Thinking I was done for, I covered my face with my hands, and
commanded myself to God, with all the resignation that could be expected
from a poor young fellow in my grievous circumstances, expecting to be cut
off in the prima vera of his days, and to part for ever from--. Poo, that
there line is not my forte. However, finding the haemorrhage by no means
great, and that the wound was in fact slight, I took the captain's rather
strong hint to be still, and lay quiet, until a 32--pound shot struck us
bang on the quarter. The subdued force with which it came, showed that we
were widening our distance, for it did not drive through and through with a
crash, but lodged in a timber; nevertheless it started one of the planks
across which Paul and I lay, and pitched us both with extreme violence
bodily into the run amongst the men, three of them lying amongst the
ballast, which was covered with blood, two badly wounded, and one dead. I
came off with some slight bruises, however; not so the poor mate. He had
been nearest the end or but that was started, which thereby struck him so
forcibly, that it fractured his spine, and dashed him amongst his
shipmates, shrieking piercingly in his great agony, and clutching whatever
he could grasp with his hands, and tearing whatever he could reach with his
teeth, while his limbs below his waist were dead and paralysed.
"Oh, Christ! water, water," he cried, "water, for the love of God, water!"
The crew did all they could; but his torments increased--the blood began to
flow from his mouth--his hands became clay--cold and pulseless--his
features sharp, blue, and death--like--his respiration difficult--the
choking death--rattle succeeded, and in ten minutes he was dead.
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