A STORY OF THE EAST COAST OF NEW ZEALAND.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 245, 10 March 1888, Page 7

A STORY OF THE EAST COAST OF NEW ZEALAND.

(By H. W. Tixaud, Auckland.)

"For at His word the stormy wind miseth which littetli up the waves llmreot. They Hie carried up to the heavens nnd down agnm to tho deep."

Cuiust.mas Eve on the open sea beach of an East Coast port, tho ever-restless surf of the great Southern Ocean breaking in measured s trakcs on the shore, rolling up the rattling shin pie and pebbles and tangled sea wiack over Mid over. The sun setting liery led behind the hills and throwing a slanting glory of (laming light, on all it meet?, on the quiet town aivd the long beach lino with itrf curling breakers, fading away for many a mile in tho dim distance. But t.wo objects break the view seaward —tho schooner Champion and the ship Nelson. As tho great rollers from the wide deep sweep along towards the shore, each ship, ever slowly with a pendulous motion, now leaning out seaward, then towards the land, rolls gently o\er until tho whole of the decks are visible from the shore, as the two bhip& hanging to their anohors seem almost to dip their yard aims in (he water. The Nelson lias landed her cargo and nearly all her ballast, and is leady to take in her lading of wool. To-morrow will be a holiday, but next day the iirst bales w ill be lightered off. To-moi row ! Who can <-ay what a day may bring forth ? On the upper ridge- of the beach, v. heie tho shingle is hard and level with «'i light covering of green herbage, stands Agnes West, the fisherman's daughter, and William Ross, her father's young pmtner in the boat. Agnes West, whose simple dre^s toll*- of humble surroundings, possesses yet what many a wealthy girl would give all to gain — beauty of face and form. Tall and graceful in statvue, with tegular features, blight black eyes, and clear complexion, oif by magnificent waving black tres-es, Agnes West is known for her beauty far and wide through the district. William Ro«s has long loved, almost worshipped, the knely giil, and was, e\en now pleading his suit once moie. u Oh, Agnes ! don't say so ; don't say you can never love me. Let me hope on, and when I have bettered myself say you will think of me. Oh, Agnes ! lam able to do i anything for your love.'' " Will, I shall always think of you a 6;a 6 ; a friend ; bub it can never be ! I can never lovo you as you wish ; it is not pos?-ible," said Agnes." "Not possible!'' said Will. "Theie is only one thing that can make you say that, Agnes. \ou love someone else." " You have no right," replied Agnes, " to say such a thing to me, Will, but I can never be more to you than I am now.' William Ross looked at the girl before him— one long, pleading look— bub there was no response, nor a of love or feeling for him in her averted face, and dropping his head sadly he began to face man's haidest battle in life —rejected love. Then he held out his hand, bub as Agnes West still made no sign or movement he said, " Oh, Agnes ! I love you. You know well how dearly. My life will be ivs nothing without your love, but I see you hold oub no hope for me, yet I cannot gi\e you up. Oh, Agnes, let me yet hope 'to win you by hard work, by good deeds." From Agnes came low and clear the sentence, " Will, it can never be." A pause, then Will looked once more ab the beautiful face befoie him, one wi&tful look, bub caw no sign of encouragement there, and one look from her cast-down eyes, with a " God bless you, Agnes," he j turned away. i But Agnes waited, and nob long after another footfall crushed along the shingle, a footfall that brought a heightened colour to the girl's face as a young fellow in a blue suit, with a smart cap picked out with a bit of gold braid on his head, stood before her, and held out his hand. ! Charlie Dean was second officer of the Nelson, the ship in tho offing. He had met Agnes soon after the ship arrived in the roads, some two months since, and it had been the old story of love ab first sight. Needless to repeat all they said to each i other, how they planned and settled their future, exacted mutual promises of love, andlooked forward to the time when Charles Dean would come and claim Agnes as his I bride. It was far on in the evening when they said good-night, Charlie to return to his I ship and Agnes to her father's cottage, but ere they parted Charlie had promised to come on shore on the Christmas morning and spend the day with Agnes. Neither of them had noticed a figure in the distance, who, Had and motionless, had stood and been Charlie's boat land from the Nelson, seen him make his way towards John West's cottage and tho meeting between the two lovers. The fiery sunset on that memorable Christmas Eve was the forerunner of bad weather. That night Agnes was awakened from dreams of her sweetheart by tho wild roaring and howling of tho wind and the rattling of the rain on the little cottage. Starting up in terror to listen to tho fierce tempest blowing in from the open sea, the could hear at intervals between the blasts the hollow booming of the heavy breakers thundering on the beach. All thought of sleep was gone. Charlie Dean— the Nelson —how were they meeting the sudden storm ? Agnes knew full well the risk a vessel ran in that open roadstead with a gale blowing on the snore, and dismal forebodings of danger to Charlie ab onoo. flashed through her mind. As the first pale streak of light broke on that wild Christmas < morn, she threw a shawl around her and slipped out to the beach. What a change was there from last night's peaceful quiet J. As far as the eye could reach seaward- tho ocean was one maBsof heaving, tumbling breakers, driving and rolling along in massy mountains, sharp and foam crested to, the ahore, then, slowly curling overand over in huge wateuy circles, they fell headlong, on the hard beach, with a crash that shook the very ground, and drove onwards avalanches of water, which rushed in and flew up the beach in, white sheets of boiling foam to the very feet of Agnes. The girl had to crouch down almost on her knees to withstand the cut.tiiig force of the wind and spray. Nothing was to be seen of the two ships, Doubtlesstheyhadgot[UnderweighatthefirBt of the blow, and were trying to get an offing. The wild scene, bsf ore Jier struck jterror and 1 dismay, *to the heart of Agnes,, Struggling, ,babk to the oot,tage,» the girl mother f&t,her.r i- i 1i 1 Oh, ' father J dreadfuJL storm. ■ 1 Whejce jean, the s^psibe,?"* ' .■„.] Wr> ,< *,'<:• m | ''Not, would, not get much time; to; MQvktttO; windward.^ ,Ahil* sthere's ( a sail of some sort,*' said Joh.mWelsb, jpo|ntjn,guaway, to I tbe<nQrthe.rn'en4 qf ,-, the, se^ ?line, where* weird and ghast}ike in the ieaifly- morning )ight>at}in,teryalß over the gr&it seoJ3<Qouid b.ejf % seen,ft small .cloudy.spiok.—'^ahio!!' ;\ » vim ;> ; > >„ ' , v „> .•- , 'j - 1 * W#it :ti*\<X ; get > fche> igteser,"*; eaid , the •fisherman. ¥ ;,. sl ,, f * v f ti"o\i «^ "-■ '* !*! * He returned, lodked for a 1 few moments.

"Oh! the Nelson, sure enough. If the gale don't break it will take her all her time ■ to eel ere off." The gale did not break. The gusts increased the rather in strength and duration; Soon it was almost impossible to stand unsheltered on the beach. Tho howling of the blast anel the beating of the sea on the shore grew terrific, and the giant waves began to break clean over the level ridge of the beach, whilst great sheets of driving spray Hew landward, drenching everyone to the skin. Now black squalls of driving rain fellacross the face of tho wateis, shutting out the view seaward completely. A veiy tornado was raging. Agnes «at watching tho waters and trying to peer into the thick distance wiieie f-ho knew her lover and his ship were battling for dear life amongst the wind and waves. At noon tlio^e on tho beach saw signs of a change. Tho wind blew with unabated fury, and tho noise of the surf on shore was pimply dcatening. All around Mas still inky dark, with thick rain, and scud, and spray, whilst great rollers, throwing up their heads white and gleaming against the leaden sky, seemed to have gathered a fiercer strength, a more cruel power. Now a small rift seemed to open up, seemed to bo cleft as it were in the solid darknes«. The clouds and murky curtain teemed to part and roll away for a small space out seaward, showing a patch of turbulent sea on which shone down one sickly irlinb of lteht. As all turned their eyes to ihe fast clearing space there suddenly shot into tho circle of light a sudden vision, as it were, the outline of a great ship ! The Nelson, sure enough, with her jibboom, fore top-must and maintop-gallant mast gone, and some of the wreck of the spars still hanging to her sides, as fcho laboured and i oiled gunwales under in the great hollow eea that it was plain was driving her slowly though surely down to the bieakcrs ! At this sudden sight of the ship a gieat cry rose on tho beach, for it was teen she was doomed. She scorned little more than hove to, and was. drifting fast down to the shoie. With a wrapper round her, Agnes West stood alongside her father, teiror in her pale iacc as her eyes wete fixed on the fated ship. Was her sweetheart Charlie Dean to perish before her eyes, the gallant young j lad who had parted fiom her blithe and ; full of hope the night before ? "■ She is light. She will soon well up on the beach. They may all be saved," said William Ross, at hei side. "Oh, Will! do you think so? ' said the girl, her quivering voice showing William how deep was her interest in one at least of tho Nelson's crew. " Yes, Agnes, 1 hope so," said Will, yet at his heart a black spirit was already whi-.peting: " If he is lost I may yet win her." The Nelson was not long in sight ; black rain-squall shut in the view again. When the sky cleared once more the ship was much nearer the beach, and those on board had evidently come to the conclusion that she was certain to drive on shore. Even as those on the beach watched her they saw the heavy yards swing round and the great ship slowly paying off before the gale, headed straight for the shore ; the captain was going to force her up the beach to save the lives of those on board. Now as she showed end on, the great rolling swells caught her stern and thiew it up, then raised for a moment high in the air, all her deck was visible, a great slanting platform, on which could be seen her crew, with two men and the captain at her wheel. As the drove onward her bows would drop, until with a plunge the whole fore part of the ship would be lost to view in foam and flying waters, then her stern would again be struck by the swiftly following sea, a great hill of water would break qn board and flood her decks to the rail. At this the Nelson would swing round on her keel as though to broach to, and the two helmsmen would heave down the wheel and che«k the swerving bow. Soon came the crisis. The ship was getting quite close now. Headlong she was Sying before wind and sea, dragging the wreck of spars with her like a great wounded bird, her decks full of water, when suddenly as she dropped in the hollow sea she took the ground with a mighty shock ! —a great mountain of water, sharp atd bristling with foam, flew inboard and swept the hull from end to end with a rush that nothing could resist. At the next lift of the sea, the ship slewed round broadside to the beach, fell over seaward, am.l the tall maets swaying to and fio for a few minutes with violent jerks, toppled over into the breakers. The erew — well, at first nothing could be seen of them ; nothing was visible but the gaunt water-washed hull with stern submerged and bows high in air, then to the highest point of the bow, crept one by one, drawing themselves painfully up and along, three men. j Agnes West could see them all plainly, for scarce a cable length now divided the wreck from the beach, could see them as, cruelly beaten, and lashed, and buffeted by seas and wind they painfully drew themselves up and clung to the wreck. Again she looked just as another huge sea new over the wreck, and a wild cry rose to her lips, for in the last figure she saw plainly Charlie Dean ; yes, Charlie, his fair hair beaten round his bare head and cling- ! ing to th 9 water-washed wreck for life ! To and fro with quick and violent lurches as the seas caught her rolled the ill-fated Nelson, Ere any help could be given another roller burst over tho wreck, and for a moment buried the ship. Agnes West would have wildly rushed forward into the waves which seemed to have overwhelmed Charlie had her father not held her back. > ♦4 William Ross had stood by the side of Agnes and had watched the three raen creep to the topsides of the ship, had as well as her .recognised the face amd form of the young fellow who was last* * ' And again came up the black thought, "He will perish and I shall live to win her." As the thought flies to his 1 mind again, at that very instant in rushes again a solid sea, rearing its edge sharp and high, curling over, glistening with white foam, and there he sees the form of the man he is thinking of ! Yes, rolled over and over I Dashed down on the beach with the mass of broken, rushing water I Bruised and bleeding ho sees his body,, though yet far out, hurried towards them.; • Another moment the under tow wilt sweep him out, with pieces of floating mast an'd wreck, sweep him away and entomb him for ever in the 'depths of ocean. At a wild wail of bitter anguish from Agnes; William Ross turn^ and looks at the gi^l. Oh, thd^^Bpalrin^fentreUting^heartbrokon face.be sees,,thero<!f' V^as- that agonising to, haunt his life, , to be \ with Trim •in (death.?-, (Something whispered* him in> ! that|.mqmei] i fc,'' J < '^ ! ye» let JUtft pcrisfy ,bsfor& you, she, will hate, will TpatKt yoy,." t > » < One j ruproentfs thought. • ■ Then -r " Oh, j foijfqVe. h of f Kei; I will' do . iM* 1 * dl&.ihere ["» Ncjfyqne, word to a soul, > but one step.&nd, -leap, v forward intojijbhe ,deadJy.,rQc(oi^ng .waVe. . ; Intp, ? ,th6 ■ hissing iwislingf-.iwatersj ru^hipg^rpund him, WttU&i^Ross pltjnges ! W^iat.high, bowlder Jbxgjfi^througb^broken . wreckage he makes straight for poor

Charlie Dean, whose form, now seen, then rolled away under the water, is again buried. Can lie reach him ere the nexfo cruel wave c>hall hurry him away for ever ? Onward he forces his way, is within a yard or two of his unfortunate young rival, presses on, seizes him with a firm grip— then afc once felt they were being swept outwards with prodigious force. It seemed now that all was over, that both were lost ! Another huge sea was careering in to cover them. Had it ran in as far as the last the death of both was certain, but fortunately it brake some distance outside where the last had, and surging in How up and up, bearing the two bruised and bleeding inanimate uodics close linked togethci as it seemed with a death grip to the very crest of the beach. A dozen willing hands seized and drew them ashore. Living or dead ? They lay bide by side without motion. Poor Charlie, bleeding from face, and mouth, and ears, a piteous sight, and as Agnes threw herself weeping on the young fellow's insensible form &ho iclb tho light of her life was gone. But no time was to be lost — quickly both were carried into John Wests's cottage where every effort was at once made to bring back tho breath of life to the bruised and maimed torms before them. William Koss first showed signs of returning life, and then all their eilorts were centred in Charlie, who, cold, silent, motionless, lay, blood silently welling away from his wounds and bruises. Ib was a near struggle for Charlie, bub they both lived. Many there wore who would have ceased all ellorts in his behalt. It seemed useless. At last, however, breathing commenced again. Sorely maimed, a broken arm, broken ribs, great wounds in his head and bnmes from head to feet, ho lay like a ghost, white as a sheet for many days, with hi.* head and eyes bound up and his breath just coming and going; he scarce looked like a living man. But tender nurseswereabout him. Agnes West, with anxious joy, watched his" every breath, moistened his parched lips, and tended his bandaged wounds. And then, when after days and nights of patient watching, she heard that the crisis was past, that Charlie would live, when at) lapfc he could open his eyes and follow the lithe form of his beautiful nurse as fohe moved round his room, what happiness to her to look again into his blue eyes which she had once thought closed in death. It had been a time of sore trial, but the present more than compensated for all. Soon Chailie was able to sit up and speak and talk to her, tell her she had saved his life, which she would on no account agree with. Then he was able to get up, and leaning on the arm of Agnes, would slowly move up and down the room. Then at last outside on the beach in the sunshine ho appeared, a wonder to all who had seen him tossed to and fro, and hulled ashore on the morning of the shipwreck. Out on the beach they stood in the bright noonday and watched the now gently breaking seas as they fell at their feet, rolling in with such an equal steady beat, that it seemed hard to think they once had tiown in with such cruel force as to near finish his young life. Of the Nelson's crew few were saved. Such as were cast up by the waves sleep in the church-yard at the town, within sound of the ceaseless murmur of the ocean and the sea birds' shrill cry. Ah ! many a shipwrecked mariner has met his death on the wild New Zealand Coast. William Ross had soon recovered, and had been to see his rival several times, and soon heard from the joyful lips of Agnes that all danger was past. "Oh, Will, how much we owe to you," s<he had said. " I— he will never forget) he owes his life to you." William passed it off as a light matter, but there was no life in his voice, a weariness of heart seemed to be over him. When he left he shook hands with Charlie Dean and then held out his hand to Aines, who thankfully took it, then he said, " God bless you both," and departed. Departed. Yes, next day William Ross disappeared, no one knew where.. He left a short note for John West, which ran : "Keep my share of the boat. Thank you for the good times we have had together. God bless you and Agnes. My happy times are done." No more. They knew not where he went, could find no trace of him. They found he had taken a few of his clothes and left the place, but in what direction no man seemed to know. Twelve months have passed since the wreck of the Nelson, and there has been a wedding at the town church. Charlie Dean and Agnes West have been made man and wife. Charlie is quite stout and strong again. He is master of one of the small steamers that sail out of the port along the coast. He and Agnes have a neat little cottage overlooking the sea, and John West has been coaxed into selling the fishing boat, and has taken up hia quarters with Agnea, 1 ao Agnes does not feel so dull, even when Charlie is away on his short trips of a day or two at a time. Of William Ross they heard nothing, and many a time as they sit round the evening tire they speak of him aDd muse and wonder as to where h« may be. , At last a month or so after their wedding a letter reached John West. It was headed : | Mr John West. Sir,— A young fellow named Rosa joined my ship in Sydney for the run ,to London. When olf the New Zealand Coast south of Stewart Island wo met< with very bad weather, during which one of the quarter boats I broke partially adrift. William Ross, with others, was endeavouring to secure the boat, I when the ship gave a heavy roll and the boat filled with water. As the ship swung over | again one of tho crew seized hold of the davit tolsteady himself, vfhen the weight of the fcoaL now full of water, tore the davit away and mV and boat disappeared. It was not a v«ry crane night, but a heavy sea was running. The man who fell overboard it was well known could not swim, and William Ross, although it yap almost i madness to do so. withouta morrient% hesitation jumped over the side to assist toisi shipmate. At veiy great risk to the ship I rounded her tb," and in spite of She danger volunteers were not wanting to man and lower a .boat, .which was. safely launched ana got ' away from £he^h,ip in good time, - They were more than an hour away, tut returned with both men, whom they had found with great difficulty. , William Rosa had managed to get hold of I Lawdeh' wh6 had twice sunk, and put him ' aoroSs the water-logged boat, but his efforts to save his shipmate had so exhausted him that when we got him on board he was speechless, and almost' insensible. ■yyVdid all we could for both men. Lawden soon recovered, but I am sorry to say that although William Ross rallied sufficiently to say a, few words to usjie sankjunder our hands ana died next day. We buried him' at sea. He was able, before he died, to whisper to me these words—l think I repeat them correotly— • '" Write John West. Address in my chest. ! Say God bless Agnes and him. From William , Ross." ' That was the wliole of the message. I opened his box, found the address,' and now send you thjs short account of !the young fellow who died doing his duty, ," ' ' . i • .- . t . Yours, #fco«, J- ' * JAMES WIESON, x .'-"' " Master. Ship John Logan. ."