The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1904-02-06

would fill and sink when the pans fell
apart. If she was tight she would be
swampcd or broken up by the big seas,
aSeable.
I'm thinkinG.' say l t. Bowls, that
neither she nor We will want another
skipper
Still says he, we might get clear
BY night the wind veered t. the
nor'east and drove the pack inshOre.
Then began t hope that we might es-
cape over the pack t. the rocks, but
when l looked about at dawn | made
ready t die. The pack was drifting
over the ShOal o Wrecked Ships. and
the breakers We're pounding it t slush
as it passed. Twas but a natter o
two hours afore the turn o the ship
would come. She was fair in the path.
Il sung out for all hands. and up
they tumbled. I'm not telling you
what they said When | pointed t the
breakers. Twas sight t break the
nerve O the bravest. an III name no
names. To the last man aboard we
gave ourselves up for lost Some of us
prayed. and some didn't. and some of
US cried. and some laughed. But twas
not long afOre we was all alike-a
group O. dazed sailormen. shivering in
the bitter wind, waiting for the end of
life.
1.-The winds hauling round t the
east says Jim Bowls at last.
''If the wind hauled far enough. if it
hauled soon enough. we might drift
clear g the shoal. We watched the
wind.
''''Tis veering fast says Bowls
again. Maybe We'll go clear"
AN hour later we scraped past the
norther' end O. the shoal. The schOOn-
er was safe for the time, but when the
wind fell and the ice went abroad. as
it did at dusk. our case was hard as
ever. The Can't Help 1t leaked. We
turned to pump ship with will. but
the most we could do was t keep the
water down. The working crew was
lashed t. the mainmast, and the rest
kept below
by and by the men began t. get sea-
sick. One after another they fell back
in their hunks and vowed they couldn't
work BY morning each of the rest Of
us was doing two mems work. Twas
hard. twas wonderful hard. but there
was nothing for it. and twas Won
derful sight harder when only Bowls
and l were left t keep the Can't Help
It afloat
"'Bowls.' says I. we can't do it.
Tom, says he, well try
'The water gained on us inch by inch.
BY night was beat out and Bowls was
almost ready t give in.
"'Come on says he. j'an' We'll have
word with that fo'c's'le crowd
''3ut not man would stir from his
bunk-not man. They We're so sick
that they didn't care whether they
went t. the bottom or not. We turned
to again and kept the pumps going for
an hour The sea was quieter then.
and | thought that we might stir up a
man or two of the crew t help us. So
down we went.
Men says Bowls. IF some O you
don't lend hand she'll sink
"I'm too sickr whineS one.
"I can't stand up" whimpers an
other.
You go. Bill says third.
There they were. lying like logs,
sick enough, I'll be bound. but not too
sick t. strike blow for their own lives
not too sick t. lend a hand t. two
beaten men.
Pump awayv says one. We'll
come up in the morning
Men says I, I'm beaten OUT
"'Men.' shouts Bowls. losing his tenn
Dcr, I'm not. but I'll sink afore Iii
10 another stroke t save the lives O
such ours as you.
Nor would he. We era vIed on deck.
and staggered t the pump:
".Come on, Bowls says l..
"'Not a stroke says Bowls. Let
EN- die.
Il kept the pump going alone Until
fell fiat on the deck. How many
hours will she float. Jim:' says l.
".Four, low says he.
"''Twill be morning then says I.
"With my ear t. the deck l could hear
-ile water slashing about in her hold.
[ knew she was filling by inches and
would wobble and sink all Of a sud
len. But was too tired and sleepy to
.are much about that. By and by
Tell asleep, while Bowls paced the
leck, muttering. I felt. before con-
;ciousness left me. that sleep was near.
md | was glad that the Can't Help 1t
vas to take her last plunge before my
sleep was over.
But in that l was mistaken. The
lawn was breaking when l awoke.
rhe rail was then within few inches
If the water. and Bowls was fast
lsleep on the main-hatch. Off the port
,uarter. with her sail all set, was a
rim little fore-an' after, bearing down.
"Her skipper told us. when he had
IS safe aboard, that he had sighted the
can't Help 1t when he rounded Long
yape-the land off our stern, sir. as the
hin lies now-and had made haste to
,ur rescue. We said We were glad
10 had happened around just at that