Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-03-02
How He Landed
q Prize
Ioriginail

/ NOuld nave DidAt CAtAAilfS htA ~
not been for a 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. I'm mo dog in a manger, and
! wish you joy. Whatever she wants
| / am glad that she shall have
Collins was first, Dutton second. mate.
! Soon after the Dutton marriage the
Sheridan started on her outward trip,
/ reached port without adventure and
when the year 1908 was nearing its
! end started back for America, the crew
| expecting to spend the christmas holt
| days at hone. But December is liable
to be tempestuous month, and the
ship encountered one gale after an
other. Then began Il run of bad luck
fer the crew. Two seamen were
washed overheard. one died Of heart
disease, one Tell from the rigging to
the deck and was killed. while his
mate, who was aloft with him. fell
into the boiling ocean aud was
drowned. The captain, who stood on
deck for hours soaked in ice water,
died of pneumonia. This closed the
death list, leaN ing Collins in command,
button and two ordinary seamen 10
work the vessel.
One day they met derelict. II had
been cut nearly in two by another ship
and would have certainly gone down
lad II not been loaded with cotton.
Collins saw the advantage of getting
her into port and made preparations
to take her In tow. Dutton and the
two seamen protested, on the ground
that they had enough 10 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
surfing them that the cotton would
keep the derelict ahoat. They fatty
refused to be further handicapped.
VERY 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 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 some 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 10 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 different kind OF
buoyancy in cotton that Collins had not
calculated upon. The day he made
port cotton was quoted at II cents
pound, and his prize was worth nearly
twice what il 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 1t was all
over he went to see Mrs. Dalton.
Jennie" h. said, whether you are
to have your husband back l don't
know. At any rate, you will he com.
Portable for the rest of your life. Ill.
share of the prize money
His sharef l thought 1t all belong
ed TO You
mo; ii belongs TO me and Jack and
tie two seamen who discovered it. II
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 a story,
Bob" she said. you are not speak
ing the truth
Anyway. Jennie. I'll only take my
share Of the prize money. II total of
$I200O0 Whatever the seameu's
share is shall 20 to them and Jacks
share goes to YOU
Bob" she said. locking at him i'm.
pressively, her bosom heaving, Il won't
have cent of it. You brought in the
vessel. | have talked about the mat
ter with those who know. and they say
that finding a prize is nothing, but
bringing il in is everything"
But, Jennie"
'Wait, If Jack is spared TO confirm
| your story and says it was agreed that
| he and two men should remain aboard
a good ship while you alone were TO
| take the chances IN a derelict, all shar.
ing in the prize money, you can pay
his share TO him.
This ended the conference for the
time being. Cine day a steamer came
into port. and it was telegraphed all
| over the land that she had picked UP