel was es.sed
OF her weight and thereafter at regular in
tervals the captain reSorted TO his explo.
sivcs to relieve them from the haunting
fear of being dragged to the bottom.
One day two Of the IA men, in their
eageracss to observe the effect of large
| shell that had been used leaned too far
over the ships side. The shell exploded
with terrific force. driving the ship back
ward and toppliny the two sailors over
board into ,.ic sea. Instantly, before tho
Mortified eyes of their shipmates, the I'M
! fortunate men Were olaspcd by the tcndrils
and cnsulfcd. Swimmers could make no
Progress In the dense mass. No human
strength was sufficient to release them.
Down they went to the bottom, two more
victims Of the Sargasso
Five Gonths passed away. Hundreds of
| vessels were seen far and near. All were
abandoned, tcnantlcss excepting for the
creatures, mans natural enemies Island
after island was passed Birds in myriads
| iiuttercd about, at times settling on the
ship. Monkeys, boa constructors, pythons
and smaller snakes abounded, seemingly
being added that the picture of inferno
nigh. be complete. Horrid as was their
| situation, nature seemed to have ou:done
herself in providing horrid objects shat
mind might go with failing vigor Food
was growing scarce, but The awful mo-
notony of the fare prevented as rapid cx-
haustion as would have been the case 9TH
erwise.
| Explosives were almost exhausted when
the captain determined 10 mako one last
effort TO escape from that prison. He de-
ternined TO add the Narha to the list OF
d-relicts. and with the yawl make a des-
pcrate effort to break out into the open
sea. Carefully the yawl was loaded with
provisions and water The remainder of
the explosives was placed aboard and
then, with prayer for guidance to safety,
the survivors dropped into the little boat.
The Narka was left to her fate.
BY dirt OF terrific cxertion, the use of
explosives and the guiding hand of Proyi-
dcncc that little craft made her way out
OF the scawced sen in tho blue depths be-
yond. Lustily the men rowcd her. the
captain setting his course for the West In
dies, hoping either to make some port or
run across vessel which would pick
them up. But the dangers were not all
over yet for the little band of mariners.
Seven days and nights they tossed about
on the sea in an open boat, heavily loaded
with food and a crew much too large for
her. She must be lightened if all were to
be saved, 50 portion of the food was
tossed overheard Thrcatcnings of storm
showed them one mere danger. 1t seemed
as if they had left a prison to find death
But the mere fact that their own efforts
were aiding them to reach port of safety
hcartened the almost dcspairing men,
SHIFTS were arranged at the oars and not q
moment Of rest was INDUCED in. Hun
dreds Of miles interviewed between them
and the nearest land, ard it behooved
them to spare no effort, but it was kill
ing work after the months of privation
and horror, and their progress was slow.
But help was not far away. On the morn
ing of the seventh day "a sail was sighted,
and the crow was picked up finally and
carried to Porto Rico.