228

Date 1912-02-10

From 228

THE STORY OF A. SURVIVOR RETOLD e ue . TT BY EDWIN L. ARNOLD. be (Soorvtht. 1911, by te New York Herald 00, AU sige Peete) HO could possibly have foreseen the comedy nd-tragedy-band-in-hand-which-stamped-the incldents of that lightly undertaken sea masque foteveron-our minds?..But for Charlie Seaton the adventure might have been as thrilling as it was, although it would certainly have Jacked the plcturesqueness-his genius gave It. He was one of those young men who only live and breathe .for things theatrical, and somewhere on the voyage. ve were engaged upon had bought a crateful of fancy costumes at the sale of the.effects of a company of bankrupt wandering actors. Fancy buying such a thing upon a pleasure cruise No one but Seaton the night, would have dreamed of Iumbering our cabin with such merchandise. But the silk and tinsel canght his eyes, sind the price, as he told us in confidence, was ridicu- lonsly low, so all those fantastic properties became, his, and then tt need hardly be gald he itched to use them, making us in the accomplishmeni of his desires tragic mummers Against our will, and adding a su- preme pathos,to sufferings which. heaven knows, were real enough in themselves without such help. We were a pleasant party on board a yacht whico had b en touring. round the rongh coasts of the north of Scotland, and hed anchored for day or two in an open roadstead where fair shelter was to be had from a strong westerly wind blowing at the moment. tt happened, we had not been there many hours when A passenger steamship, returning from an autumn voyage to I so put in to the roadstead and sanie To anchor aout halt-a mile away We were the only craft in the bay. and our neighbor was full of idle and laughter loving fotk. Seaton saw his op- portunity with the enthusiasm of an amateur actor who had not been before the footlights for a month or more: he was burning to alr that flammery in the big crates in the cabin, and here was a chance We on board the Grebe were no doubt somewhat dull. he pointed ont, like the weather, so-that-we-fell in the-sore readily with his scheme when he disclosed . it to us. It was to dress ourselves up In hls properties, row over to the strangers and have a dance and what he lightly called a folly evening out. return- tng-in the small hours.of the morning. He talked ns over to bis project and then went and cozened the captain and guests of the Viking Into n like frame of mind. And we accepted the project of that feather rained witl-o'-the-wisp, that false, false prophet of the tide way The Indies, of whom there were four ou board our vessel, were particnlarly enthusiastic. and the five men hardly Mked-to be less keen. Hence for the + next two days the yacht was'like an old clothes mart: Such snipping, cutting, trimmiug and trying on.was never s en before. Lost in the Fog. Meanwhile the weather had by no means improved. oh the sfternoon of the frolie-the wind went while behind TRVIng Tox Td rain; Stil-our-master of the teremonies wouJd tot be daunted: there was ood shelter. he pointed out, on the pleasure steam- Ship. and tt would be 2 shame to-disappomt ait those expectant folk. So. all being ready, we got Into. our costumes, and set-off at the appointed time In the : yachts biggest boat. We took no seamen with ms. as We WHRe THIF POWERS, and WI He Mento MUTT Te seemod-hardiy necessary, even tind there been room to spare. A motley cargo we were. Mrs. Sinsth, the - wife of the owner, had got herself up as Britannia, Being a patriotic person, though a poor sailor, Mrs Sanderoft was a nun, and looked remarkably nice In her white gown. Miss Neave was Rosalind and swore lt; the proper boy's dress of green tunic and tights, wake drifting homeward overhead. We were lost: Wahy-should-I dwell on that night of piteous and bor- rible memories? We were Jost, forgotten, homeless, wet through one and all of us with driving spray; with- out a compass to steer by, without light or food or water. Our men on board the yacht, as we afterward Jearned, thought we had safely gained the Viking and would hot return to them unt the weather moderated, while the men on :he pleasure steamship equally: sup- posed we had gone back to our own vessel: when the fog came down, and they tn turn gave us no further thought. There was only one crumb of comfort during and it was that the wind-dropp d soon after darkness, the waves sinking Into a sullen ground swell, and thus we were in no mmediate danger of drown- ing. though. on the other hand. the fog thing above. below and around, seeming to settle down even more denselyr if it-were possible, as the hours ware on. When at last the day dawned, you who perhaps know the appearance of passengers ev on board a luxurious steamship after a rough night at sea can imagine what a woebegone boatload we made darip, dismal, wet. sallow, bedraggled. and our sorrow ex- quisitely emphasized by-our ludicrous and tnappro- prlate finery. Slowly the Iieht increased, brightening the soarfet green and purple.and fine raiment of as miserable n crew as ver roiled helplessly on a sullen tide. wl np.for hes to frame-them, By this time we were cold near to death, hinif starved. and aS ine by one awoke there-was despairincach face, Ak for: the Women; they -were w group of pan Gotored misery In the st rn, white and tin all Queen Elizabeth, who, maintaining Ker asinned character sat bolt upright, her naturally red halr piled hich upon hervhead. tps shat. hands theht AV upon the filler and strong blue eyes staring vacdney ahead, An artist with a gift lorapd a touclt of fancy would have found us views subject for a canv stoavty the yettow-deslight came. and L. a y forester s cap with an ostrich feather in it. and pointed green shoes. Last, but not least In my estimation, came Miss Hawthorne, as-attractive 2 Queen Kline beth as ever-supported th er. Seaton found Miss Neuve was going t he at once assumed the guise of Orlando, a decision which we duly noted In silence. Sandcroft. stout m became Sergeant Bur-fuz; Potts was Mephistopheles a typleal stage embodiment of evil In scarlet, with cock's feathers in bis hat, h brother of Rosalind. turned out as a Chinese pantomime demon In black and yellow with a long tall and cow's horns on his head. Thus we started, the devil rowing siroke, evil ome and Sergeant Puz-fuz being In the bow, all the women sitting astern. We had not gone more than half the journey when the wind freshened again, andthe fog, which lad been patchy before, came down upon ts it) he banks, riding gloomily on: the waves was running like a mill sluice again rowing bard, But worst of all was thr fox. the yacht we had lett behind grew hag) then yr ished completely; next the furaway Viking rarned shadowy Ukewlse and sank into nothing Harder and herder blew the wind, (vo the fog. For a long hour we pulled si and then Potts, snddeniy censir have passed the Viking. It we were rowing in her direction py tiow Sught to be ashore. came Sanderofi s volee thr the drizzle ang spray, The adventure was passing Veyund nm jest night was falling, the fog. so thick we could see one end of the boat from the utlier. and the 1 gray seas running very unpleasuntly u We shouted, listened and then shouted again, Init there 1 * was po response save the melnticholy cry of a kitty de nd young N nto tie teran rid nothing, Indeed, there was Ifttle pleasant to be said. Happily the sea continued to subside, and the fog becani more patchy, though It showed no signs of lifting, About six o'clock Potts was solacing bis feelings by saying mallcionsly that if It caime to our eating one another he had no doubt Seaton would have the propriety to offer himself as the first meal, withont a moment's warning, our bows struck and ly ely into the to M, to row, sald- We is when. hoaelly against something Hhecahock was not very great, for we were merely rifting at the moment, but It thre histopheles his knees before the trembling nun sent Ser- ) Tuz-tuz backward Into the bottom of the boat. The jantomin demou groaued. life being sill sweet and poor Rritannin, whose emotions were very ned, was xo upset as to be really Wl Bit down 1 cried, as the men were struggling to thelr feet; pull a stroke back. Sanderoft, what can you seg'up there? Nothing but a mass of weeds tossing in the hollow ef the waves. Even as he spoke we lurched a few yards further on and again went bump, bump, this time more heavily than before. I glanced at the slopping water tn the boat, bot it was still no Biorethan before. Even while I did so Sandcroft, in the bows, called out: Phere fare sand and rocks through the mist close head. We all saw them fn a second or two, and I called to the men to stop: rowing, while the lady with the red hair kept the women down in the stern. Then, waiting for a cnance, but without the vaguest idea of what was before us, I waited until we went up and up on the back of a big swell, then called to the rowers, and in we went in, in through the surf till we were not more than 2 ozen yards from the sand. Then down, down with a crunch the treacherous wave dropped us sheer upon a sharp point of rock. It came right, through the bottom of the boat aa though the hard teak were paper. The boat swung around broad- side to the beach, tipped, and the next wave drowned us In a smother of salt spray and spume and filled the galley to the thwart. We held om for dear life, knee deep into the swirl sae nae and, gripping a woman, each staggered foam towand the beach. On a Lonely Island. As my arm sltpped around the jewelled waist of Queen Blizabeth I found time to ask, Are you afraid? There was. moment s pause and then, as Her Majesty's royat head-touched-my shonlder and came our way none of na liked to think. There was her fingers tightened for a moment it may haye been only from necessity upon my own. she answered: gt; Not now - Reeling and staggering, we floundered up the sands Rortunately, There-Was No Mistaking the Way, with the Sea Splashing-on Either- Hand, and Luckily the Connecting o and S000 In-a breathless but Joyous moment found GurselFes ADOT ME Tae Minit and among patches of course. grass, with gray rocks and heather showing her and there as far as we could peer into the gloom ahead. We were ashore, and so thankful for that solitary fact we forgot for the me even hunger and fatigue, It was a lonely bit of Scotch shore as'far could be my sign of Ife near a tumble wi shanty, the stone walle falllig to PRE nd thre rotten thatch gtowlng-a goodly crop of grass and fox- gloves; a pleturesque place, Inhabited for a dozen years OF 0 Sever mint. said Orlando. we are safe ashare, which is the main thing, We have-only to wall long enough and we are bound to come somew The we set oul the quicker we shall be In shelter chance of catching cold. nen or 2 Int reasonable, advice. There was tive: we-thewamer-sanecced-the water from their petticoa men gave them a hand over the rough grout we set forth. hui and weary. fmt in better spirits, sling the fringe of the beach, No one could mistake the way, for we kept the dull, half seen tide a few yards of on our right all the ks we serambled, through n and bracken, keeping the hillocks patches of f time. Ov swampy enongh. we began to talk of breakfast. pantonilme demon with smsto, lots of bacon. I feel I could manage the biggest pig that was ever made Into rashers Bacon Is all very well for every day, chimed in Sergeant Buz-fuz. trom the fox ahead, but this is an exceptional occasion, and-if we chance on hotel nothing will do for me but steak steak and ontons, plain fare, but heavenly to-day The menn card is ai I want, sighed the Duke, hungrily, and 1 don't care which end of the pro- gramme we begin at Even bannocks and buttet, bannocks hot from the oven and new qilk, a vat of It, would be better than nothing, gad snother oF my purl want most to wash and He down, quoth pretty Hesalid. dteagging herself fa pest fand when the water went back the men leaped out they ad not want bidding hole. on. Ob, for a pillow, and something clean to put We struggied niong for twenty minutes;-keeping each shostly beyond expression, and we strained other s hearts up as well as might be, anc Sergeant Bur-fus, with his wig on one sile and his gown bunched up behind him like a bluecoat boy, bas Just repeated Orlando's dictum that we must get some where sooner or later, when a shadow, squarer than the nelgboring rocks, loomed through the mist ahead. We staggered and foundered on till we were close to it, then all on a sudden, huddled together in pant- ing, horror stricken group. It was the ruined hovel we had left-less than half an hour before We were on an island, trapped miserably, and a few yards away the boat which had brought us was still turning round and round on its point of rock, an em blem of our helplessness. Gone in a tragic moment were those dreams of rest and food, those rosy visions of omelets and elderdown For a space a group of white faces looked at one another and inte vacancy, Then Queen Blizabeth, rapping the devil on the shoul- der with the sceptre, which she had been using 29 walking stick through the peat mire, exclaimed : I am cold. Light a fire,-air; It ts In your line. Ladies, attend me, and, marching o disappeared with the other three women into the hut. ae We Ut that fire for one of us had a dry box of matches in an inner pocket and it was our only comfort. ee Need T'aay how the rest of that dny-passed? had begun as.a Jest and continued in hardly more than picturesque discomfort was now tending straight to real tragedy. We were already suffering pangs ot hunger, and how long it would be before more food water on the island in some peat holes, which Seaton fetched in the boat's tin dipper. We bad a fire and shelter of a kind. But the sea mist hung about in a horrible chilly curtain, hiding everything from view. What voices saying undistinguishable things apparently right out of the fog overhead, It was weird ant a eyes as that pleasant chatter rose and fell for several minutes upon the night alr. Then we distinctly heard a door shut with a slam and the chatter ended. They have gone into sctool, whoever they are, whispered Queen Blizabeth; may Providence im is mercy give them pleasant lessons. What is It? cried Rosalind, startin; up for the fret time and:rubbing hor eyee. Hier Majesty told hee gently. Ob, bother, sald Rosalind, crossly, why did you wake me? 1 was just dreaming of sausage rolls and eranberry tarts, and I would rather have a sausage roll than to hear any child that ever lived, and she wept and went to sleep again. That was something to talk of, and few of us shut our eyes anew, preferring to spend the wretched night in keeping the fire up and in low-volced converse: tion, At last, oh, so.slowly, daylight came, and jeavy gray niorning after It, no better than the pre- ig one. Yet if we were to live we must bestir ourselves, and although weak we set to work again to look for food. It was probably about nine o'clock, when by the merest chance our fortunes turned. T had noted yesterday there were rabbits among the rocks, as there are, indeed, on most of these northern islands, and asking Queen Blizabeth to let m unwind some strands of brass wire binding her sceptre, set to work making snares with them. I had made throe and, needing to twist the wires, went over to the storm frayed door post of the hut, Intending to fasten. one end of the noose to a rusty bolt there, while I wound the other. As I stooped to the post a singhe- black horse bair, fast In a sp eyes. It was not much to wonder at, yet looked at again and-again, then-threw-down the noses. and.took- that air at full length between my fingers, still woa- dering, staring, and thinking. What have you found? asked Her Majesty, com- ing to my side, upright and haughty, though her face- was as white as her wimple, a black hair, there ts nothing strange in that. Madam, is not a woman's, however, it Is from a horse's wane. Then, quoth Elizabeth scornfully, Uncle Kep- tune must have left his stable doors unlocked over night. How could a mortal horse come on an fslan Uke this? Your Majesty's sovereign wit Jumps straight to the point. It was that very question I was asking my- sel There certainly was no horse on the island whee we went round it yesterday morning. Nor fs it conceivable that any one has deliberately landed at any time or for any purpose anci after ward taken away a horse from such worthless reek as this. s Then the beast came of its own will? Yes, madam, and has gone away gain by the same authority. ou don't mean to say you think we are not om am 4, after all? do not think xwe ean possibly be. nh, I am so glad, and, though I wave suffered. more glad for the others than even for myself, cried the charming lady, her blue eyes softening for. the first tine, and.the tragedy queen dropping from her In her woman emotion. . Miss Neave is ill. as 1 as cv be, and Mrs. Smith dying. b, call the others. snd let us go round again at once all ths fatigue has gone from meg T got the party together and explained matters briefly to them. They were astounded and ncredw- lous, but all eagerness to see if there was anything tm y fancy. Every one was well in a moment no one would remain behind. A disordered mob in draggle finery we rushed by common Instinct across to the furthermost point of our prison, and there, through the mist, where at high tide on the previous morning had been a rolling sea, now, at the ebb. lay a broad. muddy causeway leading Into the further gloom We di not stop to argue, Satan selzed the trembling nun in his arms. Orlando took Rosalind, Sergeant Buz-fuz gripped Britannia, and Queen Elizabeth's fia- gers found their way into mine. The Connecting Peninsula. Fortunately there was no mistaking the way, with the sea. splashing on either hand; and, equally lucky. the connecting peninsula proved short. We rushed neross it, splashing through ptddles' and slipping om banks of weed; then suddenly the shore rose and we were on grass, Helter-skelter we ran through the mnurk until presently In a moment of indescribable joy we literally rolled over.a bank onto a high road: ay. Here at- last was real tangible -clvilization? Dragging the women along we hurried up a slope, the mist thinning out-as we ascended, and the first thing that we met was a local policeman. If be. had beem an angel from heaven we could not have been giadder, put he stafed agape at us for a minute and then fairty polted down a side lane with a stifled yell. And next we met a sinall highland boy driving a herd of cows. The cattle fled-at-onee-with-tossing horns and tails. and the boy disappeared screaming after them into the mist, Com on, erled Orlando; where there are kine nnd constables there must be houses and food, and almost a: of us, and we were in a village street. Mephistopheles was leading, bis tall, thin form and towering cock feathers looking-very-ghostly inthe-haze,and-we, t his heels. Presently haggard and disorderly rabble, w0-noticed-some-persons-who-hnd-probably or once, n a- thousand years, I am- swered, black, hair is more interesting than red. This , he spoke shadows grew up on elther side Bingering cough, gure in 98 per cer R.V. Pierce. Me Great success ha Don't be whee tes for Dr. Pie cdicine on their wrapper form:ag drugs. wtlenta, Ga., tions have been lt;appropriate observ tenery of Alexas phens, one of the sons of this Stat Vice Preskient States of America 5 i wlexander Ham : like romance. lt; snarkable features fact that Stephans tremendous handic politician ,, statestn cator and maint sure energy, altos death, at the aga Alexander Ham bom mar Crawic 11, 1812. His gr Stapbens, who sett in 146, was in 1 of Prince Charles country be fought and under Washin war and also dist his bravery as a volutionary army: declared Ihe Femov Young Alexande orplian at the age ed by bis uncle, school of the Re ton Webster at County, from wh dle lame of Hami sent to Franklin Ga., now: the St the Presbyterian repaying the mon by teaching scho tiod im 1832, on took first honor. omy Apo aye his health was melancholy. On . months study, amination. * During the: fir tice he earned 4 lived on 6 a me ice increased Some se Unet ait was able to buy - stead aod his 1s Hall. He tecan and was elected on platform o In 1836, 1837, 183: ttechinesd Tirtiet He was a deleg comunercial comve in 1839, was elec 1842, and in194 the: 20th Congres: There were then doubt, but-prebably wn Fe Was HRTOTT Cours oF o Peninsula Proved Short. fancy dress before in their lives and who had already been frightened by the flight of the cattle down their thoronghfare, the scared policeman and the screaming boy, and were standing inthelr porches asking what It meant. As we came along one and all looked, gasped and bolted within, slamming doors and wi dows in their terror, We passed a children s school, the solution, 16 doubt, of last night's mystery, and them at last espled the village inn. It was the very thing we wanted. We rushed for it, and as we plunged i at the door visitors, proprietor and his famUy scram pled out at the rear. -quotii the Duke, there be something here to eat and drink. iat But How matters began to get serious. The worthy Scotch folk, getting over thelr first panic, were cok lecting in a misty crowd about the house, but keeping at a respectful distance from t, while angry shouts and ries fromthe men of Stone them Set the nous fire Send for the minister in broad high- land accent came from every side, and when the Ch nese Demon incautiously put his head out of the bar window he was greeted with a volley of stones from We might be, we probably were, on one of the count- less rocky Islets fringing the wild and lonely north- ern coast, twenty milles from the niainland, and the chance of any vessel approaching near enough to Jearn of our plight and to rescue us was Infinitely remote: We did all that could be done through the clammy hoon and dark, drizzling afternoon. The women dried their clothes bit by bit at-a second fire behind the but. Seatou how we all hated -him,-poor-feltow collected firewood In a state of abject limpness, Mephistopheles gat on damp rock in the tideway. a dab of sodden Seatlet against. the gray, trying to cateh fish for our ith lt; bit of twine afd a bent pin Rosalind fad Tent him. Sergeant Buz-fuz, looking ridicalously important in spite of bis-mfsfortunes, wandered about the shore gathering perlwinkles In a corner-of-his gown, and th demon, using the- Duke's tin thentre oe 7 st Spent the time cutting marsh-grass eros t street which brought down shower ot ven: tor-a:sieele. abe eS ptoss tot Inckily did him no harm. It looked ds and rethatebing Weak piices in-the roofot our Bt. fr afler all ous troubles -we -were to-be- casrty1 It. Was f -poor- ahow of -activity-at-the best, md by In the very moment of rescue. We hesitated: fora what we lightly called tem thhe our faces were minute until Mrs, Sunderoft stepped forward. I will very wan, indeed. them, she said. I am a woman and they will y dress. Y Teen esate -expniag, Akt RUIGCR AE. tooeoe roo aivty aac aie oe hee iis ieee: had each had-a drink of water from Seaton s dlpher which was so wet ft clung to her like lawn, and for tea, and for supper we had more water and a.. Bough they. shrunk back at frst as thelr apcestoms fs certain te might have s . ald-ou soon listening mouths agape, ara if arrived. Again and thereon our fe ealme? the vile one and posstbly-be amustng- to rea real B had got half way through her bitter tasting shellfia and none of us felt any petter when the meal was done. We crowded abont the smon cring fire at the hut door and discussed our chainces as damp and picturesque a group ax-ever watched wet heather , burning on a forsaken bearthstone. Night s Mysterious Sounds. About eight o'clock we began to-doze off, fok-we were very tired and weak. I myself wa. dozing when the Duke clutehed-my-arm and whispered In a fright- dl vole Fefh listen 1 tas awatrin-an instant; and T conf ss my heart Juinped, for ax certainly as anything could be there wis The sonnd of-innghing children s volees In the alr All the others woke one by one and beard them be Cond the poslbilits of dowbt heppyeLtight oun a the minister she told bh what had. happen troubles vanished into. tbin alr. lagers; played the Good Samaritan; took us. all, upto his gray,-weather beaten old manse, ral sacked the place for provendet, and there, a little later-on, we were sitting -dows to-ameal such a meal ax we thought we had sever fasted before in our lives, We ate and dramk, and ite yeatn We blessed the minister and his household; We pardoried Seaton, and when,on- the morrow, the yacht which had been telegraphed for fifty miles up the coast came to fetch us, bringing sunshine and a blue sky ther, we gave the Village such a heyday as it bad never had before. But never again will we be muminers on Neptune's great stage: uever again will we 9 masquerading i the fog Even Seaton is more scber ininded than be was, and, though he will not own it, believe any tne who wanted his stock in trade of fancy costumog hiight have them for even less than the Suny be penrs for them himself. : ts Soefe-s os Laat e lt; Laur + Larg se cs - te Se eatesteetes RS eS of Lo-fo-+o+e-+e If you OL OfO+e+ 0-10 hebete ton i :

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Attribution Image 228 (1912-02-10), from microfilm reel 228, (CU1742753). Courtesy of Early Alberta Newspapers Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.