Year: 1866

then, again, "But it don't matter,-sht
makes no way Lend hand here"


And helped him, and together, roasting
almost, we dragged three great fowl-coops
and grating to the side, and he tied them
together-lashed them, he called tin nc
time then we showed them overheard
and as the vessel slowly swung round, we
were out O sight o the boats, which were
about quarter of mile off He had a
rope to the coops 80 that they could not
float off, and as he told me, | slid down on
to them and squatted there trembling,
while he lowered down to me the little
water-keg, some rope, the bacon, and two
Of the biscuit-bags. Then he pitched
some loose pieces of woodwork and the
cover of the cabin stairs and hutch thing
and tarpaulin into the water by me slid
down the rope, and was by my side in a
few minutes with the coops sinking about,
so that was glad to lower myself into the
water and hold on.


That's right" he says, opening his
knife with his teeth and cutting the rope,
and then getting the tarpaulin ard bits of
wood and things in the centre in the hand
lest way possible,--same as only a sailor
could do. He tells Inc to hold on tight, and
then lowering himself into the water he
pushes oft from the burning ship and be-
| gins swimming and guiding our bit of raft
away very slowly, but still farther and
off


"Pll lash the coops and the grating
together" he says, "as soon as we're out
Of danger"


Out of danger !" and when will that
be 2"


"Well," he says, 81 mean when we are
out of reach Of being sucked down when
she sinks"


Will she sink 2" l says


Yes" he says "and before long now";
and then he went ON swimming hard, while
| could do nothing but watch first the boats
and then the burning ship.


! 1t was grand, though awful, to see the
noble vessel standing there like pyra-
mid of fire whose heat we could yet feel on
our scorched faces. From every part now
the flames were rushing, even from the
cabin windows beneath where | had so
lately been standing, and could hardly
keep from shuddering as | thought of the
awful danger.


1t was hard work forcing the raft through
the water on account of the breeze which
set towards the ship but we got farther
| away, and were some distance off when the
mizzen-mast went blazing over the side !;
but still the captain said we were not safe,
and swan on till we could not feel the
breeze and at length painting and exhaus-
ted he hung on mOtionless, and said we
must risk it now.


Then we were both silent, and watched
the boats now farther away from US, and
the blazing ship seeming to be the centre
of glorious ring of light, on the outside
of which like sparks we all lay waiting for
the end we knew was soon to come. Ev-
erywhere else was dark as pitch, not even
a star to be seen, while the waves just rose
and curled little over as they washed
| against our raft: excepting the dull roar
and crackle of the flames, everything was
as still as death.


| All at once | started, for the captain
spoke sadly as he looked at his vessel ; and
out of the silence his voice sounded wild
and strange


"If I'd had crew like you, my man,
think we could have saved her" and then
he spoke no more, for just then, from being
quite still, the good ship seemed to roll
little towards US, and then to the other
| "
| breeze and then we could almost see the
water creeping up her burning sides as
clouds of steam arose ; and with one calm
steady dip forward she seemed to plunge
righ5 down beneath the golden waters.
| Then there was rising and falling OF the
sea, and a deep, dense darkness, out OF
which close by me came one OF the bitter
est, heart-tearing sobs | ever heard from
the breast of man and l did not speak,
for felt that it was the captain sorrowing
for the loss Of his good ship.


For good piece the silence was as
deep as the darkness, and then the captain
was the first to break it in quite cheer
full voice.


Can you lay your hand ON the rope 2"
he says and passed it to him, and then
could hear him in the dark busily at work
tying and fastening and at last he says,
"Now crawl on again F.; it will bear you
better" and faint and YEARLY l managed
to crawl on, and lay with my legs in the
water and my head on the bag Of biscuit;
and directly after felt him crawl on too,
and we took hold of hands and lay there in
the deep darkness while he said that prayer
out aloud in such soft, deep voice, that
prayer as we first learnt kneeling down
years ago by our mothers knee. When he
came to 'Deliver US from evil, he stopped
short and soon, worn out there i'll the
great ocean, floating on few pieces of
wood, we both felt in whose hands we
were, and slept till the warm bright sun
shone upon US and told US that another day
was here.


The first thing the captain did was to
stand up and look round, and then he said
he could see only one boat but he hoisted
up one of the pieces of wood, and wedged
it in the coop with handkerchief flying at
the top, after which we made hearty meal
of the biscuit raw bacon, and water
After this the captain got one Of the coops
ON the other, and by binding and lashing
he made much higher and better raft, SO
that we could keep our biscuit and bacon
out of the water and sit and dry ourselves


And so we lay all that day till towards
evening. when we found that the boat was
coming towards us, and just at dusk it was
within hail and if ever I'd felt hopeful OIL
Joyful before in my life, it was then. They
! had no room for US, but they took us il
tow, and the weather keeping calm, we al
rowed and worked in turns steering accord
: ing to the captains direction for the near.
| est land for when Our turn came we two