The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-02-18

filed mostly with sores and barrels,
which were caked all over the side with
salt. But in the corner, as Saul Mark
had said l found a mattress made Of
some sort of foreign fiber, curled as
fine as hair, and kept in place by little
Stats of bamboo on the under side. l
came also upon a couple Of blankets,
which ! drew over me when / had lain
down, with no small thankfulness. For
the night was cold and the place. as it
seemed to me then, incredibly damp
ana musty-thOugh nothing past the
ordinary of merchant ships.
L viii not go to sleep" l said to my
self. How do / know that they have
not brought me here to murder me?"
Yet / must have slept, and that
soundly, for it was far into the next
day before / walked. In my dreams
thought myself back again on the
swing under the trees at the gable end
OF the old Min house. Anna Mark was
swinging me, standing behind and first
pulling me higher in one direction
then pushing me fOrcef fully in reverse
At first the movement was pleasant,
but afterwards 1 wished her to stop.
Yet for the life Of me- I could not cry
out TIL finally / woke in an agony Of
fear and cold perspiration.
Instead of the pleasant trees and the
rustling leaves, the deep. cool ravine
and the soft. hushing roar Of the Weir
/ saw only the blackness of darkness
l Smelt the Cank smells of the ships
belly. l heard only the water siOgging
against the ships side. Yet my SEN
sations were real enough. 1 staggered
10 my feet, letting ths clothes fall
away from me, and lo the first thing
/ knaW Was that a bulkhead swung
round and struck me OF the brow. The
next moment | sat down unpleasantly
on the sharp iTon-bOund corner Of a
box. l was ratified like a pea in a blad-
Ger at the end Of boys stick, so that
l was glad to sucCumb again on my
blankets, hoping for - ne S1rcease Of
the strange disturbing motions.
IL was not the strength so much as
the irregularity Of these sinkings and
upheavals which troubled me. A long
upward heave would b. followed by a
quick drop. Then came a resounding
clack as the ship struck what to me
seemed a solid rock Again there was
a rebound and another heave at right
angles TO the first. Now / appeared to
&c tossed in a blanket against the cell
ing. Anon having left all my vital
parts sticking there above me, I was
hurled. a mere empty SHELL void of all
=
But / need not enlarge. These senSa-
TORS are common to all who go down
10 the sea in ships Or at least, they
ara the lot Of most. and the cruel sport
Of the happily immune.
1t was high day outside when the
oooT opened, and 7 slaE my father
stand before NE in his blue coat with
the gold braid a sailor behind him in
blue shirt and white trousers, hold
Ing lantern in his hand.
rose 70 my feet also, for I did not
wish TO shame my courage.
All, Philip" he said. so you have
Joined the COTramantee as a pressed
man You are brave, boy. Come up
to breakfast"
At the very name of food. 1 could
scarce contain myself. SO strong a
loathing had come over me. I think
captain Stansfield must have noted my
pale countenance.
why, he said. you are somewhat
squeamish. That happens on a first
cruise to the best seamen. Dick. bring
Mn q glass Of brandy from my cabin,"
which, when I had drunk. 1 thanked
MN for. and felt somewhat better.
But judge what was my astonish-
hlent on going into the cabin, to find
my GEAR mother sitting there, with her
hahos on her lap. her lips white. and
sucn look of fear in her eyes as / had
never seen IN them since the night at
the Yeti cottage Of New Minis.
she did not rise. but only held out her
poor hands with a little pitiful appeal.
ran TO her, and che clasped her arms
about my neck. Then, though she had
not cried at all before. she now laid
her mead on my shoulder and wept