The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-11-18
CHAPTER XII.

CHAPTER XII.
Rock, rock, rock, rock-from side
to side, slowly, and with every now
and then a just ~perceptible pause, as
If the monotonous movement caused
fatigue; and the impulse was to rest
had rest been permitted, which appar-
emily was not the case, for the rock
ing never ceased-rock, rock, rock,
rock, with a sort of running accom-
paAiment and gurgle and splash Of
water in response to the swaying,
and the sound Of voices, either
muf1ed by distance or subdued so
as not to be heard-this vas what
Gertrude's mind awoke to.
She was lying or her back. Her
head rolled helplessly from side to
side, and she felt the discomfort,
but she did not at first think of pre-
venting it by a voluntary effort. In
the end, however, it served to arouse
her. Instinctively she tried to steady
herself, and at the same time she
found strength to open her eyes and
look up. Above her shone a world
of stars set in the indigo darkness
Of a clear sky. Where vas she?'
What had happened? All! it was
painful the rush of recollection. Her
husband-the ship-the fire-drown-
ing! But she was not drowned. She
was wet and cold and weak and
miserable, but she was alive, and this
was a fishing smack, and that was its
big brown sail, and those men in
blue jerseys over there round the
stove were sailors, and the one face
among them which struck her as
familiar she presently recognized as
that of the captain of the steamer.
They had been saved, then, and were
going on somewhere. Where?
There are so many places n can
go to in a ship. She tried to think.
She was quite conscious Of making
the effort. And then, all at once,
she found herself lying beside the
fire leaning against somebody who
was forcing her to drink something
aOI, Willie SaS SdA1oiS &H lnC cioS
jerseys, with great boots and canvas
trousers, tar-besprent, and long sou'-
westers painted yellow, lounged or
sat around and contemplated her
with a large, silent interest that was
impressive.
We'll get her in in twenty min
utes," one Of them remarked. He
alluded to the boat, but Gertrude
thought he meant herself, and tried
to thank him.
Then came another interval Of 81
lence, which was broken by tramp
ling feet, clanking blocks, hoarse
shouts and a wild confusion of
tongues, in the midst of which Ger
frude felt herself lifted up carefully
and carried off-she knew not
whittier, nor did she trouble to in
quire.
Had she kept her consciousness
a few minutes longer when she was
in the water, she would have seen the
night become alive with twinkling
lights. A ship on fire could not
fail to Standardization in those busy
waters. It had been seen at st.
Malo, and also at the Channel ISL
ands, and boats were heading tow
ard it from every direction to render
assistance, and were close at hand
at the very time that the panic broke
out among the men and so many
lives were lost. They might have ex-
rnnfnI ho1n cnnci1orino their uyhnrn-
abouts, but they could not have seen
it approaching, for the blaze of the
fire was so fierce that those on board
the steamer could see nothing beyond
it. AS it was, however, many. were
saved, among whom were the two
French Sisters of Charity in spite of
themselves, an intrepid sailor Of gil
gantic stature having ventured onto
the burning deck, picked them up and
carried them off, n under each arm,
in a scorched condition, without cere-
mony. It vas a serious disappoint-
ment to them, which saddened them
for the rest Of their natural lives.
When either of them told the story,
she would shake her head at the
end of it, and add s~orrowfully, "Je
n etais pas digne!" she was not
not worthy to be made a martyr.
Young Redmond was not among
those who were saved. The captain,
himself a strong swimmer, had been
attracted by Gertrude's cries and
came to the rescue. but the lad sunk
before he reached him, and had
neve risen again. There was, there
fore, one martyr made that night
not the boy himself, but the mother,
VINO was left to linger on a lonely
life for years and mourn him.
It was back to Southampton that
Gertrude had been taken. In her
weak, exhausted condition she
troubled herself little enough at first
about events past, present or to come.
Passively she submitted to be taken
to a big hotel, and put to bed by some
kindly women folk, p~assively she
gave her sister-in-law's address when
asked if she wished to telegraph to
any friend, passively she took some
restoratives that were brought to
her, and then she slept. 1t had been
.-, 90 1o-o,or a sfofn