The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1898-01-13


food fta the men. Forward OF this were
the water casks, dozen or more, and
all full. When I came to examine the
forecastle, found boots, oilsSius. SOU
yesters and other belongings OF the
crew, to prove tb2t they had not gone
away in the boats. Indeed was sure
before I had half concluded my inves-
tigation that every man had perlshed
when tho brig was wrecked. 1t was
night before had finished, and tum-
bled into the captains berth and never
slept more soundly. You may think it
queer that during the day I had scarce
" glanced around the horizon and given
no thought to rescue, and that went
to bed with a contented mind, but sail
ors are prone to take luck as it comes,
good or bad. I had made miraculous
escape and was fairly safe Oh the wreck,
and there was nothing to worry over If
not taken off for weeks. Interested as l
was in overhauling the stranger,
would not have tossed up penny to be
taken off by passing vessel.
When morning came again made
more thorough investigation of the cab
in. In rear of the captains stateroom 1
CHANGED upon closet which had es-
capped me the day before, and here
made great find. There was about
$1,000 in French gold and notes, ST.
200 in English goldpieces and exactly
$1,000 in goldpicces just struck OF at
the Australian minis. The money was
in two tin boxes, but whether it be-
longed to the ship, her captain or to
other people could not determine. 1t
was big fortune to poor sailor, and l
remember that ! acted very foolishly
over the find. counted it over and over
again, and when I at last realized that
was rich I flushed on deck, with
wild hope of seeing q sail close at hand.
But for the money [ believe that the
lCng days and nights which followed
would have been rather cOntentful for
me, isolated as the situation was. | had
plenty to eat and drink, there was noth-
ing to break my sleep, the wreck might
drive where she would, but there was
no danger OF her going down. The dis
covery of the money was followed by a
hope of rescue, and this again by worry
and anxiety. wanted to go ashore to
enjoy my wealth. l feared that when
rescue did como shc9ld be robbed. /
cCn5Ured up thousand seDseless fears,
and the upshot was anything but bene-
fetal. / have spoken of the general sit
uation in a careless way. AS matter
of fact, being a navigator, l took obser-
vations regularly when the weather
permitted and pricked off the drift of
the wreck Gu the chart. On the average
the weather was fine, but there were
days and nights when gale and sea tum-
bled the waterlogged craft about until
only sailor could have lived through
it. Instead of lifting her the waves ran
over her, and at such times the decks
were two feet under water and the cab
in was flooded. The cargo was af1oat
with the water in the hold, and as the
wreck rolled and pitched the timbers
rubbed together and produced noises
which would have frightened lardsmen
into fits.
l kept all accurate reckoning, and
had been On the wreck just 40 days
when l careht sight Of my first sail.
No doubt ships had passed and repassed
me by day and night, hut could set no
signal by day and from the first slept
all through the night. This sail was
discovered early enc morning, coming
up from the south, and her course was
such that she must see me-. l had put
the money into bags and the Tags into
bundles of clotEirg in view of a rescue,
and therefore had nothing to Go but
wait. The stranger, which proved to be
an English merchantmen bound for In
dia, but considerably off her course,
was within four miles of me and had
set signal to gladden. my heart when
big whale suddenly broke water close
to the wreck. He was followed half
minute later by a second, which attack
ed him with great fury. The monsters
put up terrific battle, flashing and bit
ing each other and kicking up sea
like gale OF wind. They at first drew
made circle which brought them back.
What had feared from the first came
to pass after quarter of all hour. Half
blinded by pain and fury, or feeling it.
self overmatched and DESTROYS of getting
away, one of the whales suddenly whirl-
ed about and came for the wreck head
on. He was fully so feet long, and he
came like moving mountain. I made
sure of MY hold as saw him coming,
but he struck the wreck on her port side
with such force that was thrown
across the deck and into the sea beyond.
I heard the crash of planks and timbers,
was tossed about by the waves, rubbed
against the whale as he sounded and
reached the surface to find the wreck
hull no longer. 1t was simply heap
of floating debris. The strange ship
drew nearer, lowered a boat, and was
picked up as l chung to plank. The
money was gone, all else but the tim
bers which composed the cargo had dis
appeared, ard my adventure, surprising
Is it had begun, had ended in a manner
strange enough to satisfy even the most
imaginative novelist. was carried to
India by the rescuing ship, and know
that tie French consul at Calcutta set
inquiries On feet regarding the fate of
the crew OF the Marie. What they
amounted to I never learned, but have
-. e. H. .:ol,o