The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-09-18
an latitude s7M west,o said Helen,

TE. EE- .E-
II did," l %assented, eagerly. I
strove to look heroic, ever going to
the length Of removing my pipe; then
a natural generosity reproved me.
But you forget yourself" l charged;
you forget the-er-the splendid as
sistance you rendered me. You for
get how, dashed to-er-lashed to a
hen-coop, you labored bravely with me
through the long watches Of the night,
and when morning dawned gray and
cherries yer a4tossing, leaden sea,
you
Nothing of the Sort she inter-
rupted. "You forget that I am a pas
senger. 1 passed the awful hours in
my stateroom, praying for morning.
expecting every moment to be the
last"
"Oh," said 1, II had the wrong book;
it's Clark Russell. isn't it,"
She paid no heed. With eyes fixed
upon the distant horizon, she spoke on
like a seer. "a spell of calm weather
followed"
ut did, l said, humbly. 81 saw it
following"
Hourly we scanned the ocean for
sight of a sail. Once" She paused;
her voice broke with emotion. .Once,
far in the distance, low down on the
horizon
II thought it was horizon?"
I'VE sighted a speck, a faint blur
against the immensely of the empty
world. All day we watched it, eating
nothing, silently praying that it might
change its curse and come to our res
cue. Yet when night came down we
were once more alone in the vast dark
ness"
COR dark vastness," 1 offered, help
fully.
when morning dawned again the
speck was no longer there. A fright
full loneliness, an awful hopelessness,
came over us"
"It-they did"
yet you were brave, so brave!!"
She looked at me admiringly. What
could / say? l waved q hand careless
ly and smoothed my tie.
while there's life there's hope,'' 1
murmured.
you babe me keep up my courage.
All, needed your comfort then! Life
was very empty for a while. You"
well, you had me" I reminded.
"Then-lhen the food gave out"
"What?"
starvation stared us in the face"
mo, not" l cried. mot that! Any
thing but that!"
"The barrel which we had believed
held-held plumduff and-and-"
"Deviled kidneys!"
lizard tack
"Oh!"
I'VE discovered to be filled only
with
"Crullers," said, imploringly.
"With-with dumb-bells!"
~"Dumb-bells? Why dumb-bells?" |
asked, coldly.
For an instant she looked nom
plussed. Then she said, falteringly, ~
don't know. They-they were part of
the cargo. l think"
Maybe she's a training Ship" | sug-
gested.
Helen blinked.
starvation stared US"
you said that once"
With a groan you covered your face
with your hands"
Eyes, yes" I cried. "Then, like a
flash, | remembered that in the cap
tain's cabin l had seen a box of beef
steak and onions. With an exclama-
tiOn of joy l dashed headlong down the
companionway. The box was still
there. Selling a large, thick steak, I
hurried to the galley"
You're quite wrong" interrupted
Helen, i%nexorably. Hunger has gone
to your brain. You've had nothing to
eat for three days, and"
mo, no, please! Not three days!
One. If youSmust, but not"
For three weary days." she insisted.
groaned aloud, and passed a trem-
bling hand across the front Of my shirt.
It was true! The pangs of hunger were
already biting. looked longingly to-
ward the shore.
But that vas not the worst!!"
stop, stop!" I beseeched.
"The next day we drank the last OF
our meager store of water. Then in
deed death lowered nigh"
"Tell me one thing" l begged, in.
broken whispers. ''The-the cask of
Burgundy, vintage of '78, and the two
dozen bottles Of Scotch whisky in the
captains cupboard, they-they were
still there?9"
Helen looked across at me pityingly,
and shook her head. With an anguished
cry | hid my face in my hands.
we found the cask stove in and the
bottles broken to atoms"
HDid WEI" l muttered, vacantly. 81
had forgotten"
without food and water"
Water, water everywhere, and not
a drop to drink" I gibbered.
"For three days we have drifted rel
a cruel, CLASSY sea, under q burning:
pitiless sky"
"Pitiless sky" I echoed. with parched
lips.
And yet-and yet through it all.
kthnrp has haan ono thing to sua