The Red Cloud chief., 1914-01-29

ny thirst, STEPPED In n horror OF help
lessnene, racked by a black, blind,
bootless rage OF resentment against
fate. ] knew fear, the fear that makes
the hair brisle. the saliva In the
mouth turn salt and bitter, the perspi.
ration come out in clammy beads on
the forehead, the heart almost stop
beating" Then Mr.. Smith told this
tale;
On Wednesday, May 8, 1877. the
schooner Cod. Seeker, bound from Hal.
flax to Harrington, was running be-
fore an easterly gale. Her master
was Philip Brown; her crew num-
bered fourteen hands all told.
A while before nine o'clock the
lookout reported breakers ahead.
Capt. Brown claimed that the white
spaces seen we're only the reflections
Of the Cape Light upon the waves;
and he kept her going, though some
OF the older men criticized him sharp
ly for doing so. ] didn't like the look
OF things but was little more than
Q boy then.
The schooner stormed along, grow
ing wilder in her motions, but as moth
Ing happened ! soon went down In
to the forecastle for a drink.
Before could raise the dipper to
my lips the schooner gave a wild
lurch and flung over on her beam
ends. and | went sliding to leeward.
The schooner lay on her side, with
her spars fiat on the sea. and the wa.
ter roared into her through hatch
ways and companions. Getting to
my feet hauled myself up toward the
companion, and tried to get out
might az well have tried to crawl
through a sluice.gate. The rush Of
the water splayed my fingers apart.
Soon the bows plunged downward.
and the water whelming in with great.
or force swept me out Of the compan.
lon.
! fell down on heap Of wreckage
on the side of the ship, struck my
head against something and was
stunned for q space. When got
my wits ] was standing up with my
feet In the mouth of q berth and
against the ships side. and the water
up to my armpits and q raffie of float.
Ing wreckage about me.
In a few seconds more was struR.
Cling In a whirlpool of icy waters,
beating my hands against the fiotsam
OF the forecastle, unable to see any.
thing or to get footing As the ship
moved. the food In the forecastle,
rising rapidly, surged back and forth,
and once became entangled In some
half floating blankets and nearly sue
ceeded in drowning myself. Like all
fishing vessels she had a large fore
castle down In the bows OF her, in the
utter darkness I could not tell my
whereabouts.
Imprisoned In capslzed Schooner.
For u time | was too frantic with
fright to think Of getting hold OF any.
thing. ] only thought OF keeping my
head above water.
But presently the ship seemed to
grow quiet for a little. and I thought
of getting a grip on something. Strik-
Ing out ! ran against q wal with an
under slope, felt around, realized that
1t was the deck and. as there was
nothing to hold there. l turned about
and swan to the other side.
padded about for quite a time
But at last. stretching my hands out
OF the water. managed to catch hold
hold Of the edge of q board-the face
board OF one of the weather hunks.
A. l held on. taking breath, the wa
ter rose and lifted my head and shoul.
ders into the mouth Of the berth.
hastily scrambled on to the inner
side. then the top side. OF the face.
board.
While waited appalled,, for l knew
not what, became aware of moan.
Ing sound, and cried out. who's
thatf"
It was Sam Atwood. y young fellow
about my own age. He was lying on
his stomach on the inner or top side
Of the face-board of what had been
a lower bunk When the schooner
was hove down he had been asleeE
in his bunk, but somehow he had
managed to cling to the face-board
though the mattress and bottom
boards had been rolled out into the
forecastle. A man can face death
better with friend near him. grew
composed and began to take stock OF
the situation.
The schooner had settled as the wa
ter got In her and. happily for us, tn,
bows were the highest part OF her
We learned afterward that she ha,
drowned two men In the after cabin
The way she lay. the round OF tn,
star-board bow was the highest par
of her. and we were In the after tie
Of hunks. built against the bu)ye O
the bow But our position was pre-
carious enough. and neither dry no
comfortable.
Sluggishly she rose and fell to tn
heave OF the swell. and we were afrai
she would sink or turn turtle alto
gether,
After a time she seemed to brin
nm sgainat com ~ htuu xyith a ytolav