The Jersey City news., 1904-03-02
How He Landed
D Prize
rorimnal.

Bob Collins and Jack Dutton were
shipmates and friends ON the schooner
Sheridan. They had courted the
same girl. Button had won. This
would have made them enemies had it
not been for remarkable sense of
justice, an absence of meanness, on the
part Of Collins.
Here is my hand, Jack" he said
when he learned of his friends sue
cess. Tim no deg in manger, and
/ wish ysu joy. Whatever she wants
am glad that she shall have"
ColAns.was first, Dutton second, mate
Soon after the E,utton marriage the
Sheridan started on her outward trip
reached port without adventure and
when the year 1903 was nearing it's
end started back for America, the crew
expecting to spend the Christmas holi-
days at home. But December is liable
to be a tempestuous month, and the
ship encountered one gale after an
other. Then began run of bad luck
for the crew. Two seamen were
washed overheard, one died of heart
disease, one fell from the rigging to
the deck and was killed, while his
mate, who was aloft with him, fell
into the boiling ocean and was
drowned. The captain, who stood on
deck for hours soaked in ice water,
died of pneumonia. This closed the
death list, leaving Collins in command,
Dutton and two ordinary seamen to
work the vessel
One day they met derelict 1t had
been cut nearly in two by another ship
and would have certainly gone down
had it not been loaded with cotton.
Collins saw the advantage of getting
her into port and made preparations
to take her in tow. Button and the
two seamen protested, on the ground
that they had enough to do to get
themselves in, short handed as they
were, without towing a derelict which
might sink at any moment. In vain
Collins pleaded with them, holding up
the promise OF prize money and as
suring them that the cotton would
keep the dereliCt afoat. They fatty
refused to be further handicapped
every well, Jack" said Collins. "You
take the Sheridan in, and I'll go aboard
the derelict and stay there till / get
picked up by some vessel with full
crew.
Neither the hope of reward nor the
shame of leaving their captain in a po-
sition they considered almost certain
death could induce any one of the crew
to give in. So Collins, taking plenty
of provisions, went aboard the derelict
and the Sheridan sailed for home The
weather moderated, and the lone mari
ner managed to get up sail that gave
the hulk soIae Roadway. Then he got
up another and another and, aided by
the ships instruments, put her head
toward home. Every day he hoped he
would meet vessel, and every day he
was disappointed. There came another
storm that blew him far to the east.
ward. After that there was long
spell of good weather, and about the
middle Of January he sailed his prize
into the harbor of New London.
His first question was, Has the Sher
idan arrived?" and when he learned
that she had not he was troubled. He
feared she had been caught in the last
storm and lost.
But there was a different kind OF
buoyancy in cotton that Collins had moi
calculated upon. The day he made
port cotton was quoted at II cents q
pound, and his prize was worth nearly
twice what it would have brought or
dinarily Collins succeeded in having
the price fixed by the admiralty court
at 1914 cents, nearly the highest price
during the boom. When it was al
over he went to see Mrs. Dalton.
Jennie he said, whether you are
to have your husband back 1 den't
know. At any rate, you will be com
Portable for the rest of your life. His
share of the prize money
"Hfs share? / thought it all belong
ed to you"
mo; it belongs to me and Jack and
the two seaInen who discovered it. Il
was agreed that they should stay
aboard the Sheridan while r.
Something in the mans hating man.
ner convinced her that he was making
up story.
Bob" she said, you are not speak
ing the truth."
Anyway, Jennie, I'll only take my
share of the prize money, a total OF
$120,e0o. Whatever the seamen's
share is shall SO to them, and Jacks
qharA uaan fos r,as1
Bob" she said, locking at him i'm
pressively, her hosomsheaving, II won't
have cent. OF it. You bToaght in the
vessel. I have talked about the mat
ter with those who knew, and they say
that finding. prize is nothing, but
bringing it In is everything"
But, Jennie"-
wait! II Jack is spared to confirm
your story andfsays it was agreed thai
he and two men should remain aboard
good ship while you alone were tc
take the chances Ga aderelict, all shar
ing in the prize money, you can pay
his share to him."
This ended the conference for the
time being. One day 81 inner came
into port, and it was telegraphed al
over the land that she had picked uI
boat with the name Sheridan" paint
ed ON the stern. containing the bodies
of three men. They pfevea to be ths