The Opelousas courier., 1900-12-22
Tho Death Of a Coward.


The boy leaned against the bulwarl
rails, watching the lights as they
came up one by one on the coast. The
plunging Of the ship still made hi:
head reel, and he was weak from
want Of food. He seemed altogether
apart from the stir and life that 30(
smigrants ON board created. His
whole soul was filed with O duml
and impotent protest against his fate
and the life before him. Old Capt
Malcolm had shown little wisdom
when he sent his only son to sea to
have some pluck knocked into him.
The ships doctor came out Of the
saloon in the poop to 60 his evening
round below. With him was his wife,
a slight, girlish figure, wrapped in q
heavy cloak. She turned at 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
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-"
ayes, ma'am," he replied.
"You must feel lonely" she said,
"but you will soon be back, and then
everyone Will think so much Of you"
Her voice had something careless
and inviting about 1t; and so his con-
fidence, overcoming his shyness and
reserve, broke bounds. He told her
everything-how he would hate this
life, how all filed him with fear and
disgust, the cold and darkness, the
chair and horse-play of his fellow ap-
prentices, the Indifference Of everyone
around him. He told how impossible
it 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 ma
lures took pleasure In.
She listened sympathetically. Her
hand had patted him once or twice,
and encouraged him to 60 ON. When
he ended, she said. "You must not
be too hard on yourself. 1t is not al
ways those who fear the least that
are bravest in the end. When the
time comes. / am sure you will do
your duty" III
In q few minutes the second mate
passed along the deck and told the boy
to 60 below. Then all was quiet.
4 few hours later the Pride Of Asia
steaming ut ''siow," 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 rock
bound shore gives the anxiety that a
fog on this waterway of the nation
does. Danger is imminent everywhere
and the most careful seamanship is no
guarantee of safety. So it is now. A
hoarse shout came from the man on
the lookout. The captain 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
dayits and STAYING them in with her
boWsprit. Then she passed away as a
ghost in the fog.
The Pride Of Asia had met her
death wound. At once all was noise
and confusion. The emigrants came
pouring up on deck, screaming and
shouting with terror Some of the
sailors rushed to clear the boats. but a
sharp order from the captain stopped
them.
In a few seconds the captain had de-
cfded on his course. The remaining
boats would not carry a hundred and
fifty people. There were more than
twice that number on board. On the
hand, the land was about three
miles of, and O sandy and protected
beach meant safety. But could 1t be
done with that hole In her side? He
would try. He changed his course,
rang "Full speed ahead" and shouted
the mate: go down and shut the
buikheads, MI. 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 aimless!y over the
hatch.
"Bring down a lantern cried the
mate, and Malcolm, galvanized into
activity by fear, seized a lantern from
the alleyways and clambered down
into the lold.
Tbs mate al toward the iron door
In the sulkhead, which had been left
Rpesl, and pushed it to.
The light ~here-quiek."
And the boy brought 1t.
"Rlast themt-oh. blast themw roar
Cd the mate. They've put the bolts
on the wrong side. In FIVE minutes
Wen all be In kingdom come"
He stumbled Tor the ladder. and
young Malcolm followed, wild with
Yes, every one would be
shouting with terror. Some of the
drowneS and he, too. with the cruel,
cold water sucking him down. He
dropped the lantern and began to pull