Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1900-02-22
fracture. and. as for the sake of AM. my own

dreaming of heroism. Ii my finer senslblll-
ties had awakened, so had my coarser, and
knew / was now working for a purpose, the
roots of which lay in selfishness, but OF az.
stripe easily forgiven.
AS put the maiden down she closed her
eyes, and either tainted or slept from ex-
haustion, and |, like famished wolf, groped
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 sprawing 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-changng angle of
the deck, all seemingly chased by the over
turned bucket which had stood by the side
of Ames.
The light of the 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 | half on my knees cramming my
mouth with bits of hard bread and such
matter as Came rolling within reach.
ate like a man in despair, and yet with
hunger which gave a sweet taste to each
morsel, unsavory as l commonly would have
thought it. As | snatched and swallowed,
now possessed by the fear that the gale
might rise again while was below, marked
the unholy aspect of the surgeon. lie did,
not present the disgusting appearance of
Scammell, but beggarly enough he looked
rum-sodden brute, outshining his sur
roundings in the glory of his scarlet uniform.
/ held 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, L
might have made a 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.
| 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 | had given him, but | soon
gave over thinking of it. The question to be
settled was how | could leave Ames and his
sister, but it was soon solved. Letting them
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 | dropped him with
small ceremony there came a sound as
though he had struck the deck with a
muffied club This made me suspicious of
80 oopnao1aJ hut turning him
over, | 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.
1t was a Godsend, and then and there j 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 bad fall, however the ves-
sci might ramp. The lad opened his eyes as
| placed him by his yet unconscious sister,
but l babe him not speak, and tried to
hearten him by telling him [ 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. lie
| 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 linger by her, dared
not; there was much to do-too much for
one mortal. 1t was the work OF moment to
clear the floor of the bounding missiles and
heave them above (all but the gold, which
threw into an empty bunll), and followed
after for brief look about.
Since l had taken the whisky nay energy
had come back full fedged and in fighting
| mood, as though the numbness of the past
few hours had been waking slumber from
| which | had just recovered. The broaden
ing day put hope in me, though clearly and
with quick sensitiveness l 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 shrouds
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 q
| Ddck stay duu give SOtuC lcIIcl " lIlC Sldhu
ing rigging. | was engaged in making fast
the lines when there passed beneath us a
wave of extraordinary height and sharpness
1t was cross sea, and it well-nigh trippec
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 decl
slanted like the sides of a steeple, forcing
me to drop the halyards and cling to The
rail to prevent falling into the bow For al
instant | thought CT surety we woulc
plunge sdeong below the following sea
pierce it, and be swamped inside the tentf
stroke of my pulse; but the send of thu
water flung us partly out of the trough, anc
ss it passed lifted the bow to a terrible in
cline, and, giving us an extra vicious lurch
left us almost stern out to the run OF th
pillows. Had it broken as it reached us, th'
tons upon tons of water which would hav'
. fallen on our deck must have driven th
schooner beneath the surface as though sh
, was no more buoyant than the lead in he
Ill t. Jo, Il I baI Of h.