Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-08-09
CHAPTER XIV.

CHAPTER XIV. -:
A RESPITE
II was tragic episode, but I had seen so
much tragedy crowded into my life for the
past few days that this quick and probably
painless passing of human soul made in my
state but little impression. Hooked for the
doctor, but saw the doors of the forecastle
fast closed, and afterward found that the
force of the water had slammed them on
him, knocking him from the ladder to the
deck below. A pity it was that there and
then it had not been he instead of my
plucky enemy who had'first planted foot to
come aft Better for my subsequent happi-
ness would it have been if, instead of the
sailor, that red-faced drunkard had choked
in the element he 30 despised.
The heaving into the wind and the drown
ing of the seaman were the only events
which reused my blood to a heat Wilhelm make
the details stand out in memory. Knight
tell of the sufferings of Ames and Gertrude
King, and of their utter indifference and
total abandonment to what appeared GER
tain destruction, but it would be useless.
The greatest agony of either sprang from
seasickness and its neutrality-suspicious.. There
was not one of US who thought of food,
which was probably fortunate, as our stock
brought on board was brine-soaked and III.
ined. Even my toughened self and the
tougher sailors lost heart and stomach in
the deadening nausea that gradually seized
us and kept.its hold. The doctor, impris-
oned forward. by the seas, and too cowardly
to show his head after his one attempt to
come aft, might have been in another world
for all we heard OF saw of him. The last
drop of stimulant had gone, and with it had
gone the last of even fictitious spirits. An
unshakable apathy clutched our company,
and, save that one lurch of the vessel was
of greater violence than another, nothing
marked the events of hours. Fear had
passed; anxiety was dead; day and night
were meaningless terms. Wewere only wait
ing the final stroke, a wrench, an open seam,
and then the blessed end.
Mechanically / placed rain-soaked cloths
on the wounded ribs of my friend and on
the gashed head of his sister, and offered to
them rain water squeezed from square
cloth Of canvas. It was not because my in.
terest in either ran high; friendship for one
and love for the other had fallen with my
nerve force into latent state, and bare
ly responded to their needs-to my own /
responded not at ALL Mechanically INVENT
to the deck, only to meet the same lead
overhead and the same towering majesty
Of water, neither of which impressed me
(for was far past being impressed) more
than l have since been by fiat calm The
pitiless rain in my face and eyes would
rouse in me dull sense of discomfort, just
as sleeping child unconsciously resents dis.
turbance, but that was all. / would go be.
low, meeting the lackluster eyes of the sail
ors, who had also sought shelter in the
cabin, and the deathlike forms of the two
on the floor, and feel that we were all sink.
ing into the languor of starvation and pro
longed strain.
By the end of the third day the Phan
tom was practically floating wreck, though
for all 1 could see not line had parted, nor
a spar, other than the topmast, been dis
placed. But there was no longer buoyant
lift to her bows. and the seas ran danger
ously near the level of the deck-a fact tina,
plainly spoke Of water in the hold, it hav
ing drained from above OF leaked between
her strained planks. There had been NO at
tempt at pumping, for no man could have
stood at the brakes in the deluge that came
aboard, and now we were settling, helped
nightly by the nature of our cargo. But
| the knowledge of it gave me no trouble, mol
though to three Of us at least the condi
tions were clearly apparent.
| On the night of August IA went below
fully expecting that but few hours woulc
elapse ere we went to the bottom. Onct
| in awhile my vitality would assert itself
| and quick apprehension, living sensibil
| ity, would shoot through me like running
flash of driving sparks in burned-out tin
der, but without enough heat or force II
rout me to action. slept heavily, as one
sleeps in the fumes of burning charcoal
dead to harm or happiness, and was walked
from dream of feasting by the sound of 9
| report like that made by q bursting sail
Half conscious l crawled to the deck tt
see what had happened. The dawn VIA.
well forward, q strip of bright sky of pearly
clearness heralding the sun which was al
ready scattering the clouds aloft. Patche,
of the deepest blue, fecked with fine vapol
like clotted cream sailing far above the rap
idly dissolving storm wrack, foretold fine
weather. The wind had sunk to almost
calm, and was blowing soft warm breath
| from the west. The sea was vast seriei
of hills and valleys, their crests no Longer
like teeth, and SO rhythmical was their rur
that the half-submerged vessel swung will
the regularity of pendulum, only at timel
a swollen surge brimming over the bows
| sending cascade to the deck Just Wis
ible to the north was clear, dark, indigo
colored lift of land, which instantly knew
to be Montauk point, and even my dull
senses responded to the knowledge of thu
wonderful drift we had made.
| l noted these details with slow, dreamy
satisfaction, but on turnisg my gaze south
ward, became fully alive to the fact that
the awakening day had put period to oul
misery. There on our larboard quarter, two
cable lengths away, lay schooner twice the
size of the Phantom, her sides pierced fol
guns, and forward of her foremost the brine
furnished brass of her pivoted rifle stood
out against the horizon. She had luffed
into the gentle breeze, and all her sails were
! shivering and swinging as she bowed to thu
swells. From her main peak blew out the
flag of the United Colonies, and over hel
| tatfrail was drifting the tawny smoke of thu
shot that had aroused me.
10 For space / stood like man of stone
my look fixed on the ensign so long stranger
to me. As / gazed at the gorgeous bunting
my heart rose in my throat, the tears welled
from my eyes. the frost which had long
bound me suddenly thawed, and, putting al
my remaining power to my voice. i gave vent
TO wild shout, threw both arms above my
head, and staggered below.
That night, under her own remaining can
vas, the Phantom sailed into the harbor oil
Holmes Hole and dropped her spare anchor
We had been rescued by the American pri
vateer Jenny, of New London, out Of that
port bound home with prisoners and booty
after four months cruise.
With my story told, there had beer
enough help offered to equip me for voy
age to the Indies, but asked for only pro
visions, water, fuel, and couple of hands
determined to gather to myself the glor,
which had well-nigh slipped my grasp. W.
were freed from the load of water take1
in during the storm, the Jenny standing
by and lending men to the work until tn,
pumps Sucked" and then, promising not t.
lose sight of US until we entered Vineyarl
sound, stood for her home port.
Not word did I say about the two sail
ors whom had captured, and who had
served me we'll. The Doctor had found hal
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