The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1846-10-09

waves beneath their little craft
AT hrst there appeared no danger,
but as the breeze stiilrned the girls
became alarmed, and even Luke
thougi ii prudent to bring the boat
up and head for the shore. Before
doing this, lie took the prccaution
to request his companions to be seat
ed, and remain still in their places
Inc boat was neither large nor well
calculated for sea-boat. 1t was
both 100 narrow and too straight on
the sides to lay steadily on the wa
ter. Still he unprecedented little or
no danger; and Selling the oar, BY
single stroke attempted TO bring
the boat up in the winds eye. The
sudden impulse given to the craft
caused her to roll to the waters
edge. The girls at the same mo-
ment became alarmed, and but'
started to their feet. The centre Of
gravity being thus suddenly changed
and large wave at the same mo-
ment rolling diagonally across the
bows OF the boat, she went over with
the quicliness Of thought, plunging
her lnneteS lnS.antaneouSly beneath
the angry waves! Luke, whose
presence Of mind did not forsakc
him in the emergency, was tie first
to reach tie surface. The boat lay
bottom upwards, and only Caroline
TO be seen, just rising to the surface
Where was Mary Wilson she in
whose being he was lost! With the
suddenness Of thought the convic-
ton seized him that She must be be-
meath the boat, and down he plung-
ed to verify the truth Of that convic-
ton. A moment after he rose to the
surface, dragging np the object of
his search by an outstretched srm.
All this had been the work of mo-
ment, and cons ciousness had not for
saIlcn the struggling girl. She g asp
eG the inverted bow Of the boat, and
uttered a loud and heard-rendins
scream, as the air rushed anew upon
her exhausted lungs.
in God, name hold where YOU
are said Luke, keeping as much as
possible beyond her reach, lest her
grapple should carry lin down.
She appeared to comprehend the
danger, and held on with the energy
Of desperation. Luke's next thought
was for Caroline, and on passing
round the boat he saw her some dis
tance to TIE Ieeward, floating rapid
ly away, being borne up by her
clothes, which were spread out up
on the surface like the wiIted petals
Of L lily. Being an excellent swim
mer, thought encountered with lis
garments, Lulc darted forward TO
rescue tie struggling damsel.
Reach me that oar cried out the
courageous girl, as size saw Luke
approaching her and the oar hcaling
b,s De lin. Reach re the oar. and
drag ne, if possible, to the boat
In moment one end of the oar
was in her hands, and by it Luke
held her Grm ill tie Coating boat
dr,i;cd within Ter reach. wien Car
dine seized hold Of her bows, on the
side opposite to Mary. Al now
seemed safe ioi. the moment. The
wind was blowing a gale, and night
was fast approaching. They might
be se"n--h"t tits was not probable,
as all were absent from the cottage,
and the residence Of ~ ilson was not
directly in view. 70 attempt an
alarm seemed equally fuitless, and
yet as it was among their hopes,
Luke raised his voice to the full cx-
tent of his powers. Could tie
strength Of the young ladies hold
out, they might hope in time to drift
upon the shore; but the wind which
had been the cause of their dreadful
situation seemed, at the end of an
hour, to be torSaIiing them when
their salvation apparently depended
on it. 1t ceased TO blow violently.
AM the surface Of the water was East
assuming It's placid, summcr-like
qnietudc. 70 complete the hortors
Of their situation, tie strength Of ,ae