Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1904-07-14

| else
mo, you must go. Ny last command
to you, my lord, = he said, smiling faint
~ and extending his hand. Desbor-
ough, seeing the futility of further ap-
peal grasped it warmly In both his
own, bowed to the other officers and,
with a. wave of his hand, stepped on
the rail and sprang into the tossing
boat alongside.
Are there any others to go2'' he said.
| The captains eye fell upon the figure
of the colonel standing among the Off
GERS.
''You are to go, sir. Nay, will hear
of no objections. You are my prisoner,
and / am bound to see you delivered
safely. Co. colonel. mean it, I will
have you put aboard by a file of ma
rines If you do not go at once.'
Katharine awoke from her apathy
and stretched out her hands, with
ptteous cry:
Father, father! Oh, cannot lose
you toor'
Prisoner or no prisoner, SIR" said
the colonel, 'let me say that / am
proud of my connection with you and
your officers and your men. If live
L Lie shore the WORTH SIldll near
of this noble ending. Goodby, captain.
Goodby, gentlemen. would fain stay
with you"
No, nor was the cry from this band
of heroes, and then Hollins sprang for
ward and shouted:
Lads, three cheers for the colonel
and for our shipmates in the launch!
Let them tell at home that we were
glad to stay by the old ship"
The hearty cheers came with a roar
from 500 throats.
Colonel, we haven't a moment of
Time" whispered Desborough, who saw
that the ship was sinking.
'Shove of, men! Pull hardw
A few moments of hard rowing in the
heavy sea put them some little distance
\ away, and the boat waited under just
i enough way forgive them command of
u her. The men of the ship kept their
stations; calm and peaceful they also
waited. The ship settled lower and
lower. A man stepped hurriedly aft,
and a moment later the bold and bril-
i liant ensign of old England, which
never waved over Drawer men, futtered
i out in the heavy breeze from the
4 wrecked masthead, the vivid red of the
a proud flag making a lurid dash of color
/ against the gray sky line. The ship
i was lower now. Now she plunged for
ward; the water rose; the captain rails
4 ed his hand; three hearty cheers rang
out; the drums beat; the marines pre-
scented arms She was gone! The flag
streamed out bravely on the surface of
the water. and then 1t was drawn
Il A 1onf11ood m sS Of heads and
waving arms was seen in the water
and they, too, in moment were slowly
drawn down into the vortex caused by
the sinking ship. The woman again
hid her face in her hands; the colonel
laid his arm across the shoulder of his
daughter; Desborough and the men in
the boat stared horribly at the spot left
vacant A deep groan broke from
them: they rose on the crest of wave,
sank down again, rose once more and
looked again-the little boat was alone
on that mighty sea!
Oh, the agony of those long and
frightful days In that little boat! New
er a sail did they sight, as day after
day they roWed or sailed to the west
ward, eagerly scanning the horizon for
landfall. The waves washed over
them, saturating their clothing; the
chill winds Of winter froze them. First
their provisions gave out, though serv-
ed with the most rigid economy by Des-
borough himself; then the water, hus-
banded as no precious jewel was ever
boarded, was exhausted to the last
drop, and that drop, by common con
sent, Desborough forced between Kath-
arine's RELUCTANT lips, though she would
fam have refused it, claiming no indul-
gence beyond the others. The rare
qualities of that young officer showed
themselves brilliantly in this frightful
peril 1t was due to his skill and care
full management that they were not
swamped dozen times. Tireless, un-
selfish, cheerful, unsparing Of himself
without him they would have died
The men bore their sufferings, when
all food and water failed them, with
, the sturdy resolution of British sail.
ors; Desborough his with the courage
of the hero that he was, his fiercest
pang being for the white faced girl who
suffered in accomplishing silence The
. colonel exhibited the stoical indiffer.
: ence of a seasoned old soldier, as to
: his own personal condition, all his
thoughts being CenIeFeu upon lis
daughter, who passed through the
dreadful experience with the calm
resignation of woman who had moth
ing left to live for, and, strange tc
say, seemed to feel it less acutely than
the rest; even black Chloe, who had
! impartially shared with her mistress in
! all the favors accorded to her, being in
: state Of utter exhaustion amounting
to collapse.
When the pangs of hunger and thirst
got hold Of them, they refused-and
were indeed entirely unable-to work
! longer with the oars, SO that, unless
7 the wind was fair and the sail set
! they simply drifted on.
One by one the sailors died. Wax
ing from a troubled sleep of short du
ration. Katharine one day found