Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-10-29

I~~~~~~1
Il THE WRECK
(OF THE MASCOT [
BY FREDERIC
IL VAN RENssELAER DEY.
IL Coprsohs, 1901. BY s. s.. McCssrs Co. {
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f~1HE huge fore and aft sails Of I
three masted schooner swung
ESSl lazily to starboard. half fillet
with wind, and the graceful
craft glided from the harbor Of Batavia
In the island Of Java, toward the sea
She was the schooner Mascot, British
Liverpool, Captain Loomis, laden with
coffee, and had cleared for Philadel
phia. with commission to touch al
Samoa and at Buenos Ayres en- route
On board were two men who FOL
months had been awaiting an oppor.
tunity to ship aboard howeward
bound vessel Of any description. for the
bark that had brought them to that fal
corner Of the world, one as master and
the other as mate. had been destroyed
by fire while lying In the harbor, and
with 1t had been burned everything
they possessed.
Batavia had not been pleasant
place in which to loiter during those
blistering midsummer days. The bu.
bonic plague ragged virulently. Men
and women-natives. nearly all, to be
sure-dropped dead in the streets al
most without warning. Business was
at a standstill. Ships bound in OBJ.
served the warning signals and send.
ded seaward again without dropping
anchor, and 1t had seemed as II the
two sailors were fated to remain there
always until the Mascot poked her
nose through the morning mists one
day In August and came to anchor OF
the Kraaliund, meaningless name for
a detached wharf which lies about 30
fathoms of the western extremity Of
the harbor. With the schooner came
hope. aud the two men lost 10 time IN
boarding her and. finding that she was
shorthanded, were readily accepted by
the bluff aud hearty master. one as
mate and the other as able seaman.
Afraid of the plagueT shouted Cap
tain Loomis when. before leaping the
rail, they warned him Of the danger
which threatened all who anchored In
the harbor Of Batavia. God bless you.
lads, II Is everywhere this voyage.
It's the lubberly plague that has made
me short handed. Both my mates and
two Of my men have gone under and
been shotted home. but l reckon the
rest of us are fireproof. Come aboard.
come aboard, lads; II you want to sign
I'm your man. Are you Eng
lishmenf"
mo. sir; Americans" replied one Of
them. "rhat is. my friend here Is real
ly a Norwegian. Thorgensen by name.
l was master and he first mate Of the
bark Schuylkill Of Philadelphia, burned
In this harbor eight weeks ago. My
name Is Craddock."
"And you wish to ship with me. ehT
"That we do. sir"
The arrangement was speedily con.
cluded. Craddock became first mate OF
the schooner. and the gigantic Nor.
wegisn gladly accepted a place In the
fo'castle. The Mascot had arrived
from sumatra (where one Of her crew
had contracted the plague) in ballast,
and her captain was determined as
soon as be could take on q cargo Of
coffee to slip his cable and be Oh.
Fate willed. however that he should
clear In due form Of law. and 30 the
day came when the schooner put to
sea. Her course was laid through the
tortuous sea Of Java. through the
Torres strait and thence across the
Coral sea. between the New Hebrides
and the Santa Cruz islands. to Samoa.
For a week all went well. Then.
without warning. that terrible palsy
which precedes the relentless stroke Of
the plague seized the captain In Its
awful grasp. and In two hours he was
q corpse. During the succeeding night
n sailor perished In the fo'castle; an.
other followed at midday. and still an.
other ere the sun had set again. aud
on the seventh day after the death Of
the captain Craddock and Thorgensen
found themselves sole survivors Of oil
who hud sailed out Of the harbor Of
Batavia aboard the schooner Mascot
Ii days agone.
They were at that time about 80
miles to the eastward Of Torres strait.
for the schooner was slow. and she
had been several times becalmed.
They consulted long and earnestly re-
garding the best course to pursue now
that they were alone aboard a vessel
much too bulky for two men to handle
in anything more than lazy breeze.
To turn back was out Of the question.
since what little wind there was In
those latitudes at that season of the
year was always contrary, and. be-
sides. they had experienced quite
enough Of Batavia. 1t was possible
that they might make an Australian
port II they could succeed in crossing
the Coral sea and striking the northern
arm of the south equatorial drift which
makes to the southwark on eitaer side
Of the southern Australia current by
which. for several hundred miles, It is
divided In twain. On the other hand,
II they could succeed in crossing the
Coral sea without accident they would
be much nearer Samoa. and-well. they
tossed a coin aud decided upon the
original destination.
Neither had experienced any symp-
toms of the plague. and both believed
exempt. They. however.
took the precaution to thoroughly fumi-
gate the schooner In the hope that they
might speak some craft which would
afford them assistance.
They passed through Torres strait
and out upon the Coral sea. and there