The Opelousas courier., 1900-12-22
closed from the other side. He hung

closed from the other side. He hung
Imply on the ladder. and in his mind
ragged 4 tornado Of conflict.
Oh, to be out Of this awful ship,
safe once again at home. But the
raatc lad said that nil were lost. That
meant him, too. And II only hat door
We're shut, all could be saved. Great
beads Of sweat broke out IN his fore
head. He groaned ana writhed about
like n on the rack. Then he began
to descend slowly. He stopped again
on the last rung. He chung to the
ladder as Il drowning Ia TO q rope.
He could never let go. Why vas he
not going up the ladder? There We're
boats left. He had seen that. He
could fight for a place, and be saved.
He was so young, not old, like the
mate and captain. They must give
him q place.
All at once he loosened his hold and
ran blindly for the door. On the way
he tripped and fell heavily on his
hands and face, cutting and bruising
them. He lay half stunned for a
minute, moaning from the pain, then
! raised himself and crawled the rest Of
the way. He passed through the door,
and with feverish haste shot the great
iron bolts. The boy was alone in his
tomb. He leaned against the bulk
head, sick, sick to death. Why had
he done this? He did not know. They
would be saved now, but he-O! God,
no more light or life for him! His
poor dry lips moved conyulsiveiy, and
his hands beat aimlessly on the iron
wall. He would go back. Hope re
turned with a rush. He would die i'll
the open-with others around him. 1t
would be good to die thus, net in this
hell Of darkness aud desolateness. He
unshot one bolt and fumbled for the
other. Then, with q low moan, he
cast himself from it, driving his teeth
into his lips IN his agony.
1t was not to be. He was too great
Il coward to live. He could only die.
He would pray. But he could think
Of Eothing-nothing but "This night.
when I lay ME down to Sleep" he had
learned at his mothers knee.
TO sleep-oh, he would sleep long!
There was to be no waking this time.
How the water vas creeping up!
Long shuddering fits shook his
frame. as he felt the icy fingers of
death rising inch by inch. He scream
ed and raved, dashing his head against
the iron, that death might come quick
~. He plunged beneath the water, |
only to come up again, fighting madly
for life. Then there was n long
drawn sob, and then silence.
The captain stood ON the bridge, a
figure Of stony despair. The land
could never be reached with water
pouring like a torrent into the forward
hold. He cursed his neglect in over
looking such q frightful blunder. 1t
was going to cost 200 lives, and he
must not be among the saved. The
Pride of Asia was getting low in the
water, but he could not understand
why she was not sinking more by the
bow. She was vibrating from the en-
gines, pushed to their highest pressure,
for the fremen stuck calamity to their
posts. Five minutes went, and ten,
and then, with a sudden shock, she
took the ground, and all were safe.
Next morning young Malcolm was
missing, and the sorrowful news was
sent TO his father.
A week afterward, the divers enter
ed the forward hold, and found, to
their establishment, that the bulkhead
door, which they had expected to find
open, was closed.
They forced it open. and against 1t
was floating the body Of a boy.
OLD Capt. Malcolm comes often to
the little graveyard by the sea. In 1t
a cross ON which are inscribed
the words. Here Lies a Hero."-Pan
Mall Magazine.