Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-05-28
DAILY STORY.
A BURIAL AT SEA.

/
renee. Captain Alger was pacing the
quarter deck. First Mate Stricken was
for'ard directing the cOiling of ropes.
the polishing of brass work and the
general tidyingtof the vessel. Two wo-
men came up the cOmpanionway aft
and, spreading rugs on the deck, sat
upon them with their backs against
the miZzen mast. One was an elderly
woman, the Wife of the captain; the
other, perhaps twenty five and a very
good looking person of the sailor class,
was the wife of the first mate The
two women were making cruise with
their husbands. 1t was fine midsum-
mer weather. which i'll that northern
climate is very, enjoyable.
Presently the captain stopped his pac-
ing, took up glass and fixed it on
something ahead. Lowering it, he said
to the women below him:
"We'll be able to give you a glimpse
of an iceberg. There's one right in our
course"
The elder woman looked pleased at
the prospect, but the younger. never
enthusiastic about anything. sat appar-
emily unmOved. Some said there was
a blight upon her caused by love af-
fair prior to her marriage. Whether or
no this was the ease, she was seldom
seen to smile.
AS the vessel rode on before the
breeze the faint outline of the iceberg
gradually became more distinct, the
miniature mountain assuming the pro-
portions of real one, with bays,
promontories, cliffs and many IL roaring
torrent. The two women left their cor
ner and went to the captain on the
poop, where they We're soon Joined by
the first mate. While they We're gaz-
ing young Mrs. Stricken called the
captains attention to dark speck on
the berg near the verge of CLASSY
plain inclining to the ocean. The cap
tain raised his glass, but the object
was too far for him to see what it was
Another mile or two was made. carry
ing the ship nearer to the berg The
captain again raised his glass and, this
time lowering it. exclaimed:
ITS n man.
What was it that made Mrs. Strick-
Ter turn pale? None of the party no
ticed it or a slight tremor that ran
through her, for they We're intent on
the iceberg. The captain gave orders
to run the ship as closely as possible
into an ice bay bordered by the cliff
and when in the most convenient posi-
ton again brought his glass TO bear on
the object that interested them.
The man was plainly visible He lay
on his side, his head resting in the
palm of his lEnd, the elbow on the ice.
This brought his face toward the ship.
He appeared to be asleep, though the
marble Wilderness of his hands and face
rather indicated that he was dead. He
was dressed in sailor shirt and trousers
over which was a pea jacket, at his
throat n silk handkerchief few
feet from him was a broken oar.
The Indications were that his ship
had struck the iceberg in fog or in
deep darkness. that the crew had taken
to the boats and this man had sue
ceeded in getting a foothold on the solid
ice. He had climbed to point beyond
the reach Of the waves and lay down
to rest after the exertion. The cold
had prevented him from awakening,
and he had passed from slumber into
death
The captain passed the glass to the
mate, with whom he had some words
as to the probability of the man being
alive and the chances of a rescue.
They agreed that he was dead, and
even if he were not u rescue was i'm
possible without imminent risk of the
ship and their lives. The mate hand
ed the glass to Mrs. Alger, who gazed
mOurnfully on the figure reclining on
it's bed of ice, then handed the telescope
to Mrs. Stricken.
mo, no. said the mates wife. 81
can't; WON'T
The others did not urge her, but she
surprised them by suddenly snatching
up the glass and bringing it to bear on
the figure.
The glass fell from her hand, and she
sank unconscious on the deck.
'What is it, sweetheart asked her
husband. He got no answer and, tax
ing his wife In his arms. carried her
below. where he presently gave her
over to the care of Mrs. Alger. Then,
going again on deck and taking the
glass for another look, he said to the |
captain: = -
!, "f'he Helena, that was missed last
summer, struck this berg. That's ,fhe
body of one of her crew, Tom Barton,
He has been dead a year. '19f ~ =
The captain excitedly seized the
glass for another look and, gazing.
said. "The Ice has kept him perfectly"
For Gods sake, captain, can't we
give him burial?'
The captain pondered for awhile, |
then roared the order forward. "Get |
out the gun and fill her up with a |
blank cartridge we'll rammed."
While the men were obeying the or
der the captain asked:
1.-THE young fellow your wife sent |
away before she married your
''The same"
"Never got over it, / reckon"
NO" replied the mate mournfully.
The little gun, such as every ship
carries on her forecastle for salutes
and such purposes, having been load