The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-03-29
ADRIFT.


It was not bad night at sea, but it
was not good one either. The sea was
smooth and the wind was light, but the
sky was overcast and there was low
lying haze which narrowed the horizon
down to circle half mile in dame
ter. The water over the ships side
looked black and oily, and here and
there when lazy crest reflected the
beams of one of the vessels lights the
glitter of it was lurid and baleful. On
deck all was silent save for the occa-
sional i'll tempered comments of the first
mate, who was on watch and had
sailors disposition toward thick wealth
er.
"What in Africa is that Stating
about SO on the main topsail yard?
Here, you, tumble up and see what's
adrift. -
His words were addressed to a tall,
muscular boy who had been leaning
against the rail and staring thoughtful
ly into the sea. Ferris James had been
in dark reverie. He was not happy
boy, for everything seemed to him to
have gone wrong. His father, once
man of means, had died bankrupt, leav-
ing him absolutely penniless. Ferris
was then glad to secure berth as an
ordinary seaman aboard the ship Glen
dover, outward bound for Bombay. It
was while he was meditating on his
changed circumstances that he received
the curt order of the mate and respond
ed with the instructive "Aye, aye, sir"
The boy, strong and active with the
alert sinews of II years, danced up the
ratlines like 1.-the cat and was soon
out upon the yard, which had the swing
of gigantic seesaw. Ferris examined
one half foot by foot till he found him
self on the extreme end of the yardarm.
A moment later-he never knew how
it happened-the yard seemed to slip
from under him, and he shot downward
with sudden plunge into the sea. He
barely had time to utter startled cry
before the waters closed over him.
When he came to the surface, he saw
something round and white floating
near him. He grasped at it and found
that it was life buoy which had been
thrown from the ship. The vessel her
self was fast slipping into the impene-
trable gloom. He knew that boat
would be lowered, but he doubted that
it would find him on such thick night.
After time he began to emit at intervals
the sailors farreaching "Aho-o-o-yW
There was no response out of the pitch |
like blackness and when three-quarters
of an hour had passed Ferris, with a
strange feeling of indifference, stopped |
shouting.
A feeling of irresistible lassitude stole
over the boy, and weird numbness
orept through his limbs. He felt as if he |
were overpowered by sleep, and twist
ing his arms in the life line of the buoy,
which he had managed to get over his |
head and down under his arms, he al
lowed his head to fall on one side, and |
he lost consciousness He made no re-
sistance for he felt that such life as
his was not worth struggling for. He |
remembered dimiy afterward that his
last thought was 81 wonder where I'll |
wake up?'
Very much to his own surprise, he |
awoke in the same place-adrift in the |
north Atlantic, with only circle of |
cork and canvas between him and the |
great circle of eternity. For few mo-
ments he rested languidly, scarcely |
moving even his hands. Then spark
of hope fired him with desire to scan
the sea. He raised his head and slowly |
swept gaze around his narrow hori-
zon. He smiled at his own lack of en-
thusiasm when he alphabetically discov-
cred a bark not more than mile away. |
The bark looked miserable. Her spars |
were all awry, and her rigging was
full of slack lines She steered an err
ratio course, under soant canvas, and |
altogether showed evidence of utter de- |
moralization.
"There must be sick or mutinous
crew aboard there" muttered Ferris.
~ wonder which?'
The thought that vessel might pass
near him in his desperate plight gave
him sudden desire to live. or at least |
not to perish so miserably. He began to
think how he could make some signal
that might be seen aboard the bark |
when she erratically changed her course
directly toward him and came splashing
cumbrously across the dun gray sea like
q great wounded bird.
Presently the vessel was not more
than 300 yards away, and the boy raised
his voice in far cry, Bark aho-o-o-yP'
Out of the tangle of wreckage for
ward was raised face, which even at
that distance looked pale and haggard.
Its owner peered a moment over the wa
tiers and then waved his hand. The next |
instant two or three other forms ap
peared on the bark S forecastle, and she
shifted her helm. Ferris saw that all |
her boats save small dingy at the port
quarter davits were stove in, and pres
emily he saw four seaTnen slowly and Ia
boriously lowering away the dingy. AS
they came alongside the boy they gazed
at him with dull curiosity in their
lack luster eyes, and one of them said:
"What are you dom there?'
"Don't you think you'd better save
me first and ask me questions after
ward?' asked the boy.
81 s'pose so, said the man in dull
way.
Then he helped the boy to climb into
the boat and pulled the Glendower' life
buoy in after him, after which the res /
cued boy told the story of his plight.
They were now alongside the bark,
and Ferris clambered aboard, where he I
was received in a sort Of dazed silence.
The crew hoisted the light dingy slow
ly and feebly, when the boy gazed
around the melancholy deck. Stove
boats, tangled rigging, pieces of shat
tered spars, splintered hencoops and
broken skylights combined to make
scene of destruction such as the boy had
never beheld before. Presently the crew
got the dingy to her davits, and then
one of the men who had pulled her
beokoned Ferris to go aft.
"Now," he thought, 81 shall be TAX
en- to the captain and shall learn what's
wrong here"
AS he approached the knot of men on
the poop deck he saw that they were all
ordinary seamen.
"It's mutinous crew, " he thought.
"They've got the captain in irons be-
low, and they wish me to join them
or join him. -
"What's your name?' asked one Of
the men, who seemed to be their leader.
Ferris James,"
whats your rating?"
"Ordinary seaman" he answered.
A groan of dissatisfaction emanated
from the little knot of men.