Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-03-12
The Argus Daily Story
The To1ling Belly Albert Tucker Kenyon.
Copyrighted. 1911 by Associated Literary Bureau

boy would be saved. We fed her tea
spoonful of broth at time till she was
able TO articulate. She was so low
that / dared not move her, and yet ]
would not leave her. We remained
near the vessel all day, and before ddrh
1 determined to take her and her boy
on to our own ship. Wrapping her in
blankets, we carried her on deck. The
most difficult part of it was to get bel
into the boat, but we accomplished this
by tying her in hammock and with
rope at each end lowered her. The ba
by carried down in my arms. In the
same way we took her aboard the Mac.
Avoy.
The derelict was in such good condt
ton that / concluded to put prize
crew aboard of her and send her ia
Honolulu, not many days sail to the
north of US. There would be nothing
to do but provision and water her,
though it would be safer to do some
pumping, so 1 sent half dozen men
aboard of her with what they would
need and had the pleasure Of seeing
them hoist her sails and move away
northward.
The woman we hRd rescued was
ready the next morning to give the
main points of her experience. The
ship was commanded by her husband.
They had sailed from San Francisco
for the Hawaiian Islands. Blown OF
their course by bad weather. they had
come upon an island. Their stores
and water being pretty nearly exhaust
ed from being out longer than they
had expected, the captain had taken
the main part of the crew ashore to
see If he could replenish both, leaving
only three men aboard While they
were gone hurricane sprang up from
off shore, parted the cable by which
the ship was anchored, and she was
blown out to sea. The captains wife
helped the men to get down the
matches. This was about all they
could do to keep the vessel afloat.
The men remained on deck trying to
get her under control, but every one
of them was washed overheard.
When the storm abated the captains
wife found herself at sea on a dere-
lict. Most of the food left aboard had
been damaged. The mother, fearing
that before they would be rescued the
! supply Of food necessary to keep them
both alive would be exhausted, kept
| it for her child. She thought over
possible ways to attract attention OF
other vessels, but could devise no way
except to loosen the bell rope and let
the clapper swing with the waves
This done, she remained in her cabin
with her child awaiting such fate as
Providence might have for them.
She had no idea how many days she
had been afioat Her little larder
grew less and less every day, and,
while at first she ate what was abso-
lutely necessary to keep sufficient
strength In her to take care of her
child, at last, that the little one might
live as long as possible to get the ben
eft Of q rescue, she refrained from
food entirely. 1t is probable that had
our coming been delayed few hours
she would have died.
I got what information I could from
her as to the island on which her hus-
band and his crew had been marooned
and judged that it was one of the Spor-
AIDES on the Polynesian groups. l was
bound for the Philippines, so that both
these groups lay in my course. 1t be-
hooved me to find them If possible, not
only to reunite this family, but take of
the marooned men. A few days sail
brought US to the first of the groups,
but we heard nothing of the men we
searched for. But when we struck the
Polynesians we had better success.
The rescued woman was on deck when
we passed one of them and recognized
1t as the island from which she had
been blown. We circled it and on a
bit Of high ground saw with a glass
something white fiuttering. We turn
ed our course toward it and struck the
marooned men.
AS we approached we saw them
standing on the shore watching us. and
presently we heard the cheer, but
when we came near enough to make
them hear that we had the captains
wife and boy on board they went wild
with delight, and / saw one of them
drop on his knees. / was sure it was
the captain himself.
/ shall never forget the meeting be-
tween the captain and his wife, to say
nothing at his having his boy restored
to him. He was so relieved and de-
,, lighted at their restoration that for
some time he did not ask for the story
of their rescue When he had heard It
and that his ship was also saved and
gone to Honolulu he had nothing fur
Their to desire
We took him and his crew aboard
and transferred them to the first ship
we met going westward.
From that day to this there are two
things connected with the adventure
that viii never fade from my memory.
shall never cease to hear the melan-
.. choly Irregular toliing of that ships
bell. But, more than this. the sudden
|, coming upon that picture Of innocent
budding life unconscious Of the dread
: ful situation of which It was the cen
ter. is stamped indelibly on my men,
tai vision. had found in the midst Of
an ocean ship. on that ship the only
conscious thing was child and On