Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 2, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 September 1858 — AN EXCITING SCENE. [ARTICLE]

AN EXCITING SCENE.

It.was in the month of February, 1831, a bright moon light night and intensely cold, that the brig I commanded lay at anchor just inside of Sandy Hook. We had a hard time of it beating about eleven daysoff this coast, and the snow and i I slde.t falling for most of the time. For- i ward, the vessel was thickly covered with i ice, and it was hard work to handle her, as . the rigging and sails were stiff and yielded only when the strength of the men were exerted to the utmost. When at length wo made the port, all hands were worn down | and exliausted; we could not have held out ; two days longer without relief. “A bitter cold night, Mr. Larkin,” I said ' to my mate, as I tarried a moment on deck ■ to finish my cigar.' .... I The worthy Down-caster buttoned up his i coat njorc tightly around him, looked up at the moon, and felt his red nose, before he replied: “It’s a whistler, Captain, as we used to say-on the-Kennebec. Nothing Jives com- , portable,,out of the blankets, in such a night : as this.” “The tide is running-out swift and strong; i it will be Well to keep a sharp lookout for i the floating ice, Mr. Larkin.” “Aye, aye, sir,” responded the mate, and ■ i I went below. Two hours after, I was aroused from a j . sound sleep by the vigilant officer. “Excuse me for disturbing you, Captain,” said he, as he detected an expression of vex- ! I at ion in my face; “but I wish you would ; ; turn out and come on deck as soon as possi- : bic.” ••Why—-what’s the matter, Mr, Larkin.” j ; “Why, sir, I have been watching a cake i , of ice that swept by at a little distance a i . moment ago; I saw something black upon ! it—something that I thought moved. The moo’n was under a cloud, and I could not see ' i distinctly, but I do believe there's a child floating out to sea, this cold night, on that i cake of ice.” We were on deck before either spoke another word. The mate pointed out with no difficulty, lhe cake of ice floating off to the leeward, and its white glittering surface was broken by a black spot —more, I could not make of it. “Get me the glass, Mr. Larkin—the moon i will be cut in g few moments, and then we can see distinctly.” I kept my eye on tho rechcding mass of ice, while the moon was slowly working its | way through a bank of clouds. The mate stood by with the glass. When the full light fell at last apon the water, with a bril- ' liancy only known to northern latitudes, I put my glass to my eye. One glance was 1 enough. I “Forward, there!” 1 shouted at the top of my voice, and with one bouncT‘l reached the main hatch and began to clear the ship’s , yawl. i. Mr. Larkin had received the glass from my hand and took a look for himself. “My God!” he said in a whisper, as beset to aid me in getting out the bbat; , “Sly God! there is two children on that cake of ice!’’’ Two men answered my call, nd walked lazily alt. In an incredible si space of . time we lanched the cutter, into which Mr. Larkin and myself jumped', follow’d by two ‘ men, who took the oars. I rigged the tiller i and tli ate sat beside the stern sheet. j ■. L‘you see that cake of ice, with someI thing upon it, lads!” I cried. “Put me I j alongside of that, and I will give each of]

you a bottle'of rum to night, and a month’s extra- wages, when you are paid off.” The men bent their oars, but their stroke" were uneven and feeble. They hud been used up by the preceding duty of the last fortnight, and, though they did their best, the -boat made but littie more than tide. This was a long chase, Mr. Larkin, who was suffering as he saw how little we gained, Cried out to # the men: “Pull lads— I’ll double the Captain’s prize two bottles of rum and two month’s pay'. Pull lads for the love of God!” A convulsive effort at the oars told how willing the men were ta obey; but the strength of their strong arms was gone. One of the youngest fellows wtlshed us twice, in recovering himself, and then gave out, the other was gone. Mr. Larkin sprang and seized the deserted oar. “Lie down in the bottom of the boat,” said he to the man; “and Captain —the other oar —we must row for ourselves.” I took the second man’s place—Larkin had stripped to his Guernsey shirt; as he pulled the stern oar, I waited for the signal stroke. It came gently, but firm, and the next moment we were pulling a long steady stroke, gradually increasing in rapidity, until the wood seemed to smoke in the oarlocks. We each kept time by the long deep breathing of the other. Such a pull! We bent forward until our faces touched our knees, and then, throwing until each inch gained. At every stroke, the boat shot ahead like an an arrow discharged from a bow. Thus we worked the oars for fifteen minutes —it seemed so many hours for me. The sweat rolled oft" in great drops, and I was enveloped "in steam generated from my own body. “Are we almost to it, Mr. Larkin!” I gasped out-. “Almost, Captain—don’t give up; for the love of the dear ones at home, don’t give up Captain.” The oars flashed, as the blade turned up to the moonlight. The men who plied them were husbands and fathers; the strength which nerved them at this moment was more than human. Suddenly Mr. Larkin stopped pulling, and.my heart, for a moment, almost ceased beating; for the terrible though! that he had given out, flashed across my mind. But I was quickly reassured by his voice: “Gently, Captain, a stroke or two more—there, that will do,” anil Larkin sprang from the boat with his heavy feet upon thexice.. I started, and calling to the men to makethe boat fast, to tho ice, followed him. We ran to a dark spot on the center of the. mass, and found two little boys—the head of the smaller nestling in the bosom of the larger. Both word fast asleep! The lethargy, which would haue been fatal, but for. tjie timely rescue, had overcome them. Mr. Larkin grasped one of the lads, cut off one of his shoes, tore oil’ his jack'-i. and then loosening his own garments to the skin, he placed the chilled child in contact with his own warm body, carefully wrapping over him his great-eoat, which he procured from the boat. I did the samO with the other child, when we returned to the boat, and the men, partially recovered, pulled slowly’ back. The children, us we learned, when we subsequently had the delight of restoring them to their parents, were playing on the ice, and had ventured on the cake which had got jammed in the river some ten miles above New York. A movement of the fide set the ice in motion, and the little fellows were borne away on the cold night and would have inevitably perished, but for Mr. Larkin’s spying them as they were sweeping out to sea. ! “How do you feel!” I said to the mate the next morning after the adventure. “A little stiff in the arms, Captain,” the the noble fellow replied, while big tears of grateful happiness gushed from his eyes; “a little stiff' in the arms, Captain, but very | easy here,” and he laid his hand upon his j heart. My quaint, brave Down-caster. He who lashes the sea into fury, and lets loose | the tempest, will care for thee. The storm may rage without, but in thy bosom peace and sunshine will abide> (kj^A;little girl of about six years old was talking with her uncle. “Millie, didypu overhear of Curry, the! ealf-weaner!” “No, sir.” I “TJiere was a man, named Curry, no ugly that he followed calf-weaning for a living. When the calf was with the cow he would; 1 ok under, on the other side, and as soon as t ie calf saw him it would run off’, and never ) suck again.” . —" “Uncle,l think you could wean ’em quick.” ■ OO'A wag says that Miss is, now-a-days,) in circumference, “as good as a mile-.”