The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1908-10-16

VI con. lHueeu, DeIleVe the sun was
up above the sea before any light came,
so thick it was. All the men were
awake, and dreadful they looked, as of
course did. One of them was named
Burke. | noticed him at once, and
thought he was dying. He lay ath-
Wartshlps, with his back against the
starboard side of the boat, and there
was a strange working in his fingers,
like the movements of a woman's
hands opening a skein of thread.
The captain said, For Gods sake
look around, lads, and see if there's
anything in sight
The sea ran high, and made it
dangerous for any Of us to stand up,
for fear of capsizing the boat; so we
hung over the gunwale, with our chins
npou level with it, and stared into
the driving smother with all our
might; but there was nothing to be
seen but the breaking seas when we
were hove up, and the water standing
like walls on either hand when we
dropped into the troughs. All at
once Burke sat up, and began to sing
out for a drink of water. He talked
as it he believed we had it and
wouldn't give it, which was the first
sign of his insanity. The captain
tried to pacify him, speaking very
kindly, and seeking to cheer him.
We have outlived a day and a
night said he. Keep up your heart,
mate; we. may have a thousand-ton
ship under us before it comes dark
again.
But Burke kept on crying for water
saying that he was dying for it, and
pointing to his throat; and then, fall
ing on all tours, he puts his face to
the saltwater washing about in the
bottom of the boat and sucked up
several mouthfuls Well, it seemed to
do him no hurt, and he lay quiet.
Soon after this l spied something
knocking about in the sea a few faith
oms astern, and called the shippers
attention to it. He said it was one of
some kegs of butter that had been
aboard the schooner, so we pulled the
oars in and dropped down to it and
picked it up. We broke it open and
ate the butter in fistfuls, being mad
with hunger; but it was as salt as
brine, and the effect OF it was to make
our thirst raging. The knife we had
used to open the key lay in the bottom
of the boat, and Burke, on a sudden
turning over seized hold of it, jumped
up, and fell upon the captain. He hit
him once, but the knife didn't pierce
through the thick jacket the skipper
had on, and before he could raise his
hand again we dragged him down and
kneeled upon him.
There was no worse part in all
that dreadful time than this. The mad
mans face was a terrible sight; al
most black it was. He snapped about
him with his teeth, and his cries and
'curses were things it brings the sweat
upon my face to talk about Think
of our situation; mad with thirst our
selves and struggling with mailman,
a killing north-easter blowing like
knives through our frozen bodies, the
sea leaping and roaring around us,
and nothing between us and the bot
tom but the little OLD boat we were in.
We were too weak. and in too much
suffering ourselves, to remain hold
ing the mailman down. and finding him
quiet we let go, and squatted one close
to another for warmth; but scarcely
had we hauled off from the poor
wretch when he jumps up and throws
himself overheard. Mind shouted
the skipper-'one's enough fearing
that if we all got to the side Burke
had leaped from we should upset the
boat | was the nearest, and as he
came up close l leaned over and got
him by the hair, and dragged him into
the boat. He was pretty nigh dead,
and gave us no moru trouble.
well, sir, the night came down
second time, finding us living but
without the looks of live men. l made
sure 1 should never see another day
break. My thirst was not so sharp as
it had been; but don't know whether
the dull throbbing in my throat, the
kind of lockjaw feeling in my mouth,
the burning in my tongue as though
it were a lump of hot iron, was not
more torturing than when the craving
was fercer. All night long it blew a
strong wind, with now and then a
squall of Sleet and rain, and hour after
hour two of the men, Parsons and
Daily, were groanin5 IN the bottom
Of the boat. When the light came
looked to see who was alive, my eyes
falling on Burke, l called out: 'Deadn
The captain leaned down and felt him,
and said: Yes, he's gone. He's the
first. God have mercy upon us!' and
catching hold of my shoulder he stood
up to search the sea, but the haze
was as thick as it had been all the
time, and he threw himself down with
his hands over his face. We must
bury him; but first, my lads, let US
say a prayer for him, and for our
selves. We all knelt while the cap
tain prayed, and when he had done we
lifted the body and let it go overheard.
THE madness that thirst creates
broke out strong in DAILY and Par
sons when the body was gone, and
down they dropped as Burke had, and
Tapped up the saltwater in the bottom
of the boat as dogs would. The cap
tain implored them not to drink, but
they never needed him or me, who
likewise entreated them. However,
no harm seemed to come of it. Well,
sir, there's no need for me to describe
that Wednesday nor our third night
in that open boat Thursday morning
came, making the fourth day. and to
our Joy the weather cleared, the wind
shifted and moderated, and the sea
went down. We got the oars in, rig
ged up one as a mast, and two of us
having oil-skin coats, we Joined them
so as to form a sail, made yard of
the other oar, and putting the boat
before the wind, which was blowing
a light breeze from the south ard head
ed, as the captain judged, for the Irish
coast. All the day long we kept a wild