Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-06-22

time in experiment without more warrant.
My own necessities, forsooth, and for the
sake of all! / lost no honesty through
dreaming of heroism Ii my finer SENSIBLE
ties had awakened, so had my coarser, and l
knew was now working for purpose, the
roots of which lay in selfsbness, but of AL
stripe easily forgiven.
As put the maiden down she closed her
eyes, and either tainted or slept from ex-
haustion, and |, like famished wolf, CROPPED
about the floor for the food which had been
tipped from the table, holding her onto the
transom the while with one hand, and with
the other drawing together the fragments
of the but half-eaten meal.
'Twould have been moving sight to an
onlooker could one have peeped into the
cabin at this time The wounded brother
and sister, abject in their misery, even the
ocean allowing itself no rest in its efforts
to throw them from where they lay; the
lengthy bulk of the drunkard SPRAYING half
under the table, his body swaying with the
leap of the vessel, and about the floor mix
ture of broken food, the bag of gold and
empty bottles which ran hither and thither
with the acute and ever-changing angle of
the deck, all seemingly chased by the over
turned bucket which had stood by the side
of Ames.
The light of the low-burning lantern
swinging madly from its hook in the beam
gave a melancholy effect in contrast to the
pale dawn now cleaning white and cold
through the windows, and in this muss, to
the accompaniment of the groaning wood
work, was l half on my knees examining my
mouth with bits of hard bread and such
matter as came rolling within reach.
I ate like man in despair, and yet with
hunger which gave a sweet taste to each
morsel, unsarory as l commonly would have
thought it. As l snatched and swallowed,
now possessed by the fear that the gale
might rise again while was below, I marked
the unholy aspect of the surgeon. He did
not present the disgusting appearance of
Scammell, but beggarly enough he looked
a rum-sodden brute, outshining his sur
roundings in the glory of his scarlet uniform.
I held a firm hatred for him as he lay there,
feeling that half my present trouble was due
to his Internal weakness or deliberate care
lessness Had matters gone well below,
might have made shift to keep to the
deck and yet have food and drink supplied
me, but now the whole business was on me,
and my wounded were without proper care.
l wondered how it could have come about
that such an accomplished swiller Of liquor
had found it possible to have gotten dead
drunk on the short allowance of whisky left
in the bottle 1 had given him, but l soon
gave over thinking of it. The question to be
settled was how could leave Ames and his
take their chances for moment, seized the
snoring redcoat by the collar and hauled
him up the companion way, he making the
third drunkard had pitched from the cabin
in this fashion. As l dropped him with
small ceremony there came a sound as
though he had struck the deck with
muff1ed club. This made me suspicious of
still concealed arms, but, on turning him
over, I found the cause and supply for his
latest debauch. In the skirts of his coat
were two bottles like that had taken from
him, one full, the other two-thirds empty.
It was a Godsend, and then and there 1 took
such dram that ere long the contents of
my veins were less akin to the icy water
they had seemed to be holding.
Going back to the cabin, hauled the lar
board bunk mattress to the floor and laid
the girl upon it. Close to her laid Ames,
lifting bed and all, and thus both were be-
yond danger of a bad fall, however the YES
sci might ramp. The lad opened his eyes as
/ placed him by his yet unconscious sister,
but babe him not speak, and tried to
hearten him by telling him 1 was yet mas
ter, that Gertrude was by his side, hurt, but
not badly, and that we would, by the help
of God, be safe ashore ere sunset. He
smiled family, and made as if to nod, by
which l guessed that whisky was no medi
cine for his complaint, but managed to get
a dram down the throat of the girl, whereat
she soon opened her eyes and came to life
with another moan.
Though wished to lihger by her, dared
not; there was much to do-too much for
one mortal. It was the work of moment to
clear the floor of the bounding missiles and
heave them. above GALL but the gold, which
threw into an empty bunk) and followed
after for brief look about
Since / had taken the whisky my energy
had come back full hedged and in fighting
mood, though the numbness of the past
few hours had been a waking slumber from
which, had just recovered. The broaden
ing day put hope in me, though clearly and
with a quick sensitiveness marked the
anger of the sea, the sinister scowl on the
| face of Nature, and the wild disorder reign
| ing aboard the Phantom from her bow
| SPIRITS end to her remaining truck. Be-
slowing a glance on the drunkard, who lay
| on the wet planking not whit less COM
fortably than on the carpet of the cabin
floor, l gave my attention to the shreuds,
| finding as yet nothing had let go or sprung.
/ then carried aft the main throat and peak
halyards, that they might act the part of a
| back stay and give some relief to the stand
| ing rigging. l was engaged in making fast
| the lines when there passed beneath US a
wave of extraordinary height and sharpness.
| It was cross sea, and it well-nigh tripped
! the schooner, which term betokens cap
! size from lack of supporting surface beneath
| vessels bilge. With twisting lift it bore
| the stern so high in the air that the deck
slanted like the sides of steeple, forcing
me to drop the halyards and cling to the
| rail to prevent falling into the bow. For an
| instant I thought of surety we would
plunge sidelong below the following sea,
| pierce it, and be swamped inside the tenth
stroke of my pulse; but the send of the
| water flung us partly out of the trough, and
as it passed lifted the bow to terrible in
cline, and, giving us an extra vicious lurch,