That straw,
yer Honor, was the spar of a vessel movin' through the water. It was, I
found out afterward, one of the pieces which had wedged the ship on the
Marine Railway, where she had been gettin' repaired, and she comin' off
hurriedly about dusk, had not been loosened from her. I raised my voice
by a despairin' effort, and screamed 'Help! help!' When I came to I was
on an Austrian merchant ship, bound to Wilmington, North Carolina, for
naval stores, and then to Trieste. The blow of the spar had given me a
slight crack av the skull."
"That crack is wide open yet," said Calvin Van de Lear.
"Begorra," returned the Irishman, facing placidly around until he found
the owner of the voice, "Mr. Calvin Van de Lear, it would take many such
a blow, sur, to fracture your heart!"
"Go on now, Donovan, and finish your tale. You were carried off to
Trieste?" spoke Duff Salter.
"I was, sir. At Wilmington no news had been recaved of any tragedy in
Philadelphia, and when I told my story there to a gentleman he concluded
I was ravin' and a seein' delusions. The Austrian was short av a crew,
and the docthor said if they could get away to sea he could make me
effective very soon. I was too helpless to go on deck or make
resistance. Says I, 'It's the will av God.
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