The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1898-08-18

VAS CRY oil shes eoins oosp, ana pes
sending The sailors hrs,i" and rssh fo'
the boat.
Stand Lscil cried the skipper
Crack and the leading fireman spfesd
ont bic hsuds and pitched 90 hm isce,
rolling 10 9 limp bubdie dosn 90 The les
rail. The rest OF the men stopped. They
mig I - veil be drowned - shot, they
thought. sud they huddled together, look
ing with touihed slsncss .. their dead
oomrsde. Tue stipper paused. lowered
Lis revolver, sld then called The n.is
name; They hsd learned their lesson. end
wen, quietly 10 the boat. which got safely
away. and driitei out. Of sight 10 The
midst Of the gale.
The other boa, was flled without any
mishsp. and the skipper. the only man
left on the deck. lowered her, she also got
clear away and driiled ont TO The fuli
length Of her painter. The skipper walk
ed sit to wait for them 10 haul up again.
He had to pass the body Of the desd man.
spd he did not look at 1t. The boat vas
hsulipg up on the painter, snd vas get
ting close; the skipper got on the rail-
ready to iomp. Al that moment hre
man, the brother OF the man he had shot.
reaching over the boats bow. snd. With .
cry Of Blast you. stop and drown With
Bill cut the painter.
The distance between the ship and the
bost began to widen instantly, and 10
spite OF the frantic efforts Of the sailors 81
the osrs, the deeply laden boat w1 swept
away and blotted down from the rails and
be made his wsy back TO the bridge deck
He had just ten minutes 10 live. Ten min
utes to prepare for the next world, alter
forty years at seal
He climbed up on the bridge again, and
set on the canvas windsoreen to think.
His wife and children. who would look 81
ter them pox' His wages we're $50 pcr
IN onth; on that be had had but smsll
chance to save Well, he supposed the
Snipmsster.' Society would do something
for her. but she would have 10 give up
her little house st Forest Gate, aud drop
from the position OF . esptslns wife to
letting lodgings; perhaps one Of the chill
dren could be got into IN orphansge; IL
not, we'll, it meant starvation or the work
house. He thought OF bis own life, Of
his hard, i'll used boyhood, cabin boy in
Buebsc on timber ship. Of his manhood
spent 10 upremitting toll in oil parts Of
the world, Of the various ships be had
commanded, in each OF which be had eI
peoted to use less coal. less paint. fewer
provisions, and to go with smaller crews
than in the last. He thought OF the
blsokgusrds he had had TO command %
crewp, and the trouble be had had with
them. and the old sailor prob.eE rose to
his lips: To live hard, work hard, die
and 60 to DAvy Jouess locker after
oil. would be too hard. Well, he'd not
had much iun out Of life, and now be
wss going to 6nd out what 1t sll meant.
Anyway. he had always done his best for
his ship.
His eye fell on the dead body OF the
fireman. That tool II the man saould
indict him at the bar oi,the last Judge
ment be would answer there. ss he would
have answered to an earthly court: In
my judgment i. was necessary for the
safety Of the men 10 my charge.
sudden culver warned him she was near
ly gone, and be rose to bis feet for one
last look to windwsrd. As he looked into
The binding spray. be saw large wave
some out Of the mist, and knew it would
swamp her. He gripped the rail With
both hands, and bis lips moved 10 . bali
prayer. Our Father, which art
-snd the wave swept on. But the
had gone. The skipper had
gone to meet his fireman where there
,hall be no more ses.