Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-07-26

her gave way ten moan and the nmpness OF
total abandonment as she felt the strength
of my arm about her. As laid her on the
transom by the side of her brother, whose
eyes were shut and whose heightened color
now betokened fever, she placed her un,
wounded hand against my cheek as if to
make sure of my being mortal, and faltered
out:
Il thought you dead. ODonald! Donald!
l thought You dead!"
In the mere sound of a human voice there
was something that stirred me to a livelier
sense of myself and surroundings. But her
words did more than this. Of themselves,
as set them here in cold black and white,
they hold no significance, but as heard
them there was something which caused the
waning spark within me to burst into flame
and shoot through the dullness of my ex-
hausted body and overtaxed brain. The
touch of the smooth hand the look, and the
simple tones of this ill-used, wounded and
bedraggled girl were beyond misinterpreta-
ton to me, when to others it might have
been but triae more than commonplace.
Like a shock the attending danger of our
situation rushed upon me, and again real.
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 a 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 and 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 or
fracture, and, as for the sake of all, my own
necessities were paramount, 1would lose no
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 of which lay in selfshness, but of
stripe easily forgiven.
As put the maiden down she closed her
eyes, and either tainted or slept from ex-
haustion, and i, like a 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.
Twould have been moving sight 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 sprawlng 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 thither
with the acute and ever-changing 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, and in this muss, to
the accompaniment of the groaning wood
work, was l 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
hunger which gave a sweet taste to each
morsel, unsavory as commonly would Have
thought it. As snatched and swallowed,
now possessed by the fear that the gale
might rise again while Twas below, marked
the unholy aspect of the surgeon. He did
not present the disgusting appearance of
Scammell, but beggarly enough he looked
a rumsodden 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 well below,
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 1t possible to have gotten dead
drunk on the short allowance of whisky left
in the bottle i had given him, but soon
gave over thinking Of it, The question to be
settled was how l could leave Ames and his
sister, but it was soon solved. Letting them
take their chances for moment, seized the
snoring redcoat by the collar and hauled
him up the companion way, he making the
third drunkard had pitched from the cabin
in this fashion. As dropped him with
small ceremony there came sound as
though he had struck the deck with
mutied club. This made me suspicious of
still concealed arms, but, on turning him
over, l 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 Godsend, and then and there took
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 bad fall, however the yes
sci might ramp. The lad opened his eyes as
I 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. He
smiled family, and made as if to nod, by
which l guessed that whisky was no medi-
cine for his complaint, but I 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, I dared
not; there was much to do-boo much for
one mortal. 1t was the work of moment to
clear the floor of the bounding missiles and
heave them above (all but the gold, which
threw into an empty bunk and followed
after for brief look about.
CONTINUED
Beware of ointments for Catarrh