The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-09-17
Taking to
The Boats
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1915. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

uHy OF feDruuIy, ioO@, tue DrlB puli,
bound from Liverpool TO the Cape OF
Good Hope, and having forty-eight
FOULS aboard, burned to the waters
ridge and sank, leaving us $50 miles
off the African coast.
There was some confusion, Of course,
when we took to the boats, but we got
away from the brig In good shape, with
no one lost or hurt and with water and
provisions enough to do us for a week.
We were In charge Of the boatswain,
and, but for terrible accident, / know
we should have pulled through without
mishap or suffering. He was an oldlsh
man, a good sailor, and he had author
ity over all In the boat Besides the
crew. there were three young men and
a woman and girl. The woman was
the girls aunt.
some of the men were asleep, when
the boatswain went forward and stood
on the thwart with his arm around the
mast to steady himself. / think he was
looking about to see If he could find
anything Of the other boats. Just
how it happened no one could tell,
though three of us had our eyes on
him when he suddenly pitched over
board. We were still pitching briskly
about and perhaps 1t was sharp drive
Of the boat which sent him to his
death. II he rose to the surface he
did not call out. He simply went right
out of sight and never even called out.
Little or nothing was said that night
as to who should command the boat,
but morning had hardly dawned when
there was a row about 1t. Being lad
not yet out Of my apprenticeship, /
was of course out of the question, but
each Of the other three sailors was
determined to act as captain. From
words they came to blows, and anoth-
er horror fell upon us. The three
young men were driven into the quar-
rel, and the six had savage fight
with such weapons as could be laid
hold Of. 1t was dead calm, with the
sea quieted down, and couple or
sharks were lying off our port quar-
ter. No one had seen them, nor did
any one see them until two of the
young men were knocked overheard.
It wasn't five seconds before both were
seized and drawn under. This horrid
climax to the row cooled the men of
at once.
One of the sailors had been stabbed
in the back, another badly hurt about
the head. and the third young English
man had his right arm broken.
The sailor who had been stabbed
took command of the boat, and when
things We're settled down breakfast was
served out. We had not to exceed two
gallons of water and dozen biscuits.
and the day was hot and not a breath
Of air stirring.
The aunt, as / now heard called Mrs.
Morton. took very sick, and we were
terrified at our helplessness. She was
soon in a high fever and raving.
About o o'clock the aunt sank into
;tupor from which she never awaken
ID, and all of us slept for some time.
We Were finally awakened by wound
ID sailor getting up and calling for
water. In his torment he caught sight
IF the man in the bow, and he rushed
Onward and seized him. i ran to pull
lin of, but before could reach him
10Th had gone overheard. The two
,ther sailors sat up, asked me what
happened and then fell back and slum-
red as soundly as before.
Ii was sunrise when the sailors
woke. With a leader these men
would have suffered and endured for a
week and made no complaint They
10 sooner saw that the calm still con-
inued than they began cursing and
threatening, and they looked at the
fri so that she covered in terror.
they went forward and sat
lose together and talked In whispers,
nd the girl crept over to me and said:
Il know what they are planning;
hey intend TO Kill mer'
l gave her one OF the knives and told
er | would protect her TO the last
he men talked for an hour or 80 aud
hen lay down and went to sleep again.
was half mad with hunger and
hIrst by that time. and I knew the
oor girl was. II anything worse on.
We talked IN low tones OF the good
hlngs We had eaten aud the springs
re had drunk from. and we kept our
eads constantly wet with the salt wa
n 20 alleviate our thirst as far as IL
ould. At 4 O'Clock or soon after the
zen awoke and called 10 me. They
-anted 60 XIII the girl ] reasoned
.ith them and told two or three delib-
rate faisehoods and finally prevailed
non them 70 wait another day. ] felt
ley would do 80 and slept soundly
lat niEht. The sun came up next
Forming the same BAN Of Ere. and any
Nor could have told that the calm
.ould last another day. What hap
rned along toward noon ! can never
Istinctly remember. for I had little
.nsoa left There must have been q
rht. but remember none o. the de-
IA II r. Ike trying 10 recall a
-earn 81 years ago What ! can re
.cmber hack % WIS waking up IN the
lldn Of the German steamer Bergen.
~ go and rerv weak. She had pick
up our boat the day before. In Il
ere two living skeietons-fhs gir1 ard
We were clone. and there were
70 biood stained knives IN the bottom