The Delta independent., 1906-02-02
Darkest Before Day.
[Original,l


into what seemed to him universe Of
nothingness. The sky was overcast and
the air murky. The vessel was dip
ping and rising in black and oily wa
tiers. There was no visible horizon.
Instead the vessel seemed to be sailing
within globe of indefinite magnitude
Markland was but nineteen years
old. Two years before he had been
graduated at the high school of the
coast town in which he had been born.
His love for the ocean was his ruling
passion. From his earliest boyhood he
had played in its breakers and sailed
upon its bosom.
There was another passion which
struggled with his love for the OCEAN
that was his love for his classmate,
Marjorie Sanford. When he went to
sea he wished to be engaged to her.
Her parents smiled at the proposition
Of a boy Of seventeen, going OF before
the mast, being engaged to their daugh-
ter. They raised no objection. not an
ticipating that he would be able to
marry any one before the youthful at
tachment had faded away.
The young sailor had spent two years
ut sea and had studied navigation un-
der the captains own instruction, but
he was now putting into the home port
still an ordinary seaman. 1t was this,
coupled with the fact that Marjorie
was still as far from him as ever, that
made his world look as black. Us void
as the world he looked into from the
deck Of the Amphitrite.
MARYLAND, lay aloft and fix that
clew line on the maintopsail yard"
said the mate.
| "Aye, aye, sir" The young mans
somber thoughts vanished for the mo-
ment. and he sprang up the ratlines,
working his way out to the extreme
end of the yard. Giving tug Mt the
clew line, his hand slipped. He clutch
ed with the other, but too late. In an
other moment he was in the water.
When be rose to the surface he saw
white ring floating near him, which he
recognized for a life buoy. He grasped
might see the ship hauled to the wind
or putting about. He did not see the
ship at all. Then he listened for the
sound Of oars. Nothing disturbed the
appalling quiet. When half an hour
had passed and that quiet was still the
same he gave up all hope Of rescue.
Rising and sinking monotonously
with the waves, the heavens dark
above him, the waters black about
him, Markland passed the night. II he
was ever sure about anything during
his life 1t was that he was doomed.
The world of life seemed to him to be
so far from him tha. no mad no part In
1t. Suspended, as 1t were. In the center
Of ar inorganic universe. he could take
a comprehensive view Of his past con-
nection with the organic universe.
What had 1t all been worth? Even his
love for Marjorie now seemed past
condition to him, such as nm exhilara-
ton, a At Of passion, an absorbing
dream.
Before morning he became drowsy.
He had already got the life buoy under
his arms, and there was nothing to
keep him awake. He sank to sleep or
to stupor, fancying that he was dying
and that 1t was by no means an un-
pleasant sensation after all.
"TIi there!"
He certainly heard the words spoken
by human voice and, opening his
eyes. discovered that 1t was day. With
in few yards Of him wns boat
pulled by sailors and In the bow a man
ready to reach for him. Within hum
dred yards was bark. and Markland
noticed that her foretopmnst was gone.
He was pulled into the boat and taken
to the ship, which he noticed rs soon
as he stepped upon the deck had re-
Gently gone through gale. A number
Of sailors were at the gangway, crowd
ing together to see the castawny, not
an officer appearing to keep them in
their places.
Take me to your captain" said
MARYLAND.
We've got no captain, mate. We're
In hard luck. The first mate died Of
the yellow fever at Panama, the Sec
ond mate went crazy and killed him
self, and week ago the captain was
wished overheard in a storm that car
ried away the mainmast The ship
sprung leak that keeps half Of us
pumpln' day and night, and we hain't
got man in the crew ms can navigate
see by your togs that you're an ordl-
nary seaman yerself. and. tell you
plain, mato. II we'd "a knowed 1t we
wouldn't "a picked you up. We wants
navigator"
IN navigate your ship for you."
said Markland, "but Just now I want
some dry togs and something to eat"
The men standing about. gave a
shout, and in another moment every
one of the crew knew that the deep
had given them a navigator.
Markland found that the chronome-
ter had been wound and the instru-
ments and charts were in good order.
| He divided the watches, got sail un-