The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-07-01
ADRIFT IN MID OCEAN

ADRIFT IN MID OCEAN
It was not a bad night at sea. but Il
was not a good one. either. The sea
was smooth and the wind was light
but the sky was overcast, and there
was low-lying haze which narrowed
the horizon down to q circle half q
mile in diameter. The water over the
ships side looked black and oily and
here and there, when lazy crest re-
fected the beams of one of the ves-
sells lights, the glitter Of 1t was lurid
and baleful. On deck all was silent,
save for the occasional ill-tempered
comments Of the first mate, who was
on watch, and had a sailors dispose
ton toward thick weather.
what in Africa is that Stating
about so on the main top-sail yard!
Here. you. tumble up, and see what's
adrift."
His words were addressed to a tall,
muscular boy who had been leaning
against the rail and staring thought
fully into the sea. Ferris James had
been in dark reverie. He was not
happy boy, for everything seemed to
him to have gone wrong. His father,
once a man Of means, had died bank
rupt, leaving him absolutely penni-
less. Ferriss was then glad to secure
a berth as an ordinary seaman aboard
the ship Glendower, outward bound
for Bombay. It was while he was
meditating on his changed circum-
stances that he received the curt Or
der Of the mate and responded with
the instructive "Ay, ay, SIR"
The boy, strong and active, with the
alert sinsws Of seventeen years, dane
ed up the ratlines like a 1.-THE cat, and
was soon out upon the yard, which had
the swing of gigantic sea-saw. Fer
ris examined one half foot by foot till
he found himself on the extreme end
Of the yardarm. A moment later-he
never knew how 1t happened-the yard
seemed to slip from under him, and he
shot downward with a sudden plunge
into the sea. He barely had time to
utter a startled cry before the waters
closed over him. |
When he came to the surface he
saw something round and white float
ing near him. He grasped at it, and
found it was a life-buoy which had been
thrown from the ship. The vessel
herself was fast slipping into the i'm !
penetrable gloom. He knew that
boat would be lowered, but he doubted
that 1t would find him on such thick
night. After a time he began to emit
at intervals the sailors far-reaching
"Aho-o-o-y!" There was no response
out of the pitch-like blackness, and
when three-quarters of an hour had
passed, Ferris, with a strange feeling
of indifference, stopped shouting.
A feeling of irresistible lassitude
stole over the boy, and weird numb
ness crept through his limbs. He felt
as II he were overpowered by sleep, !,
and twisting his arms in the life line
of the buoy, which he had managed to
get over his head and down under his
arms, he allowed his head to fall on
one side, and he lost consciousness.
He M, no resistance, for he felt that
such he as his was not worth strug-
Cling for. He remembered dimly af-
forwards that his last thought was,
Il wonder where I'll wake up?"
Very much to his own surprise, he
awoke in the same place-adrift in the
North Atlantic, with only a circle of
cork and canvas between him and the
great circle of eternity. For a few
he rested languidly, scarce
ly moving even his hands. Then
spark of hope fired him with desire
to scan the sea. He raised his head
and slowly swept a gaze around his
narrow horizon. He smiled at his own
lack of enthusiasm when he apatheti-
cally discovered barQue not more
than mile away.
The barque looked miserable. Her
gpars were all awry, and her rigging
was full of slack lines. She steered
an erratic course, under scant can
vas, and altogether showed evidence
Of utter generalization.
There must be sick or mutinous
crew aboard there" muttered Ferris,
II wonder which,"
Presently the vessel was not more
than 800 yards away, and the boy rails.
ed his voice in far cry, "Barque aho-