Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-12-26

would have turned suddenly over on its stom-
ach, in that ungraceful fashion p
i did not know you could swim, doctor,
some one said.
L am not, perhaps, what you d call altogeth-
er fine swimmer the doctor returned ; but
if it's diving ys want, I'm the bhoy. Bedad it
was that that detained me just now. No soon-
er did l come up, than down ! went again
aud if NY attention had not been caught by
Thompson's foot. faith can't exactly say to the
minute when l should have stopped.
well, we are all here now at any rate
said Jones but what's to be done next :?
Has any any suggestion to make !
And i, it a suggestion you mean P said the
doctor then its myself that has, and here it
is il any gentleman is in the possession of a
brandy bottle, let him pass it down here
No gentleman All the brandy lett ur-
drunk was in the hamper, and where the ham
per was, the sharks knew better than We.
Bad luck to the hamrer,' said the doctor; 4;
: and bad luck to the fellow who put the bran
DIV into it /; and worse luck of all, TO the shark
that will come into so fine property, and may
the glass bottle cut the throat Of his stomach
into ribbons. Amen.
Stop fooling, DOCTOR said Jones. 'Thi
business is very serious.'
Aud by Jove, it was Here were nine or
ten Of us wet to the skin, sitting on the keel
Of a capsized boat. Two full miles from shore
With no possibility OF making way either Tor
wards or back wards. la addition to All this
the bay swarmed with sharks, and the night
which comes on with a rush out there, you
know-was just falling, SO that there was nc
chance of being seen ard picked up. If We
were forced 10 remain in this desperately un
comfortable situation all night, there was every
probability that some enc, overcome by sleep
sould be slipping off his unpleasant Eerch intc
the sea and II was quite certain that th'
sharks, attracted hy such promising fess.
won d be cruising about us on all sides, waiting
ike dogs, fer the crumbs that fall from thei
masters tables. But what TO be done
The only remedy YVES that made me shud
der to think of-that some should uder
take TO swim two miles, IN defiance OF IN
sharks and the darkness, and carry the inteliI
gence of our misfortune to the slip. NOR
risky expedition you can scarcely imagine, an
it almost took my breath away when l hear
. Jones voice from the end Of the row say
Somebody must 60 and get assistance, and a
am the best swimmer of We ell, III 60
By gad think OF the sharks, old fellow
said the man next him.
Just what l shan't do, said Jones. 8
sha.. iii ink OF tsem little possible. Tier
- 60 help for it you know, and some on
must go
/. VS. so thoroughly man taking h
danger OF ten men his own shoulders, I'M
each OF u, from very sUdUltf
dissuade MIN; but as all that We could So
made 10 impression upon him, midshipma
Z named Knspton, who Was very good swim
l. mer, declared he'd accompany him.
l It's better for two Of Us to CO. said kual
ton for If only one went, and he were
come to griei oG the way, you Know, the'
- fellows would be no better off than they g.
" nov.'
/ People talk coed deal about nation
- degeneracy now days; Il doesn look mut
q" Ike national degeneracy, l imagine, when, o
of ten meu-some of W hom, Is not being aD
" to swim at all, must be left cut OF the accoun
two could be fou to 20 in ior such We
- forlorp nope as this Well, Jones and knapt
stripped themselves TO the skin-the less III
o. gage YOU take on a Journey of this kind Il
- oe.ter-and dashed .nto the water ano y
= NAV fancy with what anxious Learts We on 4
- boat w-tched as lcng as the falling hght " ou
:: ct -, their heads rising and iailing with /
- waves, aud the splashng made by Their feet
- Kick WELL Jones shouted 10 knapton. /
:" HI knew Wu.t towards sharks are, and "nat
IN IN little tu,ng rln sometimes irighten them
a' Kick well make as much splash as possible
o. it Is your only chance if they get sight
st you
- Aad there we sat in sience-even the doct
IL was dumb for a time-stariug after the two
: roes. FOR heroes they were, II there are su
~ things at ali Grsi their heads were lost IN I
1' darkness then the white foam made by tn
- feet ard knowing, as We did, the dang
ca that surrounded them, when we l1st sight
We ~ that, the hope That they could ever reach
- shore seemed to mix with The derkness, ana
=, be lost as well. |. is rribiy painfal thi
ea @ 20 have 10 remain inactive while others are
Oh curing great danger ; 10 feel that you canI
-. raise a finger to teip them, however desper
- their position. | do not know that L e
us nassed A more wretched time than did af
.el Jones and Kuapton got beyond our sight:
HG | sat shiver!ng on that dismal boat, thinking
So these TWO fellows swimming along IN the mi
- OF perils which they mad 10 power 10 ave
- the. ( c1roe into my mird a scene from an
g book which hAd not read since L was ch
- IN vhicn a man h.d 10 pass in The dead
p night through a valley set everywhere "
snares and pitfalls, which in the darkness
- could not see, but still vas forced 10 g" BIN
~ or. conscious that at any moment be MI
stem into absoue destruc ton.
"a But Jones and he midshiPnan were sw
ming steadily al the while, tor some time
eie mosI side by si6e their faces set for the sh
-l- ~ ard their thoughts cweling as little as Pc
80 ibje upon what might at any moment hap
down below. some men-l among then
nave a horror Of touching nythins under
Gu t4r. and am certain that had been elthe
- those fellows. the very knowledge that e'
80, kick | gave might senu my foot against sh
~ Who would snip oil my leg II a twink
- would have cted Ike tue touch OF the
J 'N t,:c.l eel upon me. and deprived NY mus
of Ali power Of motion. IL did not operate
with Them, however. Tne apprehension
80 danger oniy made them more active in tr
to escape from it, and for about three-quai
- Cf = miie-Te could not see them, oil COZ
~, but. as ycu may inn gine, We had every 81
t uo incdent related 10 Us afterwards-they
AZ ceeded swiftly and evenly. But after they
oo. accomplished that distance, knapton bega
= ~ drop .radua!ly behind. He had either c
ean ra,ed bis power, or exhausted himself
ea'" kicking TOO vigorously; It any rate,
whatever cause when they had gone abo
pug mile. he cried out 10 Jones :: can g
further. must shut up. You 60 on. n
H., mind me-go on Jones, however, was
phtu . last man in the world desert a friend II
1e"' ficulties: be tur ned and swan back to hi
Py a once. a.
~ = ~ g Are done up, old fellow 2 Jones
,oo- to him.
lno s Yes says the naidshipman. can
,srai au on auy further. But you 60 on; youd o
10 tn leave me-
- ~ Not /. says Jones We set out toge
ard We will finish together, or not a. all
- -, box here. Don't J,u grasp at me, ana
~ to me; you are too good swimmer o.
know that IS ravIng madness. Rest your
me- unon nv hips let Your body fl 1at quiet