The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1898-06-30

despondent tone. Il don't know but
we shall have to go down with the
ship. Ebridge, If she's really going
down. but we'll see what we can do.
There's always time enough to die,
you. know"
AYE, that's true, sir: but if we do
anything, it must be done quickly,
for the waters coming In like flood.
We had already reached the spot
where the boat had been, and as | ut
tered the last word, stumbled against
its wooden cover, which had been re
moved when we worked to get the
boat overheard. The captains next
step brought him against the cover,
too, and the ship rolling heavily at
the same moment, we both fell upon
it, and chung to it, while the wave
that had rolled the ship came pouring
| over
1t was we'll we clung to the cover
as we did, otherwise we wOuld have
been in the water without any sup
port Now we were in it with the
cover beneath us, and that was our
| only chance for life: for the rushing
wave had borne the cover away with
| us on 1t.
"Captain Howard gasped. ARE
you here ?' for | could see nothing
whatever for the moment.
Aye, but / sha'n't be long" was
the reply.
Lay this way, captain, and I'll
hold on to YOU" and at the same time
| worked along towards him.
Take care of yourself. Elbridge;
don't mind me"
But was already by the captains
side whom | found clinging to the
cover only by his hands, being unable
to draw himself upon it. l helped
him to get fairly on: and hardly had
he done so when the cover was drawn
swiftly backwards and dOwnwards,
as if it had been caught in some vast
whirlpool and was being drawn into
| the sea.
But its downward course was sud
denly arrested by a great upE5aval,
which cast it high up; and then again
it went swiftly down, and up, falling
and rising wildly amid the seething
waters, which at length resumed their
onward, rushing course, as before.
When the wild tossing had subsid
ed, | said, shes gone. captain; we
left her none too soon
AYE, the Tecmseh has gone down,
and it must have been by Gods will
that we left her at all, J." was the reply.
We could only speak in snatches,
yet | think our words somewhat en-
| cOuraged us, as we were tossed by the
sea all through that dreadful night.
At length daylight came: and what
was better, the sea began to subside:
the strength Of the gale seemed to
have passed. The sky cleared, too,
and we saw the sun when it rose, and
its hight carried warmth even to our
| hearts.
And about an hour after the sun
had risen, we saw baat, far away
SO far indeed that we could not for a
time be sure it WAS a boat But it
came nearer. and then we saw that
God had indeed been merciful.-
was boat, and there were men in il,
pulling with oars towards us.
| called to them. But they We're
still too far away to hear ne. But
coming nearer, they at length saw us,
and heard my voice 1t was only MY
voice, for by this time the captains
was almost gone. But they heard me-
even before they saw rs, and after
locking a moment in wonder, they
came up, changing their course only
very little. and took lis into the boat
1t was the Tecumsen's boat, and a
part of the Tecumseh's crew who were
in it. But hardly more than half the
crew were there; and these said that
just after had gone into the cabin.
the boats tackles had given way, let
ting the boat go suddenly into the
water. As their only chance for life
they all sprang after it, and these had
succeeded in getting IN, while the
others were drowned.
They had managed to keep afoat,
but had merely drifted with the sea
| till daylight came, when they had
begun to pull, in the direction, as they
supposed of the nearest land. The
drift of the sea had of course carried
US both in the same direction, and
now, pulling back over the same
course in the hope of reaching the
Falkland Islands, they had fallen in
with US,
| But with nothing to eat and not a
drop of fresh water, there was but
small chance of ever reaching those
islands. In ali probability We should
still have perished, had not plovi-
dence again interviewed to save Us.
1t was somewhat past noon, when
we saw a sail approaching. The sea
was then IN its ordinary state. and
only moderate freeze was blowing.
The ship came from the southwark,
and was passing rs, perhaps two miles
distant, when some who happened to
be aloft saw us. and at once her
course was changed and she came
towards US.
In quarter of an hour more. we
were on board the ship,-a homeward
bound whaler, she proved to be-
and We found warm hearts TO wei
come us. For men who are going
home from a thre9-years' cruise are
warm-hearted if ever. And in the
comfortable quarters which the vhal
ing captain gave rs, Captain Howard