| OCR Text |
Show 1 1 THE LAST l'LANK. "i I Ini Snt reale of the eMj Trlnmrh, ".jljjti lowid from Beaten lo Jew Orleana, with IflMgl an aewrted cargo of treat value. Tli &2l eapuln, DAbbM br name, u en oddity III le terry r. Heele-ere atruek for new iffifa KDiNi, took ell trackt bat lhe ere- 4iaW ecrltal by melon, ami thoitgU noUily PflB knew eoytLlna but rtlroMlf. rBH For ImUiht, U lnWl lint a coonttr i WM current ran eootliwanl Inalila the Gulf fVJ etrean, are! Uiot tbt only way to make a ' LBl cuke, voyatre to New Orleana WM to litlft 'Mm cloae lo eh the there el-le of It ell the way IkY eel.tleapllellieuanirTrc-teaiica,rocke anl SK Wi,tbn4irmiboouofbkhbullk RK knelcoterllrjotl0erol4llieai. H Who rooM iralneay Ileal lie aeea tap HB tela of hi own atlr moaantt of It en,t 1 al aboard. 8o,eaMnit arWi a eUff nor" Hr veeter on eor quarter, wo etui ewtrtly no, m aaalnK oil the utuwere of the tout eue- HTN ceaalrely, euch llarnwai, llalterae, ela, R9U ami foiled ouraaliii on a loornlmt awl Gflnt tleoly becalmed off Capo Florida, eloeo lo EC Iff nllbUielancl.tmteocnJfirUDaijorUiwanl nil , tlmpiu the captatn'a "eoutberly correal," & Itwuttr; clear nolaaloudlnelijbl HM warm and clow, tl.onjh It m rVjilemUr jfl R and Ibo Umo for an equinoctial gale lo U tpUl upon ua. ffl "Heart tbt deep Ma had, Mr R,naald IflHj tba captain to ma, "and aco If It la eboal U aoouati to art an anchor to bobL" fl 1 aouttdad and forty failioma wtro . H lVul yourbawarra lnrlbfrand drop PD onr brartnt kadga," wan Lla naxt onlrr. mIH Tbn tlvm fori f rary aall but tha fort Umm atorm atayaall and Itatanoa rorfM apankar, Rfl arnd down ait tha Mght apara from aloft, Jgna and ml rrady to bonao topnata and ao- EJjffll euro lowtr yarda; st up prtunur braceat ''H "AyyP ,nll It waa dona. i-MI Wo wart now ready for a atorta.bat t, 4HB old aa 1 am la aa4 raaltara, could aea bo ajn token nf It anywfaara, II "Uo'rtgvlaa'toharaatonsHtlratof It, ;!9M !r, IL,H anid Captain llabUt lo rot. f JH "Wliy. air. ' atld f , "tba ak y la aa ctaar aa H my lort't danr ayaa, and tba water la aa M 111 amootb aa ainill ponL X ao noalgu of 1H wind." T B Wtltidvut twoUoara. anl yon'llalnx m H anoahar tuM,"lia rapllaj. "I'a lawn In L v tbrao latltndra btfora. Tba worat of tbta 1 wllfbo tbftt UwfU coma dead off abora, i an t If wo njoat aend, Cuba and bar rcWa J 1 will bt undarour lea. If wo bump our I 1 Uada lUrt.lt will U U but of tUold , M TllumJl.aiiHualoo.N rJ Q I uailt no rtply, for I tbouebt It only "j II oooofldafaaak'O.and laarloK tba aacond " II tuatolnaharftof ikodnti, wot brlow u "t H Ukt a nap, fur I'd had tba mid watrb aad J I fall ralbar annoalan. Xwant totnyaUU 1 1 room and threwraywH on niy buDk,and I J aaou waa dartmlng of a blua tytd angel f I aabora, whontl bopadlolaiapllead to at a ' I not fa tUatanl lima A baary tranplon , ovarliaad anl tba ehoul of "all hatida n alwjr brouiUmoout olalcapaodtolny L3 1 frrt In an lauanL I hurrM on daak lltir k aar can 1 formal (ba cLanga of aorac, of Hnf aky and aaa, truoa tha calm beauty In ill wlko I bad left It wban I went below, If Now, black tioade war rUllnK bfi to tbt jjtj tiorihward, comltitc on In great blotchy iuf ' warea, Mkacraffaof abun ruountalnaovar in i haaitlait and abonl lo fall uponua. Tba iH 1 aaa waa blartt under lha abadowywlnif of Hil Iba atoru,and Itt ruar of Ibo Ufuat, IlLka a boanw, aner rolca, camt lo our oara from a dlatanoa. H8 "Up with tbt fere-torm ataTaall-oartr 0fl , tnlral tba apanker," abouted Iba captain. II ' " Vou two malea Uka U0 kallnl men, laah iflll V yourarlera to Ilia rlcslnj. U will waah 11a l9l w icra and aft befort w ire hartdway And H tt aalxUig an ax f rom tha UckaU bo bounded 1UI n forward and rot away tha baaacrwblcb WHM B bald ua at anrbor. HB I 4 At ha did tbta I looked oft on oor aUr- BH l Hiard beaut, and aaw tha waur apparenlly , MB l rulUm lu a bun " breaker towanl ua. H lm "i" Mzt ln1Lt lb wld airnik ua, and 1 II for a rnomenl 1 thought all waa orer, for B lWl tha ahipliMled until her lower jardarme B 2 '" vera la U water. 'B WK "Hard upbard np tha balur aboutad II BE,. tbacaptalolaniycar, Kr I could bnt Ju,l hear Mm, and pointing totbawbeelntaairlhatblaorderhadUau WiT aLllellialed. HHl duat then away went our mUwumaat HI doaa by Iba deck, and that aloot aivcl ua, WWi for now ber bead paid off Ufora Iba wind 1KW and tba Mp rlahled. Then tba etay.aU njlB' -Ud and away iba old craft ahot. Ilka an JH arrow lJ from a well alruon bow. At "a got out Into the gulf tba aaa nee lUcr- W ally ao bard that tha foam waa acatlerrd In . cloudy mUta tbroogtt tha air. Hr a lIowd(Mahabeadr"aakadthtcaU), flB who atood forward of tba wheel. HM -Au'-aou' eat, air," I replied In a about, SHCa (or tha gait drowned all conimou lonea. W "U ahacoea allLlarata and boldalbal rB cxiurea wa will alrlkt Cuban rook InaUla of IBH ten houral" ba cried. 1BBB " by not try to baata ber to!" I Baked. VB "laauch awi and gala -ewouldba bol TB torn up In a rutnuu wtra wa to try It. All BBB our hope la In a chan.a of wind or a lull 1 pBB which will let ua puttba malnull on her " ' IDH "Thla looka rough, but what la lo ba will ' BbH ba. Ibrra la no rubblcg that out," 1 re- H I Hod, aud than 1 did ray Uat to ateer aa H ulcalraa 1 could, ao that no broaching to W ahould haaun our fata. iflflBJ Uti, on once liaaalng a baplraa aeiael 1 drlfilog boitow up, with ber aalla aiwt BBB apara alongalda of her woaacpl untlltba BBS night waa upouua. Then tba capulu aad I BBB a food aaanian rcllarad ua from U helm, ' H aud I bad llmt to lllnk. Iwenl Uluw , B an I looked al tha liar. luadoaneeil. JB luata of our apaad, aud to my horror aaar BH wt could not U onr twenty or, at Iba MX ftioel, thirty mllca lo windward of, tba flHBf, rocklut part of tha Cuban o-e-L BBll. X want on deck alek at heart, for aea aud BWe.il Kata aeemed higher titan aver. I told tba HUM captain bow naar the laat peril waa, but ho B-WiU did not auain to bead me. lla auatd with jJnHKfl bU thoalder to tba fiheel, and the ahlu I -SafiBli Bewinadlyon. Uaeor bad aba aallcd with ffirlfl ffll UCD '""' a'afo. JhBN Iwent forwatd, and wkllo I looked at awMRM uclhorlo llanta fJaahini; from la. flljRalT naalbthabowlthotlhbt pf home, of toy U (J owit loved Ella and I froaued lu Utter hK tS.' aolty Inerer bclort bad feund death, H 1 but now-now no pear, It waa terrlhlel Bfi 1 il A" lr ""Ike mora, and theu 1 beard tfl! I 14 all too plain, aern abate tha wild roar of III i ' I ft tha atorm, tha aound ao eulUn and deep Irttt tl! ofthaturi.'tiigbreakera. I ruehod aft aud ml 1 tlf altouted tha fearful tldluut In the cap-it cap-it jl 1 iri talu'tear ft I" li?0,1 Ul ",l 00d M? U1" W" U "" H ! ft. . B'MUhtafttr wawera In white, eeeth. B I fc log. hualitu water, and lUn, lifted aky ft B wardonainountalqroller,waweradaabel ! i downwlthaterrltlacritaliUioulhadread- 1 I HjV rtk'1' Uarknea khoro- fluhlug phoa DUX x',,u all arouttd-tha ahlp ahalterlnir, I lLr?m X JD"i ur feet, tnn ahrleklng In Ti'lk Vlaery toy pen tauuU alnt Iho jiHH yr wat carter wave twttonover Bfc v'ft . . . HHBBflB--" down, tearing her all aaunder, aitd yet X dung to a rope which X had faetenodloa holt In tba deck, not knowing whether 00a waa aliea beanie ua or not, for alt waa altent bat tbo wind and watara. IAa bowllog demone Ihey went on with their fearful chotua. How long aeamed that right, whlla X could feel that tha eh-ttercd remnant of tbt cM ahlp were rotng foal from nnder me! lint tha blraee,! daylight camt at laat, and earn tha aun ahono out. And 1 aaw, Ivied Ilka myxlf to tha deck, bnt out man that man waa tbo raptalo. Whiter than foam waa Me face, and full aarrblba bla hair, which had been gloaey brown on tba day bnfore. Oar ryet met hit wcrt wild and wolfiah Inaantty'a lira waa In them. Tbaeeanow drora tht tut part of tbt wrack ailnder,and for amoment I thought we both were Kone, but on ooe high apot of rock wt got a footholdand tberaclutcb. log tht coral cratt with bteadlng handtwe hung Until then nellltcr of ua ha I looked away from each other or the wrrxk Xlut tojether glanrlni aouthwarJ, there we aaw, not a mile tlutant, beautiful, dower carpeted, fruit laden Cuba. White rot-lare, rot-lare, grorea of golJeu orangea and tail palm trret oever had they looked ao beau, tlful to ma. Yet a mile of terrible break-era break-era lay between ua and It a "waele of wa. tare," through which the atrongeat ewlnv tnar could not hope lo pae. And tbo ahlp waa gtiue no, one plattk a elogle plank email, but larva enough for one to illug to, ouma drifting lu our reach. With one baud each of na relied It, while with the other we clung 10 the peak of rvck which nloue Itad aarad ua from In atantdeatructlun. a -Ul go the plank, It la mlnel X will lab inrealf to It and Href cried tho captain, cap-tain, bla eyca glaring llercelv on me, 'I will not yield my rlglttt tha plank li mine, and lift la aa dear u me aa to your' X abouted. "I bare a wife and children! you hart none) let me lire tor themr lie pleaded "I hare one dearer than all tbewurld, I will Ilia for liar wbo yet altall be my wlfel ' Icrl-1. "Fool-foolt abe aball look for you In valnr And aa he aald tbla ba draw a (la tol from bla boeom. Well I knew It waa rappd, waterproof, well X kuew bow aura lie waa In aim; but I draw tha plank toward me which be had let go of when be clutched Ida weapon. Ha ralaod bla hand, Lie weapon ana laeahal al Iny heart, "Rita up tha plankl" be aUiutoL "Naver. eowartl .tiMrerl tier. fij mw dying curao go with your I clowil my eyea X knew my fate-bat ft wild roan of water, a fearful wave, awrpl 1110 far, far away from tha ruck. Then I waa drowning gurgling, rhoklflg In the walar. Xlatlrue.aadealdld.eorurthlux hard tourbe-l my body. I clutched It-It waa ttiU bleaeed plank. To 111 clung with a daatJi graept yet It aeamed aa If I waa rirtotnad to dto, after all, far the watera cor-em! cor-em! 10a and I lnat all roneciourueaa. Ilul-otroralllloa. Iwaarraloredtoa knowledgelhetdrarllfewae yet mine by the kind act of Cubane, who had drawn 1-rUiJj, a clinging to Ibe pi ink, from the aurf, and were applying atlntulanu when 1 open I my glad area once more ou the fare of bright humanity I tutted It any oUiera bail got lo tha thora. Tbry carried me lo a mournful lucking Krvupofbmlloa. I aatraercraltif thecraw, but not Urn not ttie captain. Hut ertn whlla waalool tberaagrrat rolling ware ewe 1 him In, and for an lntant I thought bellied, ba looked aotfrlm.wllh Ibe .I-l..l jet i.utclnd In hla band. Hut he waa cold aud dead, and attar UieyUt. hlmlotbe corpaa pile ot the real, and X bail grown atronger, I took Iho platol from blaatllfrneit grain, took aim al a piece of the wreck endured. The bullet which bail Iran Intended In-tended for my heart went deep Into the taiken wood. I went down on my knera then and there aud thanked Ilia Almighty that I waa aatad for my puor hlla and though I bale el aco done a alllor'a duly lu I rotoctl-g and aiding the widow andor-pbaue andor-pbaue of tho poor captain, I neeer hare bvon ao uneeldab aa to regret that I bad pue-eraelou pue-eraelou of the laat plank, True It lag. |
