Year: 1875

may say, but II seems natural TO me to mix
it up with the things of sea going life, and
the manner in which I've seen so many
fight hard for their lives. 1t was just like
striving in the midst of storm TO me, and
when at last did fall into a deep sleep,
felt surprsed-lke TO find myself lying in
my own bed, with Polly watching by me
and when I stretched out my hand, and
took hers, she let loose what she had kept
hidden from me before, and, falling on her
knees by my bedside, she sobbed for very
joy.


"As much bcef-tea and brandy as you
can get him TO take" the doctor says that
afternoon and il wasn't long before I got
from slops TO solids, and then was sent as l
told you, into the country to get strong,
while the doctor got no end Of praise for
the cure he had made.


never said a work though, even TO
Polly, for he did his best but I don't
think any medicine would have cured me
then.


was saying little while back that 1
pulled my wife regularly out Of the hands
of death, and of course that was when we
were both quite young, though for the
matter of that, don't feel much different
and can't see the change. That was in one
Of the c pc steamers when first took TO
stoking. They were little ramshackle sort
Of boats in those days, and how 1t was more
wern't lost puzzles me. 1t was more due
TO the weather than the make or finding of
the ships, | can tell you, that they used 10
find their way safe TO port; and yet, the
passengers, poor things, knowing no bet
fer, used TO take passage, aye, and make
voyage too from which they never got
back.


Well, was working on board a steamer
as they used to call the Equator, and heavy
laden and with about twenty passengers
on board, we started down Channel with
all well, till we got right down off the west
coast of Africa, when there came one of
the heaviest storms / was ever in. Even
for a well-found steamer, such as they can
build to-day, ii would have been a hard
fight; but with our poor shaky, wooden
tub, it was a hopeless case from the first.


Our skipper made brave fight Of 1t
though, aud tried hard 10 make for one Of
the ports but, bless you, what can man
do when, ailer ten days knocking about,
the Goals run out, and the fires that have
been kept going with wood and oil, and
everything that could be thrust into the
furnaces, are drowned; when the paddle
wheels are only in the way, every bit of
sail set is blown clean out of the bolt-ropes
and at last the ship begins to drift fast for
a Ice shore?


That was our case, and every hour the
sea seemed to get higher and the wind
more fierce, while heard from more than
one man how fast the water was gaining
below.


My mate and didn't want any telling
though. We'd been driven up out of The
stok ke-hole like pair of drowned rats, and
came on deck TO find the bulwarks ripped
away and the sea every now and then leap
ing aboard and washing the lumber about
in all directions.


The skipper was behaving very well,
and he kept us all at the pumps, turn and
turn in spells, but we might as well have
tIIeu 10 pump the sea dry; ana wnen, win
the water gaining fast, we told him what
we thought, he owned it was no use, and
we gave up.


We'd all been at it, crew and passengers
about forty of us altogether, including the
wOmen-tve OF them there were, and they
were all on deck, lashed in sheltered
place close 10 the poop. And very pitiful
was il to see them lighting bard at first
and clinging TO the side, but only to grow
weaker, half drowned as they were; and
saw Two sink down at last aud hang droop-
ing-likc from their lashngs, dead, for not
a soul could do them turn.


l was holding on by the shrouds when
the mate got TO the shippers side, and
saw in his blank white face what I've was
telling him. or course we couldn't hear
his words in such storm, but we didn't
want to, FOR his lips said plain enough,


"She's sinkiDg!


Neat moment there was a rush made Tor
the boats, and two of the passengers cut
loose a couple lof the women; place was
made for them before the first boat was too
full, and she was lowered down, cast off,
and big wave carried her clear of the
steamer. / saw her for a moment on the
top of the ridge, and then she plunged
down the other side out Of our sight and
that of everybody else for how long she
lived, who can say? She was never pick
ed up or heard Of again.


Giving bit of cheer, our chaps turned
to the next, and were getting in when
there came wave like a mountain, ripped
her from the davits, and when shook the
water from my eyes, there she was hang
ing by one end, stove in, and the men who
tried TO launch her gone-sklpper and mate
as well.


There were only seven of us now, and
could see besides the three women lashed
to the side, and only one of them was
alive; and for bit no one moved, every
body being stunned-like with horror; but
there came a lull, and feeling that the
steamer was sinking under our feet,
shouted out TO the boys to come on, and
we ran to the last boat, climbed in, and
were casting off, when happened TO catch
sight of the women lashed under the bull
warks there.


"Hold hard r. 1 roars, for 1 saw one of
them wave her hand.


"Come on, you fOolr' shouts my mate,
"She's going downr


I pray may never be put to it again
like that, with all mans selfish desire
for life fighting against him. For a mo-
ment l shut my eyes, and they began to
lower; bat l was obliged 10 open them
again, and as did so, saw a wild, scared
face, with long, wet hair clinging around
it, and a pair of little white hands were
stretched out to me as If for help.


"Hold hard r. l shouts.


mo, no." roared out two or three,
"there isn't a moment;" and as the boat
was being lowered from the davts, / made
a jump, caught the bulwarks with my