The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1913-11-13


using some of the old collects of the
church and adding one Of her own
making in which she besought God to
| care for us further. while she thanked
] him for having raised up q defense
| for her in my poor person, only she did
not so describe it. | listened very hum
J bly,. saying heartfelt Amen" at the
end
There was silence for little space
! when she had finished, and In that 81
lence | devoted myself before God to
her service again. and then sbe rose
and gave me her hand.
"You have been true knight and
gentleman" she said softly. her eyes
! shining. land thank you"
could only take 1t dumbly and
/ stare at her like the great fool was.
whereat she smiled brightly, although
her eyes suddenly filled with tears.
: "And now" she added: God keep
you Good night"
then kissed her extended hand.
which she suffered without resistance.
1 sat for long time before the f1re.
thinking and making plans for our es-
cape The ship didn't give me much
concern, because was sure she
couldn't come at us and In the end she
must go away and leave us
A long time sat there until |
finally fell asleep must have slept
some time and soundly for was
wearied 1t was she who awakened
me When | opened my eyes and saw
her sweet face bending over me and
heard her dear voice calling me | de-
clare | almost felt as if | had died and
gone to heaven and was being well
coined by an angel
/ Our first waking thought was for
the ship She was still there in the
offing She had been hove to during
the night | could imagine what fierce
debate and wrangling there were
aboard her
J The day that passed was much like
the afternoon before. Although we
were by this time persuaded that the
reef was an absolute protection.
vague possibility that they could de-
wise means to pass it in some way
kept us uneasy on the sand We must
have them under observation. We
were eager to explore the beautiful
vale inclosed by the huge rampant but
we did not dare to be where we could
not watch the ship We did walk
along the shore and ascend the giant
stairs in the afternoon, then, while she
watched the sea within calling dis
tance of me, | managed to penetrate
the jungle with ak in hand. so that
finally / made shift to cut down a
cocoa palm tree, and we gathered as
many delicious nuts as we could carry
and returned to the shore.
I That night the sun set amid lowering
clouds. With sailors weather sense,
was sure that we should have a
storm. Pimball and Glibby sensed it
TOO. We could see them making things
hnug allow and aloft. They were good
enough seamen, as far as that goes.
The wind, If it came, would be Off
shore, and there would be no danger
of the ship being driven upon our reef,
but there were islands to leeward,
which they seemed to have forgotten,
which remembered
l explained all this to my little mis-
tress as made things snug for the
night. She would be perfectly protect
ed by the overhang of the cliff and the
overturned boat. and | told her, al
though ! left her alone in the boat,
that the same overhang of the cliff
would protect me from the wind and
the rain If the storm broke. And so
after prayers again and a long look
seaward we went to sleep.
| About midnight, so far as | could
judge, was awakened The storm
broke with all the suddenness and in
tensity of the tropics. Such peals of
thunder and such flashes of lightning
have never witnessed. although had
been in many storms throughout the
world. To sleep was impossible. Mis-
tress Lucy came out from her boat aud
stood beside me as we leaned against
the cliff while the storm drove harm
lessly over our heads
We could see the ship at intervals by
the vivid flashes of lightning. She was
making fearful weather of it. She
was always a wet ship. and the huge
waves fairly rolled over her Once she
went over nearly on her beam ends,
and | thought she was gone. didn't
view her position with a great deal of
regret either. Presently she drove off
before the wind with a rag Of her fore
topsl still showing, and that was the
last we saw Of her or her men. we
thought.
| Storm bound under the lee of the
cliffs. we passed long and anxious
hours the next day, although our only
misfortune was the inclemency of the
weather, for we were completely shell
tered. and we had plenty of the refresh
ing milk of the cocoanut to vary our
other food. The second day after it
began the tempest finally blew itself
out, although the great surging seas
still broke tremendously over the bar
rier reef and the spray shot score of
feet or more above the crests of the
| highest waves Ii was only the reflex