St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-10-22

to the steep ladder like stampeded cat.
tie and swarmed up it like gorillas IN
double stream, pulling each other
down, climbing upon each Others
backs. Two or three sailors tried to
restrain us, but soon they were strug-
Cling with the rest, each man for him
self. Alone they would have kept
their heads; ard /, too, had often
looked peril in the face with reason
able GOODNESS. But the panic was like
an infectious delirium, setting loose
the wild beast that slumbers in each
human soul. stood for an instant
sane; then, I knew not how, was in
fhe midst Of the crush, white, gasping,
ccnvulsed with terror and effort. |
thrust aside a woman as il she had
been q hostile savage. She flung her
self back upon the pack, clawing like
a cat.
"Just behind me lowered Yousouf,
the gigantic Turk. He was bearing
down all before him. stopped and
dived between his legs. and with .
quick turn caught him by the waist
band from behind. Quite unconscious
of my existence. he towed me through
the writhing mob, and ! reached the
deck close in his wake.
"A gray mist drizzled in our faces
and shut us in like the tapping canvas
Of tent. The ship was listing heavily
to starboard. Rockets were kissing
through the air. The captain raved on
the bridge. shouting and cursing. and
some OF the crew were striving to car
~ out his orders; but as the stream
from the steerage spread itself over
We rushed to the boats which the sail
ors were vainly trying to swing clear.
and filled them to overdowing, block
ing every effort. The tackle clogged;
the davits swung inward.
Then, perceiving that this was
hopeless. we rushed headlong down
the sloping deck to the boats on the
other side; and some, unable to chert
themselves. pitched overto09
Among these was Yousouf, who sank
rose. struck out wildly with three
Herculean arm-beats, and went down
a. il some hidden monster had seized
him from below. Then l remembered
his belt Of golden eagles.
meanwhile knives were flashing.
and slash ON the forehead a. II
crowded toward boat dazed me and
dimmed my eyes with blood, SO that
for some minutes clung to the rail
and saw little Of what was passing
Then 4 boy stumbled against me with
Z life-belt. I sprang upon him with
an oath. The deck was lurching be
meath my feet; the shameless demon
Of fear possessed me. wrenched the
belt from the poor little gamin's
grasp. put it on and leaped over the
side, just as the shattered hulk dove
to the bottom with a mighty swirl
ard a roar of inrushing waters.
81 was sucked under to . giddy
depth, but the cork brought me up
Just as the last atom Of air was CUR
Cling from my lungs. In = moment the
waves around me were full OF faces.
One little body rose close beside me.
leaping into the mir like sturgeon
but it fell back lifeless and sank again.
THAT corpse, which when breath
was in it, couldn't have weighed more
than SO pounds, is the heaviest. thing
III all the universe row. 1t is drag
ging me down to perdition--and i'm
agined that a stolen life-belt would
buoy me up! The weight Of that body
would sink me through the solid
earth! But I shall never again set
foot on land or ship. The life that l
disgraced my race to save isn't worth
= days purchase.
s.But the fury Of the death-terror
was then still upon me. and / struck
and kicked at every struggling form
which the eddies swept near. A boat
passed sunk low and swaying with its
crazy load. i made after it, but with
. boat hook they beat me of.
THE fog was now lifting, and at a
distance discerned the dim outlines
of ship lying to. swan laboriously
toward 1t, but presently ife-raff
drifted across my course, and / head
ed for that. Only one man was upon
it-a burlyi Italian, brandishing m
oar, which he brought down on my
skull with stunning violence just as ]
had caught hold Of trailing rope-end.
The last thing saw was half-naked
Austrian climbing up from the water
with q dirk between his teeth. i must
have hoated for long time. quite un-
conscious.
~When I came to myself my hand
Was still; clenched and twisted in the
rope: could scarcely unbend my stiff-
ened fingers. Beside me swung the
raft. entirely deserted. crawled
upon 1t, hut even the oar had disap-
peared; l could only guess what had
happened. No ship, no human being
was anywhere to k seen.
The rest Is but an agony, Of thirst.
hunger, msdness-and remorxe. For
uncounted hours have lain weltering
under the glare Of the sun and the
gloom OF the stars. lam doubly afraid |
to die, yet I cannot live. When / see = |
sail shall slide down from the raft
and this damning life-belt that did
murder to secure will not keep me
company.
July Tit has come at last. A sail
is in sight just over the offing and |
am ~ glad NJ though were TO be res
cued. Good-by. Joey; you're about the
only mortal care to be remembered
TO. I'm going now to make my apollo
gies to little white corpse 1t the bot /
tom OF the sea"
Only Turks.
During the Crimean war Lord Rag
Ian WAS most conciliatory In his con-
duet and language to the French, but. |
unluckily, from old peninsular associ-
ations, he was now and then betrayed
into speaking Of them n '.the enemy"
III we are placed here and the enemy
are posted there" Good heavens,
my lord!" Lord de- Ros would cry.
..what are you saying?" He was also
particularly desirous Of establishing
cordial relations between the English
snd Turkish armies. and was much dis
turaed Ut quarrel which took place
between some Of the soldiers. When
the combatants were dispersed. one
or two Turkish soldiers were left "
sn1 dead. Lord de Ros was sent to the
grand yixier to express Lord RaGlAn's