Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-01-30
CHAPTER v.

During the nIsht IN. wina gathered
fore. and the Queen pitched anu rolled
with the waves beating aEains, her
bovs. Tn. rcsui, To mo ~as Inevitable.
| was as seasiek as mortal man had
ever been. Ny illness rssce;uaiiy drove
from Maubikeck's miaa aad my own
all thoughts of the consid-aces b. had
proposed to unfold 10 me ON ,hs, day.
In fact. abou, the oniy thing that could
have been said tha, would have been
pleasing tn me uaa tho promise that
I would speedily die and end II all.
na, this the ships physician refused to
give.
So two days and part Of the third
PASSED. aad vas s,iii unable to leave
my berth.
In IN. evening Of the third day OF
my illness the iIon.,amcr sat near me.
looking over some papers had
brouEh, frum Sc~ York. Nov and
then h. would glance a; inc TO see II
vas in need Of his attention. The
worst of my illness ~ss over. hu,
was very weak.
''Aisubikeck.' I said. almost smiling
a, the weakness of my own voice.
why do you sit in this close state
Tuotnr You have been wonderfully
good and kind to me. ! can never for.
get H. hut am over the vurst Of u.
and you need no; trouble with me any
more. Go on deck ana get a whiH o;
fresh air.
Maubikeck smiled.
The air TO be had on deck he said.
'is no, go invisoTa;lnE as you think.
There is dense foE. We are creeping
along. barely keeping kcadway. Moth.
ing can be seen. II Is a damp. chilly
evening. the sea is running high. and
altogether IL is uninvitinz on deck.
will sit here awhile and then go to
bed
He resumed his reading. and I lay
still. listening and thinking.
Suddenly there was a shock and
crash. a cry Of horror. shout of an.
ger. and the ship seemed to be driven
by some tremendous force. and shiv.
cred and trCmbled like a frightened
animal.
Maubikeck leapcd 10 his feet.
There has been collision!- he
said. stay where you arc. wilbcston.
will come back
lie rushed from the stateroom. and
fell to wondering what the result of
this new horror would be. I was so
weak that did not fully realize my
own position. II is true. felt and
knew the danger but my senses were
so benumbed by my Illness and this
new shock that at FIRST ! was almost
indifferent to my own fate. hut the
sounds of excitement had their effect
on me. and was soon cropping for my
clothes and struggling to get them on
before joining the frantic mob on
deck.
| succeeded in getting myself clad,
as regards shirt and trousers. At this
point I became panic stricken. and
feeling that was surely doomed II
the ship sank. broa;hed prayer and
Edith's name al the same time and
sank on ;he floor.
just then the door Of my stateroom
was nung open and Naubikcck an
/ peared. lie picked me up from the
/ floor. wrapped my nycrcoat around me.
| and taking me In his arms as II I was
a child. he hurried out and IN the
I companionway onto the deck. Here
was a scene Of almost indesrribsblo
/ confusion. The lights on the deck
| glimmered but dimly through the fog
and the whole scene was enveloped
in a dense blnckness. Yet could dis.
tiuguish the forms of men rushing
snadly to and fro. cursing. shouting
and crying. having no aim except 10
save themselves. regardless OF the fate
Of others.
But how grandly different was the
lion-tamcr! with me in his arms. he