Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1901-02-14
!. The Death Of a Coward

The Boy leant wearily against the
bulwark rails. watching the
lights as they came up one by one on the
coast. The plunging of the ship still
made his head reel, and he was weak
from want of food. He seemed
altogether apart form the stir and
life of that 300 emigrants on
board created. His whole soul filled
with dumb and impotent pro-
test against his fate, and the life
before him. Old Capt Malcolm
had shown little wisdom when he sent
knocked into him.
In the fathers defense it way be said
that he was utterly unable to realize
the timidity and sensitiveness of the
boy. All his ancestors had been rough
seamen who had faced storm and dam
ger on every sea, and courage and nerve
were hereditary qualities. And now
the last Of the Malcolms seemed more
of girl than any of his five sisters.
All the exhortations to man,iness, all
the covert reproaches that came from
his father, were so many darts that
ranked and festered in his soul. but
failed to compel his nature to be other
than it was. The boy was made for
peace. for the quiet and uneventful
life that an office in his native town
could have offered under his mothers
watchful care. Instead, he was here,
an apprentice on the steamship Pride
of Asia, a big cargo boat just oil the
slips on the Tyne, and carrying emf
grants to the Cape.
The ships doctor came out of the sa-
loon in the poop TO go his evening
round below. With him was his wife.
"A slight, girlish figure, wrapi in a
heavy coax She turned at the ladder
which led to the lower deck, and was
about to go back, when her eyes fell
on the boy. She had noticed him once
or twice before, and his white face and
lonely air reused the womanly SYM
patty in her. She touched him lightly
on the shoulder and said: 'You are
leaving home, like me-"
The boy started. A slight color sprang
to his cheeks. and tears to his eyes
He smiled family, showing gap where
two teeth had been knocked out by
smaller boy in the only fight he had
ever had at school.
"Ies, ma'am." he replied.
"You must feel lonely" she said;
"but you will soon be back, and then
everyone will think so much Of you"
Her voice had something caressing
and inviting about IL; and so his conf
dence. overcoming his shyuess and re-
serve, broke bounds Hetcld her every
thing how he woulGhate this lie. how
all filed him with fear and disgust. the
cold and darkness. the chafT and horse
pay Of his fellow-apprenticcs. the in
difference Of everyone around him.
He told how impos ssible II was to come
up to his fathers standard, how he felt
he was born coward, and that he
would always be one, shrinking in
stinctiyely from the danger and excite
ment that bo.der natures took pleas
ure in.
She listened sympathetically. Her
hand had patted him once or twice. and
encouraged him TO 20 on. When he
ended, she said: you must not be- too
hard on yourself. II is not always those
who fear the least that are brayest in
the end. When the time comes, ! am
sure you will do your duty"
The boy heard her lstlessly. lie
had little heart TO respond to any ap.
peal to his manliness There seemed
no time when he would not shrink
from hardship or danger. He almost
felt as II his confidence had been mis-
placed, and that she had understood
nothing after all.
She saw the change. and her inter
est in him somewhat waned. Courage
70 woman is the primary quality in
the other sex, and nothing will com
pensate for the lack Of IT,. She bade
him GOOD night and turned away
back to the poop.
In few minutes the second mate
passed along the deck and told the
boy TO 90 below. Then all was quiet.
A few hours later the Pride Of Asia
was steaming at SLOW" with her
whistle going every few minutes. The
Channel fog girt the ship like a
shroud. The captain walked the
bridge uneasily. No tempest or rock
bound shore gives the anxiety that
fog on this waterway Of the nations
does. Danger is imminent every.
where, and the most careful seaman |
ship is no guarantee Of safety. So Il |
was now. \ hoarsc shout came from
the man ON the lookout. The captain |
sprnng 10 the telegraph. and as Full |
speed astcrn" rang out a large sail. |
ing ship took form IN the fog and in |
a few seconds crashed into the steam |
er In front Of the bridge
The Pride Of Asia shook from stem /
to stern, heeled over 20 iarbonrd. |
and then began 10 forge n'f1I while /
the other went pounding a'1ur her /
side, wrenching the port boai1 from |
her dayitS and staving them. IN with |