El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-05
CHAPTER III.

Useless Regrets.
I must have lain long thus. On re
covering. 1 rose more stiff and NOR
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, bu
| whether with the light of a rising or
setting sun, I could not at first deter
mine, morning and evening on thu
ocean being so much alike to an un
practiced eye. Not a vestige of lanj
| was visible!
Sea and sky were around me; not 6
sail was in sight, and nothing living
was near, save a few petrels tripping
over the water, alongside Of the fatal
schooner.
Had I slept all night, and was this
the dawn OF a new day? Had I slept
all day, and was this the approach of
another night? I devoutly hoped not,
as 1 most dreaded night upon the
ocean; but the gradual sinking of the
sun, and the increasing redness Of the
Eky. ere long informed me that the
time was evening" 1 now knew the
west, and turned my haggard eyes to
the south, for there the land and my
home lay; but still the envious wind,
though lighter now, seemed to blow
rom that quarter.
Oh! how deeply and earnestly, by
thoughts unuttered, 1 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 I might have
chance of escape of life and preserva-
ton, by swimming-by putting to the
test that skill and those powers of &C
tivity I 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 I 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 confusioni
In my sorrow and despair I n, yer
thought. unless with anger, of J. :, van
Zeervogel, the poor Dutch Upper,
whose interests were so much Evolved
with the loss or safety Of his little
schooner, with which the flood tide had
made so free. 1 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
perlls which surrounded me-
once more l sought the cabin, and
on finding an ak broke open what ap-
peared to be press or locker. There
In were several cups, bottles and drink
ing glasses, placed in perforated
shelves; but nothing eatable save a sim
gle hard and moldy biscuit, which the
rats abandoned on my approach, and
nothing drinkable save the remains of
the brandy in which the peaches had
been preserved-and 1 viewed the lar
with horror, as the primary cause of all
my suHerlngs and dangers-I say the
remains, for it had fallen from the ia
Die and been broken to pieces; so moth
ing remained of its contents, except
ABOUT a gill in a fragment, and the
peaches which lay in the lee or lower
side of the cabin.
what would I not have given for a
single drop of pure cold water. to allie
Vlate that choking thirst which is ever
he sequel to sickness, excitement and
sorrow! But there was not a drop on |
BOARD, as the scuttle-butt had broken |
Us lashlngs in one of the lurches of the |
and fallen overheard to lee
ward. So 1 soaked the moldy biscuit |
n the brandy, ate it. and went on deck.
N time to see the sun set at the watery |
lorlzon, from whence it cast a long
md tremulous line of yellow splendor
long the dancing waves, to where the
chooner foated in her loneliness.
Night followed, ana one by one the
tars appeared in the mighty blue dome
verhead; there was no moon as vet
nd l thought of hosting light at the
na1nmast head. but where were a Ian /
ern and matches to be found?
thought also of lifting the fore
atch to explore the forepart of the
but I felt too feeble and sick
I heart, and now with the coming of
ne shadow OF night a ghost story Of
he Dutch skipper required to me.
Thirst was now becoming an agony.
nd L inhaled the dewy atmosphere in
ain, Tor its property was saline and
eemed to make my sufferings greater:
ut happily 1T induced a drowsiness. 7
rept below, and seeking the bed in the
aptaln's berth, drew the clothes over
lie and strove to sleep-and so weary
as 1 that sleep came.
How long I slept I do not know, but
was suddenly reused by violent
lrch of the schooner
On reaching the deck, 1 found that
gale had again come on, and that the
"a was whitened with foam. amid