The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1901-06-21

vi" ptt"N oUt. ana tnat too. on the
second day ont from Cave island dur
Ing the first watch of the glass while
Alec held the deck.
was I'm my bunk. but came uD when
tic alarm was given anl v..s soon
passing buckets with the rcst. But tho
dainty Scourgr was doomed. and orr
puny efforts wer" without avail. The
water seemed only to irritatc the blaze
10 further fury. and where at FIRST was
Ealc. hmbcnt dame. blue and trans
parent. soon there heynn to roll forth
an avalanche OF inky smoke. rivrn bv
greedy. Shooting tongues Of yellow FIRE
Like furicS we worked In the sting.
ing rcek. and like n mockinc ficnd our
enemy grew I'm power and height Inch
by inch we were driven toward Tho
stern. fighting desperately every stcn
of the way. Spaniard WAS never so
relentless foe as this one. which
swallowed our watcry missiles as fast
rs we hurled them and turned them
70 Missing steam that bit back at the
sender.
Panting and scorchcd. wc gathered
n smoke grimCd group on tho counter
and realized that we were beaten A
shout arose that tho powder room WAS
on fire. and n half charrcd boat was
dropped into the water. Sprinrin- in
we pushed OF.
Scarcely had we pulled Cables
length away when the Scourge blew
up. MaStS. SparS and deck shot up to.
ward heaven and then fell in n blazing
shower around the column Of smoke
which marked the place where the
shattered hull had sunk.
The rest of the night dragged itself
wenrily through. AMI the sun rose upon
an unlocked sky. The boat was with.
out stores or provisions OF any kind.
She had neither compass nor sail. and
with one pair Of oars we could make
little Roadway through the calm. even
had wc known where to steer for.
Which Of us did not envy the old
man in his beautiful island hermitage
then?
We looked around at the unbroicp
circle Of the horizon. with tie water
u encirctnred untarnishcd by n single
zephyr and cleaning like glancinc
mirror or light. then nt the cruel sun
that was arching course OF scorchinr
splcndor through the cloudlcss vault
above, ana as we looked we took but
little comfort from the cheering words
which Alec spoke to u.s. What helm
could reach us from such a barren
fiery wilderness? What oasis could we
hope to find In such broiling, track
less desert?
But In spite Of the cncrvatlng heat
VIC tuggcd dcggcd!y at the cars. The
work. purposclrsS as 1t seemed, was
some relief. To active men there is no
torture like Incidence i'm Il case like
this. Tor Incidence Is the advance picket
of despair.
snt each couple. though eager for
'heir turn or toll. were glad enough to
Iuit II nj the appointed time. Water
makns r.. ",,t no ,,n1., nrni,. foT, With
in The b,,rninc thirs, v,S ,y,.r,,,,nd
bv cxcrcisn Alnc hoinr .,,r.i,. hri,t
nrrhon. snffor,d loos, ,,;rst,
soul over rivcn to uu,a,rc what v.,s
offered. endured ton mems agony In.
decd MS evening drew n,,r I hcr,n IN
fcnr that before nnothrr watch had run
ont madness or dcatb mrs, he tho ond
of me.
NV tIme borovor voe NOT rot como
AS the sun went down in Tho ycst ira
diving glory III upon n sail that nnenrd
above tho soutbrrn wo,cr limo With
frenZiod effort we made for 1t and
feared that the darkness would come
down before we could reach IL.
AS we drew nearer we made out that
she was a carrack. The breeze which
brought her uD had Jagged behind, and
she had run into II belt of calm. Re
laxing our efforts not one whit, we
pushed ficrcely on, urging tho boat
with Titan strokes: for we were no
gaunt famine worn spcctcrs, no starve-
Ilnus of tho ocr,n wI, had bpcn okinr