Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-12-03

was Clayton's reply. And it may be
that it is not too late even now."
/ What do you mean, monsieur"
asked the officer.
i Clayton told Of the abduction Of
Jane Porter and the need of armed
men to aid in the search for her.
Mon Dieu!" exclaimed the officer.
i Among the officers in the last boats
/ to put off from the cruiser was the
commander Of the vessel, and when
he had heard the story Of Jane Por-
ter's abducation he generously called
for volunteers to accompany Profes-
sor Porter and Clayton in their
, search.
Not an officer or a man Of those
brave Frenchmen who did not quickly
beg leave to be one Of the expedition.
The commander selected twenty
men and two officers, Lieutenant
d'Arnot and Lieutenant Charpentier.
A boat was dispatched to the cruiser
for provisions, ammunition and car
bines. The men were already armed
with revolvers.
Then, to Clayton's inquiries as to
how they had happened to anchor off,
shore and fire signal gun, the COM
mander. Captain Dufranne. explained
that they had overhauled the Arrow
and had boarded her.
The sight that met the Frenchmen's
eyes as they clambered over the ships
side was appalling.
A dozen dead and dying men rolled
hither and thither upon the pitching
deck, the living intermingled with the
dead. Two Of the corpses appeared to
have been partially devoured as
though by wolves.
The prize crew soon had the vessel
under proper sail and the living men,
below to their hammocks.
The dead were wrapped in tarpau-
Inns and lashed on deck to be identi-
fed by their comrades before being
consigned to the deep.
None Of the living were conscious
when the Frenchmen reached the Ar
rows deck. 1t did not take the French
officer long to learn what had caused
the terrible condition aboard, for when
water and brandy were sought to re-
store the men it was found that not
only was there none of either, but not
a vestige Of food Of any description.
When restoratives had been applied
several Of the men regained conscious
ness, and then the whole story was
told.
With no one on board who under
stood navigation after they left the
African coast, discussions soon arose
as to their whereabouts and as several
days sailing did not raise land they
bore off to the north, fearing that the
high north winds that had prevailed
had driven them south Of the southern
extremity Of Africa.
They kept on a north-northeasterly
course for two days, when they were
overtaken by calm which lasted for
nearly a week. Their water was gone,
and in another day they would be
without food.
Conditions changed rapidly from
bad to worse. One man went mad and
leaped overheard. Soon another open
ed his veins and drank his blood.
Two days before they had been pick
| ed up by the cruiser they had become
too weak to handle the vessel, and
| that same day three men died. On the
following morning it was seen that
one Of the corpse had been partly de-
voured.
All that day the men lay glaring at
each other like beasts of prey, and the
following morning two Of the corpses
lay almost entirely stripped Of flesh.
And then the cruiser had come.
When those who could had recover
ed the entire story had been told to
the French commander, but the men
were too ignorant to be able to tell
him at just what point on the coast
the professor and his party had been
marooned, so the cruiser had steam
ed slowly along within sight Of land.
firing occasional signal guns and
scanning every inch Of the beach
with glasses. The preceding night had
brought them Off the very beach
where lay the little camp they sought.
| By the time the two parties had
narrated their several adventures the
cruisers boat had returned with sup
plies and arms for the expedition.
Within few minutes the little body
of sailors and the two French officers.
together with Professor Porter and
Clayton. set off upon their quest into
the untracked jungle.
(To be Continued.)