Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-02-25
EPISODE: EIt;lI'r.
Itl VI CAY

daS, ncared it's meri'lian. The life boat
MAD been nearly twelve hours aloat.
~ yet. however. not ono Of its crew
or-Sclf-elccted castaways betrayed the
ntesntal distress or physical discom-
fort.
The boa, was rooms built to accom-
mediate easily a company Of thirty, il
caEricd but three. II was, further
moro. Adequately provisioned against
ting emergency for which it had been
carried by its parent vessel the
water-butt was full. there was ships
biscuit and TO spare. Land the Pa
hama lslands-lay somewhere below
thu western horizon. within Il hundred
mites-a distance steadily lcsseninr as
'ha boat forged briskly on. it's log of
mutton sail, rugged on mast stepped
in. ono or the forward thwarts. corpu-
ieNt with wind. Meantime its course
crossed diaeonally main-trarcled
highway or tho seas: II would be odd
if.land were sighted before some one
OF the many vessels engaged in tho
New York-West Indies trade.
Tina, though, was in the mind Of
all: despite the lack OF nervousness or
they scanned regularly the Wild. ring
OF the horizon and all that ii en-
braccd.
The sea. moving only In vast. tran
Guil Swclls. had tho color OF profound
cs; sapphire. with surface unfawcd
by waves. only hi;hcr and yon dark
cncd by catspawS Of the un,iring
hrcczc. Thanks 30 that same gentle:
draugh,. tho heat was not excessive.
There was seldom sound aside from
the crisp hiss OF water parting 10 the
boats stem. Already tho castaways
had said all that had needed TO be
said, now they spoke infrcquently. for
tho most part IN monosy llablcs or
bricfcst OF sentences.
Forward. back to tn. mast Juan
Lopez played lookout In the stern.
Lost Prince Philip" Of Mania ,al!as
Mr.. Philip Barr. OF Arizon.D. sat with
one arm resting on the tiller In the
hollow OF his other arm rested the
Princess Julia, her head pillowcd light
Il upon his SHOULDER \ state o! .tf-
fairs with which all were. Judging
them by appearances. very well con-
tent. Their attire alone seemed iu amy
Nay to cali for bcttcrmcn; and this
was true only IN tho case Of tho men:
tho princess was tolerably preseutable
81 shirtwhist and skirt of heavy linen.
together with white cotton stockings
and white buckakin shoes; Philip and
"a hi man Juan, TO tho contrary. pro
scented tho forlorncst aspect n 10
each. q tattcrcd and much soilcd shirt
sleeveless, huttonlcss, open from throat
10 waist. with a pair Of hopclessly be-
/, SriHicd. sooiy and oil-sodden trous-
crs rolled we'll up and discovering the
TACT THAT neither possessed shoes nor
socks.
Little. II ANYTHING. after midday a
sail was raised in the northwest. I'm
mcdiatcly a subducd spirit Of mutual
c"nSraiuiatton Informed the demcanor
Of the Trip. Noslcc,inr no Imaginable
means OF attracting attention, they
i,r
siderable animation.
swiftly that triangular slip OF white
on the horizon Identified itself as tho
forc-top sail OF thrcc-urastcd
schooner under fun sail ON sou,hcrs'
course. And hardly had the hull lifted
into view when Tho coursc was changed
and the schooner bore down directly
for tho castaways. sailing fuil-and- by.
Within another hour she luncd up
smartly. \ Grlnnins negro forcmast
had east the life boat line. Juan
Lopez caught and made this fas, Willie
Philip struck tho lego f-muttou sail.
Then the schooner swung back 10 it's
course the small boat slipping in un-
der it's quarter and the castaways
clamberinG aboard
The crew had mustered To man
to witness the rescue smalliyh.
salt-btten. weather bronzed New Eng
handler the first TO welcome tho
castaways. Introducing himself as The
skipper. Captain Goodc. and his mate.
a huking Nova Scotian with a face
like dcath-mask in brownish putty.
as Mr.. Nicholas. Behind them the
foremast hands lowered. murmuring
sympathetically some half dozen of
them, including the negro who had cast
the line TO Juan Lopez.
Despite the protcstations OF tho three
that their sufferiugs had been nothing
uncndura ble they were conducted be-
low with kindly insistcncc, piled with
food and drink till they could swallow
no more, then assigned 10 comfortable
quartcrs-the skipper all tho while
gently but FIRMLY insisting they must not
waste their strength in explanations
of their plight, something which, lac
declared, could wal; till they had slept
and renewed their strength. Submitting
perforce to his wcll-meamt exercise of
authority. they turned in gratefully
and each on tho instant subsidized into
sumhers profoundly lethargic. And no
wonder
Philip did not oven dream. y
thirty-hour span of unhroken wake
fulness, twelve hours of which had
been passed in an open boat, topping
off three days OF tho most exhaustive
labors in the stokchold of the yacht
Astra, had worn even his iron cndur-
ancc thin Sleep descended upon his
senses like great warm wave OF
UDl1teTatllE uar ness. CT strangely,
deep in his subconsciousness, the in
stinct for sclf-prescrvati was quick.
u sentinel riSilantly OH the qui vive
and sensitive to occult Influences to
which his waking wits would have
proved numb. Slowly as lie slept a
forehodinG Of peril came to him, sense
OF impending danger was commune
Gated like whisper in an un-
known tongue waited by strange
wind through the blackncsS OF abySmal
night. -
Formlcss, incolicrent. n blind night
mare, this oppression gathered weight
and bore upon him like the pressure
OF some grim. nhuman hand. lie strspg-
gIcd beneath II in bcnightcd panic, till
at length it's nsistcncc broke the
chains OF fatigue and he started awake,
simultaneously sitting bolt upright on
the edge OF his berth.
lie found himself sweating cxtrava-
gantly, with hammcrinG heart and
a mouth that was honc-dry with fear.