Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-28

any definiteness. No doubt 1t was for sev-
eral hours, for we both seemed only par
tally alive, and for my part, the only i'm
preston left was that all beside ourselves
was dead. That feeling carried with 1t a
dim anticipation that we, too, might expect
to find our turn to depart confronting us at
any moment, but in this thought there was
no fear, rather relief.
How often. 1 wonder, has it been noted.
that in times of deep mental distress, when
the mind appears to have had a mortal
blow, and all those higher faculties which
are our peculiar possession are numbered
until they give no definite assistance to the
organism; the animal needs of the body
have inStnctiVely asserted themselves and
thus saved the entire man or woman from
madness or death? 1t must surely be one
of the commonest of experiences, although
seldom formulated in so many words. At
any rate, this was now the case with me-
Gradually the fact that I was parched with
thirst became the one conscious thing, and
without thinking about it, without any def
mite idea, even l found myself on my feet,
swaying and staggering, as 1 crossed the
bare deck to where the scuttle butt used
to be dashed. Finding 1t gone l stood help
lessly staring at the ends of the lashings
that had secured 1t, with a dull, stupid an
ger of disappointment. Then I began to
think, had to, for my need was imperative:
And I remembered that You Sing had
brought into the cabin before the typhoon
a store of water sufficient for days. This
mental effort was bracing, doing much TO
restore me to some show of usefulness
again, l soon found the water, and hurried
on deck once more, for the CABIN was no
place to stay in now. 1t was tenanted by
shapes Of dread, full of inaudible sounds of
woe, and right glad was l to regain the
side of the little girl for living companion
ship. l offered her some water. She looked
at it duly as if unable to attach any idea
to 1t, and 1t was only by repeatedly rous-
ing her that / managed to awaken any
reason in her injured mind at all. In the
absence of any such compulsion 1 think she
would have just sat still and ceased to live
paiuessty and unconsclously.
Now that the needs OF another Were laid
upon me l began to move about little
more briSkly and to notice our condition
with returning interest. For some time the
strange steadiness of the ship had puzzled
me without arousing any definite inquiry
In my mind as to the cause of it. But in
crossing the deck to re-enter the cabin the
true significance of that want of motion
suddenly burst upon me- for l saw the
calm face of the water only few inches
from the deck line. The Bitten was sink
ing During the typhoon she must have
received tremendous injuries from the
wreckage of her top-hamper, that, floating
alongside entangled in the web of its rig
cling. was as dangerous as so many rocks
would have been. There was urgent need
now for thought and action also For
there was nothing of any kind on deck
ioatable. Boats, SparS, hencoopS-all hau
gone thousand futile thoughts chased
one another through my throbblng pfalh'
but they ran in circles that led nowhere:
There seemed to be no possible means VI
escape Yet somehow l was not hopeless
| felt curious reliance upon the fact that
we two small people had come through SO
much unhurt in any way, and this pase-
less unreasoning faith in our good - ioF-
tune forbade me to despair. SO that can
not say that ! felt greatly surprised When
l presently saw on the starboard side TOT
ward a small sampan floating piacldiy' It's
grass painter made fast to the forechalhs
There was no mystery about Its appear
ance 1t had brought those awful visitors
whose defeat cost You Sing his life and
was probably the only surviving rene OF
some junk that had toundered IN lhs
Storm The sight of it did me world OF
good Rushing to Elsie, | pointed out tie
fact of our immediate danger, and OF the
hope left US, and after some little dlfhcully
succeeded in getting her into the sampan.
The Bitten now so low An the water
that my remaining time was countdDIe by
seconds. l flew into the cabin. snatched up
a few biscuits and the large can OF water
that stood in the bath room, and rushed
for the boat. AS / scrambled into her with
my burden 1 noticed shudderingly that the
ship was beginning to move put with such
a motion. 1t was like the death throe of a
man. d physical fact with which Of late |
had been we'll acquainted Every plank OF
her groaned as If in agony; she gave a
quivering, sideway stagser. My myers
trembied so that I could hardly cast adrift
the painter, which I was compelled to do,
having no knife. l got the clumsy hitches
adrift at last, and with one of the rough
oars gave our frail craft vigorous SHOVE
off Elsie staring all the while at the huge
hull with dilating eyes and drawn, white
face. Presently the Bitten seemed to
stumble a wave upreared itself out of the
smooth brightness of the placid sea, and
embraced her bows, drawing them gently
down. So gently, like a tired woman sink
ing TO rest did the Bitten leave the light.
and only a few foam-hecked whrls and
spirals on the surface marked for minute
or two the spot where she had been.
HaDDily for us who We're left, our troubles
were nearly at an end. One calm night of
restless doing under the warm sky, trying
not to think of what tiny bubble we made
on the wide sea, we passed not uncomfort-
ably. Just before dawn I felt rather than
heard A throbbing. It's regular pulsatiOns
beating steadily, if inside my head. But
they had not lasted one minute before !
knew them for the propeller beat of
steamer. and strained my eyes around
through the departing darkness for a sight
of her. Straight for US she came, the watch
full officer on the bridge having seen US
more than mile off. In the most matter
of-fact way we were taken on board. and
Elsie was soon mothered by the shippers
wife. while l was being made much of by
the men. And that was all. There were no
passengers on board to make a fuss so
none was made Three days afterward we
were at Hong Kong, and Elsie was handed
over to the German consul, who gravely
took down my story, but, l could see, did
not believe half OF it. I babe goodbye to
Elsie having elected to remain by the
steamer where l was being we'll treated.
and IN due time reached England again. a
step nearer to becoming a full-fiedged sea-
man.