The Raymer enterprise., 1914-01-29
THE WRECK OF
THE COD-SEEKER
BY COLIN M'KAY

But before either OF US lost con-
seriousness something snapped
thought 1t was something giving way
In my brain. The schooner's head
rose swiftly, the water receded and
We found ourselves able to breathe
again. Oh, but the air was good.
Trembling, dizzy. exhausted. we
stretched ourselves along the face
boards and rested.
What had happened was this:
When the schooner was hove on her
side the anchor chain, slowed in box
on deck. went overheard. and present
ly, as she swept along with the tide,
the end fouled the bottom and drag
ged her head under water. Then a
miracle occurred; the big link In the
shackle Of the other end near the wild
lass broke and allowed her head to
come up again
The schooner wallowed on her side
She rose and fell TO the heave OF the
swell. In heavy, sickening way. but
she did not roll much. Often we
were ducked under, and the noises
were frightful. roaring, snarling
sounds of surf; blood-thirsty gurg.
lings, the dull booming sound OF
things beating against the skin OF the
hold.
| was numb with cold, and awfully
weary and before long, in spite OF the
noises. the fear OF slipping on my
perch, the horror of 1t all. dropped
OF into doze. And as ! dozed
dreamed the schooner was hove down
while was on deck: dreamed that
saw my ehum WIN Kenney washed
overheard and dived after him.
Thirst, Cold and Horror.
Then ! woke up to find myself
. struggling under water. It was was
still pitchdark and for a moment or
so had no idea where | was. AS
my head came above the water |
struck something hard, and down ]
went again before ! could get my
lungs full Of air. Half stunned | strug-
gled up again, and rammed my head
through small opening, SO small
that ] could not get my shoulders
through My mouth was rist above
water. When tried to struggle
through the opening. the thing resting
upon my shoulders would lift a lit
tie and then press me down till
could not breathe. struggled fran
tically, and the harder ] strove to
keep my mouth above water the more
| seemed to be forced down
! could not imagine what kind OF a
trap ! had got into. and my imagina-
tion was mighty active. just as they
say Of a drowning man A moving
picture OF my whole life seemed to
flash before me. Every deed OF a sim
full nature had ever done seemed TO
rise up against me, crowdlng out all
hope OF salvation.
Al the same time my mind was
wildly searching for an explanation
OF my plight, and at last. when | was
nearly done for. II struck me that the
thing that was drowning me was the
step-ladder Of the orecastle-gangway
That was IL. the ladder was floating.
and | had got my head between the
steps. | knew what to do then. but
1t was not easy to draw my head
down and out. for the bevel OF the
steps held my head as In trap.
But at last | managed il. and hook.
ed my arms over the floating ladder
till ! got my wind
yelled for Sam. but got no answer.
| OF course ! could not tell what part Of
the forecastle was in. but padded
around and finally. as a sea lifted me,
| got hold OF the bunk side.b board and
hauled myself up inside the bunk. At
wood was still sleeping. touched
him. but he did not wake. got hold