Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Lost And Saved ; Or, Nellie Powers, The Missionary's Daughter.
p lum duffs I ' ve had aboard of you . Ah ! it ' s the thoughts of them that makes me stomach ache , as the sight of your dear self in such a plight makes my heart ache . It's a long toime before I'll taste another of thim , I ' m afeard . 0 , 'Sparkler , ' dear , why didn't you leave me to my fate Avhen you gave me the duckin ' , and thin I shouldn't behold yon , clarlint , Avrapped in your AAindin sheet . " " In my opinion some of the men that called themselves officers aboard that bri g
AA'ere not fit for a sailor ' s berth , " said Eadshaw in a gruffly manner , as though something didn't turn out as he had been in hopes it Avoidd . " What do you intend to mean by that , you spalpeen ? If there Avas any officer aboard the' Sparkler' that didn't do his duty it Avas yourself , ancl if you cast any shadoAA's on the rest of them by your ugly mug , you cast a shadoAv on Tom Mooney ; and if you do that , as big as you are , I'll put a stopper on you that will learn you to be a little
more civil Avith your tongue . " Tom ' s little figure , as he stood up and shook his fist at the third mate , compared ridiculously with the herculean form of that officer . " Men , " said the captain , standing up in their midst , " don't let me hear any more of this angry talk . The only chance in tho situation in AA'hich we are UOAV placed , of our ever reaching the land , is by every man ' s doing his utmost to promote the interest of his
shipmate , by being cheerful ancl kind to him , ancl by being obedient to his officers ; throAving aAA'ay all selfish motives , burying all animosities , ancl resolving each one to stand by the company to the last . If you each make up your minds to do this , I have no doubt but that we shall reach the land in safety , provided Ave are sparing of our provisions and the water . We may catch some fish on the way , or we may shoot some Avater fowls ; it may rain , or we may fall in with some passing vessel ; but none of these can be depended upon . We must put ourselves on ahWance , and then if we fall in Avith good luck Ave can have a feast .
" I have considted Avith Mr . Evans , Avho is soineAvhat of a judge in such things , ancl AA'ho has been in one or two simdar positions to the one we are UOAV in , and he says that it AA'as only good discipline that ever brought them through . NOAV it is tAvo thousand miles to the nearest land I knoAV of in these v ? aters . We Avere bloAvn out , of our course somewhat during the past feAV clays , ancl I am not certain just AA'here the land lies . We cannot expect a raft like this to make more on an average than two miles an
hour , under the most favourable circumstances , ancl perhaps not that , if we encounter many storms , head Avinds , or chop seas . AlloAAnng tAvo miles an hour , it will take us forty-tAvo clays , or a month ancl a half at the least , to sail that distance , and you can all see the necessity of resolving to hold out at all events , and not give way to petty notions . What do you say , men ? Shall Ave UOAV , in sight of our binning ship , agree to exert ourselves for our mutual good , and the future success of our undertaking ? Those who
will do this raise their ri ght hand . " The captain had foreseen the necessity of resorting to persuasion , as a means to keep the men together . He knew that naturally men in their condition Avere liable to be reckless , He knew that to start ri g ht was the right way to start , for he was aAvare that Eadshaw and Crony Avere bad men , Avho would not hesitate to raise a mutiny at the first opportunit y , and therefore he was not surprised when every ri ght hand aboard the raft
Avas raised Avith the exception of EadshaAv ' s ancl Crony ' s . ' " Mr . Eadshaw , " said the captain , " I am surprised that you do not choose to stand by us in this emergency , for I can conceive of no reason why you should not try to save your OAATI life ; I should like to have you explain yourself . " The captain had a suspicion that the third mate knew more about the fire than he chose to tell , and as he fixed his eyes upon Eadshaw , Tom told Peter that he coidd see them flash five ..
EadshaAV endeavoured to look into the captain ' s eyes , but he quailed before that te . acly , unflinching gaxe , and when he spoke , it was in a very moderate tone of voice . You have no ri ght to command us now , Captain Dill , " he said . " You have lost Jour vessel , and are no more in command of this raft than I am , nor half so much , because
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Lost And Saved ; Or, Nellie Powers, The Missionary's Daughter.
p lum duffs I ' ve had aboard of you . Ah ! it ' s the thoughts of them that makes me stomach ache , as the sight of your dear self in such a plight makes my heart ache . It's a long toime before I'll taste another of thim , I ' m afeard . 0 , 'Sparkler , ' dear , why didn't you leave me to my fate Avhen you gave me the duckin ' , and thin I shouldn't behold yon , clarlint , Avrapped in your AAindin sheet . " " In my opinion some of the men that called themselves officers aboard that bri g
AA'ere not fit for a sailor ' s berth , " said Eadshaw in a gruffly manner , as though something didn't turn out as he had been in hopes it Avoidd . " What do you intend to mean by that , you spalpeen ? If there Avas any officer aboard the' Sparkler' that didn't do his duty it Avas yourself , ancl if you cast any shadoAA's on the rest of them by your ugly mug , you cast a shadoAv on Tom Mooney ; and if you do that , as big as you are , I'll put a stopper on you that will learn you to be a little
more civil Avith your tongue . " Tom ' s little figure , as he stood up and shook his fist at the third mate , compared ridiculously with the herculean form of that officer . " Men , " said the captain , standing up in their midst , " don't let me hear any more of this angry talk . The only chance in tho situation in AA'hich we are UOAV placed , of our ever reaching the land , is by every man ' s doing his utmost to promote the interest of his
shipmate , by being cheerful ancl kind to him , ancl by being obedient to his officers ; throAving aAA'ay all selfish motives , burying all animosities , ancl resolving each one to stand by the company to the last . If you each make up your minds to do this , I have no doubt but that we shall reach the land in safety , provided Ave are sparing of our provisions and the water . We may catch some fish on the way , or we may shoot some Avater fowls ; it may rain , or we may fall in with some passing vessel ; but none of these can be depended upon . We must put ourselves on ahWance , and then if we fall in Avith good luck Ave can have a feast .
" I have considted Avith Mr . Evans , Avho is soineAvhat of a judge in such things , ancl AA'ho has been in one or two simdar positions to the one we are UOAV in , and he says that it AA'as only good discipline that ever brought them through . NOAV it is tAvo thousand miles to the nearest land I knoAV of in these v ? aters . We Avere bloAvn out , of our course somewhat during the past feAV clays , ancl I am not certain just AA'here the land lies . We cannot expect a raft like this to make more on an average than two miles an
hour , under the most favourable circumstances , ancl perhaps not that , if we encounter many storms , head Avinds , or chop seas . AlloAAnng tAvo miles an hour , it will take us forty-tAvo clays , or a month ancl a half at the least , to sail that distance , and you can all see the necessity of resolving to hold out at all events , and not give way to petty notions . What do you say , men ? Shall Ave UOAV , in sight of our binning ship , agree to exert ourselves for our mutual good , and the future success of our undertaking ? Those who
will do this raise their ri ght hand . " The captain had foreseen the necessity of resorting to persuasion , as a means to keep the men together . He knew that naturally men in their condition Avere liable to be reckless , He knew that to start ri g ht was the right way to start , for he was aAvare that Eadshaw and Crony Avere bad men , Avho would not hesitate to raise a mutiny at the first opportunit y , and therefore he was not surprised when every ri ght hand aboard the raft
Avas raised Avith the exception of EadshaAv ' s ancl Crony ' s . ' " Mr . Eadshaw , " said the captain , " I am surprised that you do not choose to stand by us in this emergency , for I can conceive of no reason why you should not try to save your OAATI life ; I should like to have you explain yourself . " The captain had a suspicion that the third mate knew more about the fire than he chose to tell , and as he fixed his eyes upon Eadshaw , Tom told Peter that he coidd see them flash five ..
EadshaAV endeavoured to look into the captain ' s eyes , but he quailed before that te . acly , unflinching gaxe , and when he spoke , it was in a very moderate tone of voice . You have no ri ght to command us now , Captain Dill , " he said . " You have lost Jour vessel , and are no more in command of this raft than I am , nor half so much , because