The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1868-05-07
A SAGREgICE.

An English East Indiaman had run
upon a reef or bar of sand a long way
from the shore The roaring, foaming
seas were leaping upon the deck, and
stamping it to pieces. They had crushed
the boats like so many egg shells, and the
frantic passengers were shriehi. g in the
tempest for help. Tie Dutch settlers
saw the sight and heard the cry and
rushed down to the beach, apparently to
90 nothing bGt see the waters swallow up
the men and women clinging to the rig
aing Of the broken vessel, for they had NO
boat to push out into the surge, and none
was within an hours reach. The wreck
would 90 to pieces before a raft could be
made or anything fioated from the shore.
Human help there was none at first sight,
but at the sharpest crisis of the agony a
Du'ch farmer gslloped down TO the sea on
IN Arabian mare, thtt was like another
life to him: that had carried him through
Ill the hazards of the wide world and its
wilder beasts, and seemed to share her
masters Intelligence and divine as we'll
;ss ob,y his will She swan rivers and
wu,lrd morasscs with him on her back,
aud now he spurred her through the
crowd, and without a moment pause
Plnnged into the sea with rope attached
iu her tail. The brave creature shrank
rot an instant from the fierce wres!le with
the bay ing waves. She struck them
dow with her iron hoofs, and breasted
l,r way TO the ships side 1t was but
a miru:e's stay and she was making for
Ihe s. ore again, trailing a row of men and
women clinging to the rope. The shouts
If the crowd awaiting TO receive them
seemed to thrill her strained muscles with
a new vigor and when her feet struck on
the earth, and she mounted on the beach
and shook the salt water from her sides
she looked round upon the half-drowned
beings she had dragged to land and life
And IT seemed given TO her by the God of
Us all to show that she had done a good
act. Her master pstted her on the neck,
as when they had faced the lions in the
desert he patted her with eyes turned
toward the ship. 1t was but a minutes
pause. ''Once more, my Jenny, darling
once more," and she turned her head, and
plunged again, without touch of spur into
the sea. Once more she plunged into the
surge, snorting over IFS briny crest. Once
more she wheeled at the ships side and
headed for the shore, trailing another row
of men behind her. Many times her
head dipped above her nostrils in break
ing wave: many times she neighed as
for helm as she struck out heavily with the
load dragging her down. She neared the
land, bnt more slowly before and stag
cered up the ascent with trembling limbs.
The second long and desperate tug through
the surge had strained every nerve and
muscle 10 its utmost tension, and she
stood quiveripg, blown and exhausted.
There were several more human beings
left behind on the crashing, broken hull
the darkness was closing in upon them and,
certain death with the darkness. The
brave hearted Dutchman heard that bitter
cry, and saw that narrowing sight. Could
he do morea Could he try it again ?
Jenny, my darling Jenny, can you do
it7' and he put his arms around her neck,
fondly and tenderly. She rubbed her
head against his cheek. as if she said,
"Master, if you will it, I'll try" He
mounted her back, and without sense of
spur or rein, she turned and walked straight
into the foaming sea. Slowly, painfully,
with weakening strokes, she made her way
to the ship, and once more headed for the
shore with the last passenger clinging to
the rope. With hands and voices uplift-
ed, stood the crowd on the beach. 60
God of mercy and might, give the poor