Year: 1860

men told me they heard him taking that
very morning, He seemed to be calling
on them for help, but he would not ask
for me. l meant to break him into it,
"Ile'll beg before ho'll starve,''l thought,
and so determined to let him stay there.
[ supposed that he had erawled forward
to the forecastle bulkhead, in order to
make the sailors hear him. Some Of the
men asked leave 10 go down and look for
him, bu, refused. threatened to pun
ish the first man that dared 10 60 down.


At noon went again, and Ms he did
not answer me this time, l resolved that
he should come to the hatchway and ask
for me ere | went any more. The day
passed away, and when evening came
again l began t. be startled. | thought
OF toe many good qualities the boy had,
and Of his widowed mother. He had
been in the hold lhirty.six hours. and all
of forty without food or drink. He must
be too weak 10 cry out now. 1t was hard
for me TO give up, but il he died there
from absolute starvation. 1t might 30 hard
with me. So at length l made up my
mind to 90 and sre him. 1t was not
oui suniown when had the hatch taken
off, and jumped down upon the boxes
alone.


A little way forward l saw a space
where Jack nigh, easily have gone down.
and 10 that poin: crawled on my hands
and knees: / called out there, but could
get no answer. A short distance farther
was a wide space, which had entirely
forgotten, but which l now remem-
bered had been left open on account OF
break in the flooring OF the bold which
would have let everything that might
have been slowed there rest directly
upon the planking OF the ship.


TO this place then made my way.
and looked down. l heard the spashing
of water, and thought could detect a
sound like the incoming Of tiny jet or
stream Al first could see nothing, but
as l become used TO the dim light,
could distinguish the faint outlines Of the
boy at some distance below me. He
seemed to be sitting on the broken floor,
with his feet stretched out against q cask.
called out to him and thought he looked
1p.





And he answered in faint, weary tone :


"Yes, help me! For Heavens sake,
help me Bring men and lantern-lLe
ship has sprung leak -


hesi,ated, and he added in more
eager tone


"Make has,e-I viii try and hold 1t ill
you come back. ="
! waited TO hear no more, but buried
on deck as soon as possible, and returned
with lantern and three men. eaped
down beside the boy. and could scarcely
believe the evidence OF my own senses
Three Of the timbers were completely
worm eaten to the very heart, and one oI
the outer plsnks had been broken and
would burst in, any moment the boy might
leave it, whose feet were braced against
the cask before him. Half s.dozen little
Jets of water were streaming in about him
and he was wet to the skin. I saw thai
the plank must burst in the moment the
strain WAS removed from it, so / made my
men brace themselves agains, it before
lifted him up. Other men were called
down, with plauks, ard spikes, and adzes
and with much care and trouble we finally
succeeded in stopping the leak, and avert
ing the danger. The plank which hac
been. stove in WAS six feet long by eight
inches wide, and would have let in q
stream of water OF that capacity. Il
would have been beyond our reach long
ere we could have discovered it, and
would have sunk US in short time.
knew it must BE- where the iceberg struck
US.


Jack Withcrs was taken 10 the cabin
, and there he managed to tell his story
Shortly after l put him in the hold. HI
crawled forward, and when be becam,
used to the dim glimmer tina. cam,
through the dead lights. looked about 70
snug place 20 lie, for his limbs wer,
sore. He went to sleep, and when b,


awoke he heard faint sound, like vale
streaming through hole; be wen, to tn,
open place in the cargo and looked down
and he WAS sure he saw a small jet o.
, water springing up from the ships bottom
, He leaped down, and in few minute


found that the timbers had given away


and that the stream was increasing in size
r He placed his hand on The plank, nnt


found it broken, and discovered that th
4 pressure oil the water without was pressin,
it inward. He had sense enough to Sc
, that if it gained an inch more it must al
!. go and the ship be lost, perhaps all hand
t perish. And he saw too. that if he coul'
!, keep the broken plank in its place. h
i might stop the incoming food. So he SIS
y himself upon it, and braced bis fee
Q against the cask. and then called for help
h But he was SO far away, SO low dowr
| with such dense cargo about him, tbs
4 his voice scarcely reached other ears tha
h his own. Some Of the men heard him bu
= thought he WAS talking 10 himself.
;. And there be sat with his feet braeed
It for four and twenty hours. With the waite
d squirting in tiny drops all over him. .drencl
K ing him to the skin. He thought fevera
l times OF going to the hatchway and cal
}. ing for help but he knew the broke
o plank would be forced in il he left it, fc
n he could feel it heave beneath him. HI
e strength was failing him-his limbs wer


racked with pain but he could not Civ
y up. Iasked him il he should not haV
d given up il had not come as did. II
h answered that he could not while he ha
d life in him. lie said he thought not {
| hmself-he was ready 10 debut i
d would save the rest if he could-and b