The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-06-28

| Inc cyclODe WIS gone, any way, aHu
had left US In the mist.
| Left us! stared around blankly.
The mist seemed TO make a solid wall
twenty feet away. To live through
that turmoil Of lunatic elements would
| barely happen to more than one. There
was nothing but bubbliDg and beating
| water TO hear and white mist TO see.
| "Thls won't do" / thought, and told
myself TO get up and look about, but
sat still, nevertheless. and shook all
over and was afraid.
Now / heard another sound, a crack
| ling. and saw a luminous place In the
mist, aud crept toward 10 az baby
creeps to any shining light. II was the
doorway to the galley stairs. The
smoke poured up through II. and II
| glowed from the brightness below.
When ship goes around like a top a
stove doesn't stay unmoved. This one
had set fire to the barge.
To be burned to death, For choice
would rather have gone ballooning on
a cyclone with the crew. There was
no daze about me now. i jumped to
my feet, had n passing glimpse out Of
my memory of Harry diving down
those stairs, and knew that If there
was any further chance of human com
panionship for me ! must reach Harry.
/ put my arms up uselessly against
the smoke and went down the stairs.
The smoke was white like the mist
above. brt pleasant In so far as II was
dry and hot, but Ii felt only warm be-
cause Of the chill In my flesh. The far
end Of the interior was In blaze.
! stepped on something that slipped.
stopped and grlpped Harry by the
collar where he lay in heap. having
fallen so. and / plunged up the stairs
dragging him after me somehow. So
! came out again into the mist drag
ging the limp weight, and quite blank
In my brain as To what / should do.
but II was instinct to get as far from
the fire as l could.
SO | went with Harry on my shoul-
der, down into the ships waist where
the water was brcast-high or near IL,
and swashing the chairs and tables
about. ] judged they were well bro
from there | carried Harry up to the
forward deck. which was n Hat sur
face forty feet across with only the
mast and hatch or trap-door break
ing the planking The mast had be-
come a splintered stump, the planklng
was gone.
spread Harry out on that deck.
There was cut on his head. but he
was alive, and | thought there might
be water enough In the air TO bring
him TO. Anyway, If the John An
drews were to burn II seemed common
sense to make raft. There was COM
monty an axe under the bench 10y the
wheel. so l went down again into the
black water, with it's scum of broken
furniture thrashing about.
How the fire was gaining | could tell
by the great glow In the mist. | lodged
the heat by the galley door, and went
along 10y the rail; the smoke was com
ing up through the planks.
The axe was In its place. The find
ing OF 1t consolcd me greatly, and /
waded back, gripping II and thinking,
Here's some one who won't drown or
burn If he knows himself" feeling
grim also in my mood. SO that though
found Harry sitting up, ! said moth
ing TO him, but fell TO knocking up
planks. He seemed dazed little. Snd
was wiping the blood from his face.
"ChoppiDg her upi'
"Ies."
"WhyT'
"On fire.
"Ohw
That was all we said. goi up four
planks with the nails sticking in them,
and nailed them together in n square.
If you keep on mailing planks to-
gether. in the end you will get raft
not comfortable in n choppy sea, but
shlpwrecked people have 10 right 70
be comfortable.
/ thought myself smart 10 see things
SO clearly and find so simple n way of
dealing with shipwrecks and ! thought
poorly of Harry TO be doing nothing
but stare down into the waist of
the ship and at the glow beyond in the
mist; no sort OF a sailor. seeing the
barge might GO down any minute. |
said: Look here, Harry. IL you noat
on my raft, you help make her"
Terrible lot OF water below here.
he replied. after time. There's n
dining-room table floating around right
side up under my feet
Then thought haG to do with an
| idiot. and went on hammering planks.
IL was no time TO argue. for shortly
| there came n forward movement OF the
John Andrews. and knew what is IN,
feel Of a sinking ship-it makes your
stomach go into a knot
ran and caught Harry by the collar
and cried. "She's SINKING
"Sink nothing. Let 20 my collar"
he said. "She amt sinking. There's
water coming. Twill pat out the Gre.
The calmness OF him staggered me
he might be right.
"Why won't she sinky'
"All. wood. Wood don't sink less
| it's waterlogged. Where was yoJ
brought upY She's nothing but raft
this here John Andrews. What yor
want to make another forl Why. look
IL she settles enough TO put the fir,
out. that's good. II she don't let hel
burn. She can't burn past the waist
| which is mostly under water. anyway
Stands TO reason. don't it2 No. Fact.
he ended. with heavy sarcasm, "yot
might say IL seldom does"