The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1899-11-30
CHAPTER III.
Useless Regrets


covering | rose more stiff and more
benumbed than ever, and with feeble
steps assembled the companion ladder,
and then a cry of despair escaped me.
The sky was clear and sunny, but
whether with the light of rising or a
setting sun, could not at first deter
mine, morning and evening on the
ocean being so much alike to an I'M
practiced eye. Not a vestige of land
was visible!
Sea and sky were around me; not a
sail was in sight, and nothing living
was near, save few petrels tripping
over the water, alongside of the fatal
schooner.
Had | slept all night, and was this
the dawn of new day? Had l slept
all day, and was this the approach of
another night? | devoutly hoped not,
as l most dreaded night upon the
ocean; but the gradual sinking of the
sun, and the increasing redness of the
sky, ere long informed me that the
time was evening. | now knew the
the south, for there the land and my
home lay; but still the envious wind
though lighter now, seemed to blow
from that quarter.
Oh! how deeply and earnestly, by
thoughts unuttered, l prayed in my
heart that it would change and blow
toward the shore-any shore-or any
part of the coast of England, and
bring me so near that l might have a
chance of escape of life and preserva-
ton, by swimming putting to the
test that skill and those powers of ac-
tivity l had acquired at Elton, in the
waters of the Thames.
The sea was comparatively smooth.
but still the empty schooner rolled and
lurched fearfully; the more so that the
fore and aft foresail was hanging so
loosely in the brails.
A hundred years seemed to have
elapsed since l had heard the dear
voices and seen the loved faces of those
/ had left at home-of my father, my
mother, of Dot and of Sybil; while the
events of my early schoolboy days
seemed to have occurred but yesterday
All time was chaos and confusion!
In my sorrow and despair l never
thought, unless with anger, of Jan van
Zeervogel, the poor Dutch skipper,
whose interests were so much involved
with the loss or safety of his little
schooner, with which the food tide had
made so free. | thought only of my
own danger, and my mothers sorrow
for the mystery that would overhang
my fate.
Now hunger assailed me, creating a
new terror lest | should perish by want
of food; and all | had read or heard OF
wrecks, RATS and castaways crowded
on my memory to aggravate the real
perils which surrounded me.
Once more l sought the cabin, and
on finding an ak broke open what APP
peared to be press or locker. There
| In were several cups, bottles and drink,
ing glasses, placed in perforated
shelves; but nothing eatable save sin.
gle hard and moldy biscuit, which the
rats abandoned on my approach, and
nothing drinkable save the remains oil
the brandy in which the peaches had
been preserved-and / viewed the jal
with horror, as the primary cause of al
my sufferings and dangers-I say thu
| remains, for 1t had fallen from the ia
| BILE and been broken to pieces; so moth
1 ing remained of its contents, excep
1 about a gill in fragment, and thu
l peaches which lay in the lee or lowel
| side OF the cabin.
What would not have given for {
| single drop of pure cold water, to allie
| viate that choking thirst which is evel
the sequel to sickness, excitement anC
| sorrow! But there was not drop OF
board. as the scuttle- butt had broker
its lashings in one of the lurches of thu
| schooner and fallen overheard to lee
| ward. So | soaked the moldy biscui
| in the brandy, ate it, and went on deck
in time to see the sun set at the water.
horizon, from whence it cast lonl
and tremulous line OF yellow splendo
| along the dancing waves, to where tn
schooner fioated In her loneliness.
Night followed. and one by one tn
stars appeared in the mighty blue dom
overhead; there was no moon as yet
and thought of hosting a light at tn
mainmast head, but where were Ian
tern and matches to be found?
| thought also Of lifting the fore
hatch to explore the forepart Of tn