Squatter sovereign., 1855-10-23
aflisffllalreous.
is DARTMOUTH ROCK;
OR.
ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL
A Tale OF Peril and Love.

A Tale OF Peril and Love.
From his boyhood upwards, Herbert
had always had strongly impressed upon
his mind, when boating up and down the
river, of the horrors Of the we'll known rock
at the mouth of the river Dart. He knew
how many lives had been lost upon it, how
much property sacrificed upon its frightfuI
altar and while it is the wonder of every
one who visits Dartmouth that such hide
Gus danger can be left unbouyed or un-
marked, everybody who passes up and
down the Dart hears some fearful legend
of its past misdeeds, and shuddering, gives
it the widest possible berth.
While Herbert was straining his utuk1
glance watching for another gleam oflight-
ming to reveal the scene once more, some
thing like faint cry was heard.
BY heavenr cried he, starting to his
feet, that cry is from the rock, and it is
woman's voice.
Without other thought, except to get to
the scene of danger as quickly as possible,
Herbert dashed from his covert. Heed
less of the lightning, and regardless of the
rain, he was speedily wet to the skin; but
that was trivial matter. After divers falls
and bruises he contrlved 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, in
stead of drowning it, he listened for mo-
ment and distinctly heard the cry of
Help! help! we are drowning, we are
drowning
Where are you-are you on the rock 2
Yes shouted back a mans voice, I'VE
are on the rock-the water is rising rapid
ly on us, and our boat has gone down.
Quick-make haste-make haste, if YOU
hope to save us?'
Have you time to wait till I run up to
Dttisham for boat 2
No, no. sllrieked back one of the vol
ces; 'the water is above our waists already
and sweeping over us with such force we
must be washed away in ten minutes
sCan you swim 2
NO was the answer.
God help you. It will soon be ever,
muttered Herbert, sand l fear shall be
lost, too. My poor mother' said he.
throwing off his clothes one after another
hut 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 rock as he thought was
practible, he shouted out:
i will swim to YOU
He then plunged boldly into the stream
| with nothing on but his shirt and trousers,
having previously tied the latter around
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, proceeding
slantingly across the river towards the op-
posite shore, where the beautiful woods of
Green-away shaded the boyish steps of the
immortal Walter Raleigh.
| In the course of few minutes he lift
ed his voice up, where are yous' but he
heard no answer, for the westerly storm
swept up the river at that moment with a
fresh gust and drowned the ereply. In an
oth.,r sacooJ ,L.. loo ,,-o.o ,,,,~
brilliant with lightning, and Herbert be-
held, two or three yards under his lee, the
rugged point of the rock. like some demon
holding up his Jagged head; while cling.
ing to 1t, IN all the agony and desperation
OF impending death, was young man,
who clasped in his arm girl of some sey-
enteen 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 yanwned beneath them appeared about
10 swallow up all these three beings, Her
bert detected in that countenance just the
very face the 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, flowing
and iuxuriant hair, drenched as twas with
rain. aud anguish stricken as those fea-
lures were with the horror of such situa-
ton; that single glance, while it filled his
soul with the deepest sympathy. for the
sake of this unknown nerved him with
fresh courage to strive against the elements.
and Lit In his soul o stern determination 10
succeed In saving her OF to perish in the
| attempt