The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-07-14
THE DEATH OF A COWARD.


[From the Pail Mall Magazine.1
The boy leant YEARLY against the bull
wark rails, watching the lights as they
came up one by one on the coast. The
plunging of the ship still made his head
reel, and he was weak from want of
food He seemed altogether apart from
the stir and life that three hundred
emigrants on board created. His whole
soul was filed with a dumb and i'm
potent protest against his fate, and the
life before him. Old Captain Malcolm
had shown little wisdom when he sent
his only son to sea to have some pluck
knocked into him.
In the fathers defense it may be said
that he was utterly unable to realize
the t1m1d1ty and SenSitiVeneSS of the
boy. All his ancestors had been rough
seamen who had faced storm and dan
ger on every sea, and courage and nerve
were hereditary qualities. And now the
last of the. Malcolms seemed more of
girl than any of his five sisters.
All the exhOrtatiOnS to manlineSS, all
the covert reproaches that came from
his father. were so many darts that
ranked and festered in his soul, but
failed to compel his nature to be other
than it was. The boy was made for
peace, for the quiet and uneventful life
that an office in his native town could
have offered under his mothers watch
wul care. Instead he was here, an a.p-
prentice on the steamship Pride of Asia,
a big cargo boat just off the slips on the
Tyne, and carrying emigrants to the
Cape.
The ships doctor came out of the
saloon in the poop to go his evening
round below. With him was his wife,
q slight, girlish figure, wrapt in heavy
cloak. She turned al the ladder which
led to the lower deck, and was about
to go back, when her eyes fell on the
boy. She had noticed him once or twice
before, and his white face and lonely
air reused the womanly sympathy in
her She touched him lightly on the
shoulder and said, You are leaving
home, like me-"
The boy started A slight color sprang
to his cheeks, and tears to his eyes. He
smiled family, showing a gap where
two teeth had been knocked out by a
smaller boy in the only fight he had
ever had at school.
Yes, ma'am,'' he replied.
you must feel lonely" she said; but
you will soon be back. and then every
one will think so much or you"
Her voice had something caressing
and inviting about 1T; and so his con-
fidence, overcoming his ShyneSS and re-
serve, broke bounds. He told her every
thing-how he would hate this life, how
all filled him with fear and disgust, the
cold and darkness, the chaff and horse
play of his contemporaries the indif-
ference of every one around him. He
told how impossible 1t was to come up
to his fathers standard, how he felt he
was a born coward, and that he would
always be one, shrinking instinctively
from the danger and excitement that
holder natures took pleasure in.
She listened Sympathetically. Her
hand had patted him once or twice, and
ed, she said: You must not be too
hard on yourself. It is not always those
who fear the least that are bravest in
the end. When the time comes, I am
sure you will do your duty"
The boy heard her listlessly. He had
little heart to resond to any appeal to
his manliness. There seemed time
when he would not shrink from hard
Oh in f1r- dor Ia a T7n f6If ae tic
confidence had been misplaced, and |
that she had understood nothing after
all.
She saw the change, and her interest |
in him somewhat waned. Courage to |
a woman is the primary quality in the |
other sex, and nothing will compensate |
for the lack of it. She babe him good |
night and turned away back to the |
poop.
In few minutes the second mate |
passed along the deck and told the boy |
to go below. Then all was quiet.
A few hours later the Pride of Asia |
was steanling at SLOW" with her |
whistle going every few minutes. The |
Channel fog girt the ship like a shroud. !
The captain walked the bridge uneasily. |
No tempest or rockbOund shore gives |
the anxiety that a fog on this waterway |
of the nations does. Danger is inlmi |
nent everywhere, and the most careful |
seamanship IS no guarantee of safety. |
So it was now. A hoarse shout came |
from the man on the lookout The cap |
tain sprang to the telegraph, and as |
full speed astern" rang out a large |
sailing ship took form in the fog, and |
in a few seconds crashed into the |
steamer in front of the bridge.
The Pride of Asia shook from stem |
to stern, heeled over to starboard, and
then began to forge ahead, while the
other went pounding along her side,
wrenching the port boats from her day.
its and slowing them in with her bow
spirit. Then she passed away as
ghost in the fog.
The Pride of Asia had met her death
At once all was noise and con-
fusion. The emigrants came pouring
up on deck, screaming and shouting
to clear the boats, but a sharp order
from the captain stopped them.
In a few seconds the captain had |
decided on his course. The remaining
boats would not carry hundred and
fifty people. There were more than
twice that number on board On the
other hand, the land was about three
miles off and a sandy and protected
beach meant safety. But what could
be done with that hole in her side? He
would try. He changed her course,
rang full speed ahead" and shouted to
the mate, GO down and shut the forard
Mr.. Jones"
The mate ran forward, and with the
help of the carpenter tore off part of
the hatch covering and sprang to the
ladder As he climbed down young
Malcolm peered aimlessly over the hatch.
Bring down q lantern cried the
mate, and Malcolm. galvanized into ac-
tivity by fear. seized a lantern from the
alleyWays and clambered down into the
hold.
The mate ran toward the iron door in
the bulkhead. which had been left open,
and pushed it to-
1.-THE light here-quick!"
And the boy brought it.
Blast themi-oh, blast themi" roared
the mate. They've put the bolts on the
wrong side. In five minutes we'll all be
in kingdom come"
He stumbled for the ladder, and Mil
colin followed, wild with terror. Yes,
every one would be drowned, and he,
too, with the cruel cold water sucking
him down. He dropped the lantern and
null Li.,aS.,If tta II