Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-07-20

situation rusned upon me, and again re- r..
lied my responsibility; feeling that had
been dead for hours, and which was now
resurrected by the light that burst upon me
at the girls words.
She was pitiful object as she lay prone
at her brothers side Her left arm was
powerless, and the blood from her wounded
head still stained her face, neck ana hand.
The flow had ceased, but through her bright
hair | could see the location of the CASH
was no surgeon to dress either the cut OF
fracture, and, as for the sake of all, my own
necessities were paramount, would lose ne
time in experiment without more warrant
My own necessities, forsooth, and for the
sake of ALL | lost no honesty through
dreaming of heroism. If my finer SENSIBLE
ties had awakened, so had my coarser, and
knew | was now working for purpose, the
roots sf which lay in selfishness, but of a
stripe easily forgiven.
As put the maiden down she closed heI
eyes, and either tainted or slept from ex
haustion, and !, like famished wolf, CROPPED
about the floor for the food which had been
tipped from the table, holding her onto the
transom the while with one hand, and with
the other drawing together the fragments
of the but half-eaten meal
Twoud have been a moving sgat to an
onlooker could one have peeped into the
cabin at this time. The wounded brother
and sister, abject in their misery, even The
ocean allowing itself no rest in its efforts
to throw them from where they lay; the
lengthy bulk of the drunkard SPRAYING half
under the table, his body swaying with the
leap Of the vessel, and about the floor mix
ture of broken food, the bag of gold and
empty bottles which ran hither and thithtr
with the acute and eyer-ehanging angle Of
the deck, all seemingly chased by the over
turned bucket which had stood by the side
OF Ames
The light of the low-burning lantern
swinging madly from its hook in the beam
gave a melancholy effect in contrast to the
pale dawn now cleaning white and cold
through the windows, ana in this muss, to
the accompaniment of the grooming wood
work, was half on my knees examining my
mouth with bits of hard bread and such
matter as came rolling within reach.
| ate like man in despair, and yet with a
hunger which gave a sweet taste to each
morsel, unsayory as | commonly would have
thought it. As | snatched and swallowed,
now possessed by the fear that the gale
might rise again while was below, marked
the unholy aspect of the surgeon. lie did
not present the disgusting appearance of
Scammell, but beggarly enough he looked
rum-sodden brute, outshining his sur
roundings in the glory of his scarlet uniform.
held firm hatred for him as he lay there,
feeling that half my present trouble was due
to his internal weakness or deliberate care
lessness. Had matters gone we'll below, l
might have made SHIFT to keep to the
deck and yet have food and drink supplied
me- but now the whole business was on me,
and my wounded were without proper care.
| wondered how it could have come about
that such an accomplished swiller Of liquor
had found it possible to have gotten dead
drunk on the short allowance of whisky left
in the bottle | had given him, but | soon
gave over thinking of it. The question to be
settled was how | could leave Ames and his
sister, but it was soon solved. Letting them
take their chances far moment seized the
snoring redcoat by the collar and hauled
him NJ the companion way, he making the
third drunkard had pitched from the cabin
in this fashion As | dropped him with
small ceremony there came a sound as
though he had struck the deck with a
muiiled club. This made me suspicious of
still concealed arms, but, on turning him
over, | found the cause and supply for his
latest debauch In the skirts of his coat
were two bottles like that | had taken from
him, one full, the other two-thirds empty.
1t was a Godsend, and then and there tool;
such dram that ere long the contents of
my veins were less akin to the icy water
they had seemed to be holding.
Going back to the cabin, hauled the lar
board bunk mattress to the floor and laid
the girl upon it. Close to her laid Ames,
lifting bed and all, and thus both were be-
yond danger Of a bad fall, however the yes
sci might ramp. The lad opened his eyes as
| placed him by his yet unconscious sister,
but babe him not speak, and tried to
hearten him by telling him | was yet mas
ter, that Gertrude was by his side, hurt but
not badly, and that we would, by the help
Of God, be safe ashore ere sunset. lie
smiled family, and made as if to nod, by
which | guessed that whisky was no medi.
cine for his complaint, but | managed to get
dram down the throat of the girl, whereat
She soon opened her eyes and came to life
with another moan.
Though | wished to linger by her, dared
not there was much to do-too much for
one mortal It was the work of a moment to
/ clear the floor of the bounding missiles and
/ heave them above (all but the gold, which
threw into an empty bunl), and followed
| after for brief look about
Since | had taken the whisky my energy
| had come back full fledged and in fighting
mood as though the numbness of the past
| few hours had been waking slumber from
! which | had just recovered. The broaden
4 ing day put hope in me, though clearly and
! with a quick sensitiveness | marked the
/ anger of the sea, the sinister scowl on the
| face Of Nature, and the wild disorder reign
| ing aboard the Phantom from her bow
! spirit Is end to her remaining truck. Be
! slowing a glance on the drunkard, who lay
| on the wet planking not a whit less com
| fortably than on the carpet Of the cabin
! floor, | gave my attention to the shrouds
! finding as yet nothing had let 90 or sprung
! ! then carried aft the main throat and peak
! halyards, that they might act the part of 9
1 back stay and give some relief to the stand
! ing rigging. | was engaged in making fast
/ the lines when there passed beneath us q
wave Of extraordinary height and sharpness
1t was "a cross sea, and it wel-nigh tripped
the schooner, which term betokens a cap
size from lack Of supporting surface beneath
vessels bilge. With a twisting lift it bore
the stern 50 high in the air that the deck
slantcd like the sides of steeple, forcing
me to drop the halyards and cling to tho
rail to prevent falling into the bow For ar
instant thought of a surety we would
| plunge sidclong below the following sea
/ pierce it, and be swamped inside the tenth
stroke Of my pulse; but the send of the
water flung us partly out Of the trough, and
as it passed lifted the bow to a terrible in
cline, and, giving us an extra vicious lurch
| left Us almost stern out to the run OF the
pillows Had it broken as il reached us, the
tons upon tons of water which would have
! fallen on our deck must have driven tho
schooner beneath the surface as though she
was no more buoyant than the lead in hel
hold It was a wonderful view had OF the
! ocean from the height of the mighty comber