Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1855-08-15
An ynteresting Storg~
TWO LIV ES.
From the pride Of the Mess a
Naval Story Of the Crimean War.

From his boyhood upwards, Herbert
had always had strongly impressed upon
his mind, when boating up and down the
river, the horrors Of the well known rock
at the mouth of the river Dart. He knew
how many lives had been lost upon it
how much property sacrificed on its fright
full altar; and while it is the wonder of
every one who visits Dartmouth, that such
hideous danger can be left unbuoyed OF
unmarked, everybody who passes up and
down the Dart hears some fearful legend
of its past misdeed, and, shuddering, gives
it the widest possible belth.
While Herbert was straining his utmost
glance, watching for another CLEAN OF
lightning to reveal the scene once more,
something like faint cry was heard.
by Heavens! !" cried he, starting to
his feet, that cry is from the rock, and
it is woman's voice."
Without further thought, except to get
to the scene of danger as quickly as pos
sible, Herbert dashed from his covert.
Needless of the lightning, and regard
less Of the rain, he was speedily wet to
the skin; but that was trivial matter.
After divers falls and bruises, he con-
trived at last to get down to the shore
opposite to the point where he knew the
rock was, and going slightly up the river,
so that the wind might convey the cry of
the sufferers to him, instead of drowning
it, he listened for a moment, and distinctly
heard the cries Of
Help, helpl We are drowning, we
are drowning!"
'Where are you-are you on the rock ?"
Yes" shouted back mans voice,
F." we are on the rock-the water is rising
rapidly on US, and our boat has gone
down. Quick-make haste if you hope to
save US"
"Have you time to wait while | run up
to Dittishman for boat?"
"No, no." shrieked back one of the
voices; the water is above our waists
already, and sweeping over us with such
force we must be washed away in ten min
utes."
" Can You swim 2"
"No," was the answer.
"God help you! 1t will soon be over,'
muttered Herbert, and [ fear shall be
lost, too. Ny poor mother" said he,
throwing off his clothes, one after another;
bat it is duty to try; help me, God of
Heaven" cried the youth, dropping on
his knee for one moment; then running
down as far above the rocks as he thought
was practicable, shouted out
| will swim to you"
He plunged boldly into the stream,
with nothing on but his shirt and trous-
ers, having previously tied the latter
round his waist with his neckerchief.
At the time that Herbert took his leap,
the tide was running strongly up the river.
He therefore swan boldly down the
stream, as if making for Dartmouth, pro-
ceeding slantingly across the river to-
wards the opposite shore, where the beau
tiful woods of Greenaway shaded the boy
ish steps of the immortal Walter Raleigh.
In the course of a few minutes, he lifted
his voice up, Where are your" but he
heard no answer, for the westerly storm
swept up the river at that moment with a
fresh gust, and drowned the reply. In
another second, the heavens were once
more brilliant with lightning. and Her
bert beheld, two or three yards under his
lee, the rugged point of the rock like some
demon, holding up his jagged head, while
clinging to it, in all the agony and all the
desperation Of impending death, was a
young man, who clasped in his arms a
girl of some seventeen years.
Strange it is, that in single glance the
human mind takes in the whole character
of the face on which it gazes. Even in
that awful hour, when the fearful grave
that yawned beneath them appeared about
to swallow up all these three beings, Her.
bert detected in that countenance just
the very face that seemed to have haunted
him in all the poetical day dreams of his
soul for years. Large, full, speaking
eyes, with small, delicate face; long, flow
ing and luxuriant hair, drenched as it
was with rain, and anguish stricken as
those features were with the horror OF
such situation-that single glance, while
it filed his soul with the deepest sympa-
thy for the fate Of this fair. unknown
nerved him with a fresh courage to strive
against the elements, and lit in his soul a
stern determination to succeed in saving
her, or to perish in the attempt.
Cheer upl" he cried, as, relaxing his
swimming, he put forward both his hands
to guard himself from being dashed toe
violently by the roaring storm against the
sharp and jagged edges Of the rock; then
as he succeeded in placing his foot, anc
setting bis back against the stream, h
said to the man, Cannot you swim a
allW
"Oh, Heavens no, not bit"
Where Is your boat ~