Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1900-04-14
DICK RODNEY;
Or. The Adventures OF
An Eton Boy.
RY JAMES GRANT.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

ny JAMES GRANT.

CHAPTER NNN.-tContlnueu
"All's over aow," said Tom Lam
bourne. as he srasped the tiller vita
4 firm hand. after carefully wrapping
blanket round poor Hislop, who droop-
ed beside him in the stern-sheets.
(which way shall we pull?" asked
the bowman. as we paused with our
oars in the rowlocks.
1T matters little, mates" cried Tom
tn loud voice. with his left hand az
the side OF his mouth, 10 send wat
he said forward above the roar OF the
Wind and sea. we must be many
-.undred miles from Brazil, the nearest
land. and we can do nothing now but
keep our boat alive by baling and
steering till daybreak. Now, Master
Hislop." he added. lowering his voice,
.'how do you feel, sir?'
II feel that | am quite in your way,
my lads-a useless hand aboard. to
consume your food and water" re-
piled Hislop, family.
'Why. sir" said Probart, the stroke
oarsman, you don't think we could
have left you TO burn in that poor old
brig?"
mo. not exactly; stin am of no
use to you, and l feel"
What, sir. what?" asked Tom, anx-
iously.
Heart sick ard Departing" moan
ed Hislop, letting his chin drop on
his breast.
Don't talk so, sir" said Lambourne,
stoutly; despair never found place
in the heart Of q British sailor"
You are right. Tom; and perhaps
I'll gather Roadway and get to wind
ward yet"
"of course you WILL" replied Tom,
cheerfully; but here's sea coming
together, lads, pull together"
Despair might well have found a
place In all our breasts at that awful
crisis; but Toms bluff and cheerful
way prevented our hearts from sink
ing, though the hours Of that awful
night seemed dark and long
Well. without compass. chart, or
quadrant. there We were. ten In num-
Der. In an open boat, tossing upon a
dark and stormy sea. enyeloped in
clouds, with the red lightning gleam-
Ing through their ragged openings, or
at the far and fat Acknowledgements
OF where we were, where to steer for,
or what TO DO. and full OF terrible
anticipations for the future.
We were silent and sIeepless.
My heart was full OF horror, grief
and vague alarm. when / thought OF
my home-the quiet, the happy and
peaceful old rsctory, with all who loved
me there, and whom | might never see
again.
The hot tears that started to my
eyes mingled with the cold spray that
drenehed my cheeks. and there seem
ed but one consolation for me, that my
father, my affectioHate mother and sis
ters. dear Dot and little Sybil. could
never know how | persisted By hunger
or drowning, IL such were to be my
fate
All the stories / had heard or read
of ship-wrecked men--their sufferiugs
their endurance of gnawing hunger
anu DuIhluS thlISlp LItlF tduulDdllSf1
their mortal struggles with their dear.
est friends for the last morsel Of food
for the last drop Of water. and how
the weak persisted that the strons
might live-crowded upon my mem.
Org to augment the real terrors Of our
situation.
80 suddenly had this final eatas.
trophe come upon us that we had con
siderable difficulty in assuring our
selves Of its reality, and that 1t wa.
not a dream-a dream, alasl from
which there might be no awakening.
So hour after hour passed darkly
slowly. and silently on.
The turbulence of the wind ant
waves abated, the lightning passed
away. the scud ceased to whirl, tn,
vapors were divided in heaven, and
faint light that stole tremulous.y up
ward from the horizon served to indi
cate the east and the dawn of the com
ing day.
CHAPTER XVI.
Discover Land