The Opelousas courier., 1898-11-12
Glow the water-line, and the cry

the pumps are useless!
The captain was marvellously firm
and cool, and by his example made us
all the same.
The boats were rapidly lowered and
filed, while, thank Heaven, the storm
seemed to abate. The women went
first, of course, and all who proceed
ing we'll, when, Just as the last boat
was being filled, eS remembered that in
my hurry l had left my mothers min
iature in my chest. There was plenty
Of time to fetch it, and in a second l
was down in the cabin. F1inging the
lid open, my hand was already upHTT
the ILLNESSES, when I heard a foot upon
the stairs. l turned, and by the dim
light yet swinging from the roof per
ceived Jacob Kiel.
Good Heavens! The diabolfcal ex-
preston on his face. the iendish NAL
ice in his dark, snake-like eyes, re-
vealed his intention in a moment. He
had come to do me some deadly harm.
Leaping up. | seized my revolver, to
be On my guard; but an attack was
not his purpose. Before 1 could pre-
vent him. he had quickly closed the
cabin door, and locked it Tn the out
side.
Like a flash of lightning all the hor-
rors of my situation instantly flashed
before me. l was a prisoner in the
sinking ship! Uttering a loud shout Of
fury. l sprang forward; the cry was
echoed by a laugh from Jacob Kiel.
I heard him say, "Who will marry
May Brodstone now?" and then his
feet went rapidly up the stairs.
1 called aloud for help; the uproar of
the storm drowned my voice. I
paused. Just then the wind lulled,
and | heard an order to push off; the
speaker was Jacob Kiel. l again
shouted in my agony; but my voice
and the wind rose together-I was not
heard. l continued to shout like a
mailman, though l knew that all hope
was gone-that l was alone, like a
trapped rat. in the sinking ship.
Furiously l beat the door, all the
while painfully conscious that rescue
was impossible and death certain, for
it was night. and, as no bought the
storm would separate the boats, my
absence would not be discovered until
the vessel had foundered.
Could I expect aught else, when In
the occasional lull of the hurricane l
heard the rush of the deadly waters
in the hold, and felt the ship lurch
more heavily each moment as she
plunged in the trough of the sea? Sud
denly she gave a terrific heel over, and
a wave came rafting down the COIN
panion ladder like thunder, rushed
under the door and inundated the
cabin.
I shrieked in agony, believing that
all was oyer-that l was to die thus.
not even with the chance of battling
for life.
l felt that 1 could meet death calmly
if l were on deck, with the heavens
above me; but my very hair stirred at
the thought of being buried in the
sea as it were in a box. Was there
really no way of escape? 1 looked
round and gave a great cry Of Joy,
leaped forward, careless now that the
water mounted higher and higher.
"Fool! IDIOT" l exclaimed. "You
are your own murderer"
My eyes had rested upon my re-
volver. In q second l had fired two
of its barrels into the lock of the door,
shivering it to atoms, and the next
minute l was upon the deck-only just
in time, for the vessel was settling
fast. 1t would have settled long be-
fore, but that the storm had abated.
With a wild hope 1 looked for the
boats. Near or. far all was alike
darkness hid the waters. But, hav-
ing succeeded SO far, l resolved not
to despair. One by n l discharged
the, remaining barrels Of lay revolver,
and then plunged into the sea, to swim
as far as 1 could from TIL. ship before
it sank, hoping that I should find
some pieces of wreck. I did so before
I had proceeded far-a mast, with
cordage attached. This helped me;
for, after lashing myself to the mast
as we'll as l could, the waves bore me
away. Suddenly, however, a fearful
rush of water seized me. l was drawn
rapidly back, and then down as in a
whirlpool-flung, it seemed, here, there
and everywhere-after which l re-
membered no more. When I came to,
1 was in one of the boats, with May
Brodstone leaning yer me
It appeared that directly morning
dawned the boats were called together,
and the captain went over the names,
when mine was found missing; upon
which he had resolved to row back,
and see if he could not find me, urged
thereto by many of his companions,
who wondered-as did not Jacob Kiel
what could have prevented my get
ting into one Of the boats.
The sea was nearly calm, the sun
shining, and their search was not diff
cult. They soon perceived a dark OBJ
ject. Approaching it, they found it to
be myself, clinging like grim death to
the wreck, but laughing and yelling
ike a maniac. In fact, 1 was mad, and
for some time after they managed to
get me into the boat I remained SO;
then I became calmer, though I was
delirious for a whole day and night.
Directly sensibility returned I told
my story, filling every n with hor-
ror, especially May Brodstone.
II see it ALP exclaimed the captain.
'eThe villain! Last night our boats
separated in the darkness; this morn
ing the one bearing Jacob Kiel and the
worst of the crew was missing. He