A TERRIBLE SAIL.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3097, 21 May 1892, Page 1 (Supplement)

A TERRIBLE SAIL.

"How did my hair turn white? I will tell you the story, "On my way to Exeter on business my present wife, to whom I was at this time betrothed, asked me to get a bottle of eholoroform for her mother's headache. After transacting my business I returned home, and was almost at my gato when I met Hugh Eawdon. He was a big, handsome fellow, and my rival for Ethel's hand. I wanted to keep on good terms with him, naturally, so when he asked me cheerily to take a sail with him I could not refuse ; besides, it was a glorious day. " After tacking about some tim e I suggested returning, but he would not hear of it. I was enjoying myself too much to urge him, but by sunset I thought of my engagement with Ethel, and that we must be on our way back. I told him my thoughts. " In an instant his whole manner changed. He sprang up, almost upsetting the little craft with the violence of his motion, and coming close to me, said in a very deep, hoarse voice : " ' Herbert Wallace, you will go back no more.' " I was utterly dumfounded with astonishment. At first I thought he was only perpetrating a foolish joke, but when I glanced into his eyes and saw there the asful fire of madness, my wonder soon gave way to fea<'. "There he stood, glaring down upon me. Slowly, without removing his eyes from my face, he put his hand behind him and drew from a hip-pocket a small Colt's revolver. " ' Move one inch and I will blow your brains «ut,' he said. With his unoccupied hand he cast loose the halliards, and the sail fell with a thud. Still covering me with the revolver, he next threw both the oars overboard, and then sat quietly down opposite me. " 'My dear Eawdon,' I began, but he interrupted me fiercely : " ' Silence, sir, and hear me. I have brought you out here to kill you. I have been thinking ox this moment for days and weeks together —brooding over it, glorying in it, feeding on it. Ha! ha! you think I am mad!' and he burst into a loud, blood-curdling laugh, that made my very flesh creep. " ' Mad ? Yes !' he continued ; 'but what has made me so 1 ? Hear me, Herbert Wallace, hear my story, and own your doom just. Ethel ! Oh, how I loved her ! For her I toiled, for her I fought—aye, for her I sinned. To-night, therefore, I will enjoy your misery ; tomorrow we will jump overboard together. Think of Ethel—think of her lost to you, as to me, for ever. Ha! lia ! ha !' and again that awful laugh echoed across the waves. " I have, and had, my fair portion of strength, but I was no match for Hugh Rawdon. Yet my only chance of lifo was to overcome him, and either bind or hurl him overboard. Ho had replaced his revolver, apparently satisfied that I would offer no resistance, and, seizing my opportunity, as soon as he sat down I sprang wildly upon him. With a yell like the howl of a wild beast he received me, and in the next instant we were engaged in the most awful struggle that ever man imagined. I had taken him at a disadvantage, and life, love, and Ethel seemed to lend strength to my arm and cour- | ago to my heart. He durst not let me go for one instant to reach the revolver, ai.d I gradually pressed hiui back, back over the stern of the little boat. With a tremendous effort the madman recovered himself, and the next instant I was lying on my back in the bottom of , tho boat with his knees firmly plant6d on my chest. Oh! the agony of that moment! I expected . to have been instantly pistoled, but to my astonishment Rawdon apk peared calm and quiet. [ " 'You had better not have resisted. Now I must tie you,' was all he said. j " Never giving me a chance of , regaining my feet, he lifted me up and stretched me across the thwarts, binding me to them, hand and foot, | with the halliards. "It was not quite dark. Por an hour or two Rawdon sat still. Then l he rose, and, coming to me, said : " I am sleepy and tired. Such violent exercise as you have comI compelled me to take is not healthy 5 in this warm weather; bo, with your permission, I will lie under the thwarts and get a nap.' I suppose I gave some involuntary sigh ' or other mark of renewed hope, for he added: 'Don't deceive yourself. The least movement will wake me. We are only postponing " our entry into the next world till 3 to-morrow.' He lay down in the 7 bottom of the boat, and presently * his regular breathing told me that \ he slept.

" Just at that moment a drop of spray dashed into my face. With a supreirrle effort I brolco my bonds, and, pulling otlt rtif hnnderckief, wiped it off, and was replacing my handkerchief when I felt in the corner of my pocket a little hard packet. In an* instant it fiaslied upon my mind, ' Here was my deliverance !' That little bottle of chloroform which I had bought in Exeter and forgotten till that morning would save my life. With one ailent cry of prayer and thankfulness I drew it out. In spite of my dreadful struggle it had escaped uninjured. I pulled out the cork with my teeth, and folding my handkerchief into a pad I saturated it with chloroform, and, creeping co tlie sleeping maniac, laid it gently over his mdiith Arid nose. Then I bound him as firmly as possible with every bit of rope in the boat and took away the revolver. He had not moved from the moment he lay down. "At length the morning came, *nd with it, in the distance, a sail. I signalled as well as I could, for I waa still afraid to shout. At last they saw me, and bearing down, took me on board. Shortly after Eawdon awoke from his sleep, and when he saw that his prey had slipped through his fingers, his ravings were frightful. I had escaped death, but since that awful night my hair has been as you see it. Eh? What became of Eawdon ? Poor fellow ! he died in an asylum two days after. Ethel and I were married a year later."