The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-08-31

tnen the man whose name Is caliel
will take his place in the boat. An,
man that starts for the boat before
tell him, / shoot, understand aIl?"
There was a low murmur from tn
men and the skipper continued:
'.Mr. Smith win take charge of tn,
boat"
The mate, with look at the skipper
climbed into the boat as she hung II
the davits- The skipper then called
the names of The crew he proposed t.
send in her, sending first the sailors
so that the mate might place each in
his proper station in the boat, before
the firemen, ETC., who would be Of nc
use in the critical maneuvre of getting
her away from the ships side, crowded
her up. But these same firemen did
not understand his reason, and thought
he was showing undue preference to
his own men, and a heavier sea than
usual striking the steamer, there was &
cry of "She's going down, and he's
sending the sailors firstg' and rush
for the boat
"Stand baekm cried the skipper.
Crack! and the leading fireman
spread out his hands and pitched onto
his face, rolling in limp bundle down
onto the lee rail. The rest Of the men
stopped. They might as well be drown
ed as shot, they huddled together,
looking with Mortified glances at their
dead comrade. The skipper paused,
lowered his revolver, and then called
the next name they had learned their
lesson, and went quietly to the boat,
which was got safely away, and drift
ed out Of sight in the mist of the gale.
The other boat was filled without
any mishap, and the skipper, the only
man left on deck, lowered her; she also
got clear away, and drifted out to tue
full length of her painter. The skipper
walked to the lee rail to wait for them
TO haul up again. He had to pass the
body of the dead man and he did not
look at it. The boat was hauling up
on the painter, and was getting close;
the skipper got on the rail ready to
jump. At that moment a fireman, the
brother of the man he had shot, reach
ed over the boats bow, and, with cry
Of "Blast you stop and drown with
BillF' cut the painter.
The distance between the ship and
the boat began to widen Instantly, and
in spite of the frantic efforts Of the
sailors at the oars the deeply laden
boat was swept away and blotted out
in the mist. The skipper got down
from the rails, and made his way back
to the bridge deck. He had just ten
minutes to live. Ten minutes to pre-
pare for the next world, after years at
seal
He climbed up on the bridge again
and sat on the canvas windscreen to
think. His wife aud children, who
would look after them now? His wages
were SIG per month; on that he had
had but small chance to save. Well,
he supposed the Shipmaster's Society
would do something for her, but she
would have to give up her little
house at Forest Gate and drop from
the position Of a captains wife to let.
ting dodgers; perhaps one of the chill
iren could be got into an orphanage; If
not, well, it meant starvation or the
He thought of his own
life, of his hard, ill-used boyhood, cabin
BOY in a Quebec timber ship; of his
spent in unremitung toll in
al parts of the world; of the various
'hips he had commanded, In each Of
which he had been expected to use less
,Osl, less paint, fewer provisions, and
20 60 with smaller crews than in the
asst. He thought of the blackguards
ne had had to command as crews, and
he trouble he had had with them, and
he old sailor proverb rose to his lips.
To live hard, work hard. and go to
hell after all, would be too damned
lard." Well, he'd not had much fun
,ut of life, and now he was going to
ind out what it all meant. Anyway
he had always done his best for his
hip.
His eyes fell on the dead body of the
fireman. That too If the man should
ndict him at the bar of the last judg-
nent he would answer there, as he
would have answered to an earthly
.ourt: "In nay judgment it was neces-
AIRY for the safety of the men in my
charge" A sudden quiver warned
him she was nearly gone, and he rose
o his feet for one last look to wind
ward. As he looked into the binding
pray, he saw large wave come out of
he mist, and he knew it would swamp
Ter. He gripped the rail with both
hands, aud his lips moved in half
orgotten prayer. "0ur Father which
lrt"-and the wave swept on. But
saraband had gone The skipper had
yone to meet his fireman where ''there
hall be no more sea-" From Temple
Bar.