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

S0nooher' oul lett too feeble and sick
at heart, and now with the coming of
the shadow of night a ghost story Of
the Dutch skipper required to me.
Thirst was now becoming an agony.
and | inhaled the dewy atmosphere in
vain, for its property was saline. and
seemed to make my sufferings greater;
but happily it induced a drowsiness. l
crept below, and seeking the bed in the
captains berth, drew the clothes over
NE and strove to sleep-and so weary
was | that sleep came
How long | slept | do not know, but
| was suddenly reused by a violent
lurch of the schooner
On reaching the deck, l found that
gale had again come on, and that the
sea was whitened with foam, amid
which the seabirds were blown wildly
hither and thither; that the moon was
now on the wane. and shed a cold,
weird light between the black masses
OF flying seud. upon the tumbling bill
lows and the empty schooner, which
yet foated buoyantly enough. But she
now careened fearfully to port. l fore
saw that unless the masts were cut
away a capsize was inevitable, for the
wild wind howled over the waste Of
seething water, and the schooner
groaned and trembled as wave after
wave Numbered on her empty and re-
sounding hull
Notwithstanding my weakness, en-
deavored to tighten the brailing of the
fore and aft foresail; but how vain
was the attempt The moment | re-
moved the rope from the Delaying pin
it was torn from my hand; the whole
sail fell heavily loose, and swelled out
upon the wind 1t tapped with a
sound like thunder in the blast, and
in moment the deck seemed to pass
from under my feet, and | was strug-
Cling alone in the midnight sea.
To the horror of being drowned was
now added that of being devoured by
the fishes.
A cry to heaven escaped me, as l
rose painting and almost breathless and
struck out to prolong existence. The
sea repealed and buoyed me up, for it
| is by no means so easy to sink as many
persons imagine
The schooner was lying now COM
| pletely on her beam ends to port; her
masts and half her deck were in the
water 1t had filled the body of the
loosened sail. and served to keep her
| steady, but still the waves washed
wildly over the hull l knew she must
soon fill and go down; yet so strong is
the instinct of self-preservation that l
soon reached the foremost, climbed
! into the now horizontal rigging, and
through which the shrouds are rove,
clutching them with wild tenacity,
while drenched, cold, and despairing.
The spray flew over me, thick as
rain, but bitter heavy and binding
How long l could have survived !
know not; but felt as one in dread
full dream and acted with the decision
and firmness with which we often seem
to acquaint ourselves amid the most
fantastic situations created by the
fancy in sleep.
Suddenly, amid the stupor that was
coming over me, l heard a voice and
saw a large brig looming between me
| and the pale, waning moon. She was
close by, with her courses, topsails, jih
and fore-and-aft mainsail set, but with
her foreyard laid to the wind as she
| lay to. Then l heard the rattle of the
blocks and tackle, as boat descended
from the stern davits with a splash
into the sea.
"Cheerily, now, my lads, give way!'
cried the voice l had heard before;
pull to windward round this craft, and
overhaul her"
There's man in the fore-rigging!
cried another
Then stand by in the bow with the
boat-hook"
strove to speak, to shout; but my
voice was gone.
Spring into the sea" cried a voice;
edo you hear me, you sir-you in the
fore-rigging there? Jump in; we can
not sheer alongside a craft that pitches
about like cork in such a sea as
this
Don't fear, my lad" cried others;
well pick you up"
But l was powerless, blinded BY
spray; and though unable to respond
elutched the rattlins with fatuous en-.
ergy. Then strong hands were laid
upon me, and felt myself dragged into
the boat.
Shove off, shove off-give way! this
craft will sink in minute" cried some
one; give way for the brig!" and Just
as they turned the head of the boat to.
ward their vessel, the Dutch schooner
appeared to right herself; there was q
crash as her deck burst up, and then a
sob seemed to mingle with the all
that was expelled from her hold as she
filed and went down like a stone
Though | had been so long unseen
l afterward learned that at this time
there were not less than fifteen sal
in sight Of the vessel which picked me
up.