The Savannah morning news., 1901-07-28

May got into his boat-the lee one
with a couple of men to unlock the
tackles. Poor little body, she was
nearer fainting than on the night when
l spoke to her! And not much wonder.
A squall was on, and as the bark came
to- with sheets Stating, an old sail
ripping UP here and there, the appar-
ent force of the wind trebled by head
ing into it, and a thick haze over all,
it was a scary enough job to take to
those old, rotten, tin boats of his. The
second mate and one man lowered his
boat, while thumped the badly ratified
Dutchman round and got mine down.
I'VE had no sooner showed clear than
1 heard cries of distress from the
other side. We backed around the
stern, somehow, and there was the
old mans boat stove, and laundering
| They had got caught under the counter
when the bark rolled, and the old can
of boat squashed like a rotten tur-
nip. Poor little May gave up when she
saw death reaching out for her with a
sure grip. She held her arms out to
me and cried:
%. Jack, save mel Save mel Dear,
dear Jack please don't let me drown
| don't let me drownn
| Old Jack Hargreaves turned his head
away and took a big gulp of whisky.
| When he looked my way again, there
was an ugly light in his bleary eyes
| such a light as 1 would not care to see
| were he my mortal enemy. He leaned
| over until his face was within an inch
| of mine, brought his big, brown fist
| down on the oaken table with a re-
| sounding thump, and said in a low,
| savage tone:
| 1.-THE legions of hell couldn't have
| kept her from me after that! l pulled
the boats sterns together, reached over
and drew her into my boat. Her arms
were around my neck, her tears wet on
| my face, and her poor little bosom
| throbbing against my breast. AS laid
| her down in the stern sheets, 1 sWore
he should never have her again.
THE wrecked boat sank, and her
| crew swan to us. The OIL man got hold
of the gunnel, and he says:
| Give me a hand, Mr.. Hargreaves'
| Never mind, you hound says 7.
You can't come in here. She's mine,
now, an I'll keep her!
| He read his death warrant in my
| eye, but, coward though he was, he
| fought like cornered rat. My boat
was half full of water. and 1 saw he
| was liable to upset us, even if he failed
| to get aboard. May was screening
like mad woman behind me. The
thing had to be settled I grabbed him
by the throat and choked the life out
| of him. ! held his head under till he
| SNOPpCO obl uSS tl1Sn leI 30 anu he
sank. May gave one>fearful Shrek and
| become quiet. When / got a chance
| to look at her, she had tainted. 1t has
been the one comfort of my life since,
that she never regained her senses.
THE bark had backed herself round
somehow, in a flaw, 1 suppose, filled
| away, and was rapidly disappearing
| in squall. 1t would be useless to
| chase her, so / headed for the land. /
set one of the Dutchmen to bailing
| while the second mate and cook did
most of the pulling. 1 lifted the sailor
| with the toe of my boot, occasionally
but he couldn't seem to gain on the
water. Then the second mate discov-
| cred that there was no plug in her. l
took off one boot and kept that foot
over the plug hole, and the man soon
| freed her.
THE wind was a bit abaft the BEAM
and we did fairly well. May lay in the
| stern sheets unconscious, but I was
kept so busy steering that 1 couldn't
do anything for her. / was so glad I'd
| got her that I never stopped to think
what 1 should do with her, nor how I
would get out of killing the oil man.
for of course, the men all saw me. We
| were making good progress toward the
coast, which is quite bold Whereabouts,
| when, without the slightest warning,
the boat rode up on a hidden rock,
turned turtle and sank like a stone.
Il caught the little woman as she
was going down and struck out for the
shore, which 1 judged to be less than
a quarter of a mile away. There were
shrieks and oaths behind me, where
those poor devils were strangling each
other in their wild efforts to keep
afoat. They all must have drowned,
for none ever turned up to throw any
light on the mystery of the Kate
| Eastman.
THE sea was heavy and 1 had my
clothes and one boot on. 1t took one
hand to hold May, but 1 was a strong
swimmer and a couple of hundred faith
oms more would do ii. Then another
of those cursed sunken rocks interfer-
ed and the breath was nearly driven
out of me as l grounded on it.
thought to rest there a bit, but there
was no rest for me. could get no hold
on the slippery rock and the sea beat
me upon it till lost my little remain
ing strength. Twice May slipped from
me, but l got her again. There is no
doubt that she was dead-probably be-
fore the boat went down. Again
struck out feebly, for the nearest point
of rock on the shore. reached it, but
was too exhausted to climb out.
struggled desperately for that last. for
lorn chance. but fate was against me
and / had to give up.
II raised my sweetheart's face to
mine, and while the salt water drained
and gurgled from IL, / kissed for the
last time the lips l had always loved
Once more l spoke her name, but. as
said. she was long since dead. 1 held
her close, pressed the dear form to my
heart, took a farewell glance at the
pitiless scene and let myself go down.
The next day l came to my senses
in Portuguese fisherman's shanty I'M
der the cliff. The aged couple did what
they could for me, caring for me as II
] had been their own son; but as we
were unable to understand each other
l never learned how | came to be saved
nor whether the bodies of May or any
of the crew ever came ashore. When
l got strong enough | shipped in a
plum puddener.' as they call those
western ocean whalers-under the
name you know me by"
He ceased speaking. and for a mo-
ment I remained under the spell OF his
fearful narration. Then l shook IL OF
and looked up.
Jack" ! said. the horror in my own
voice adding 20 my agitation, lis that
truc2'
AS God Is my Judge. Andy IL Isl
wish IL wasn't"
You numbering old william. you