The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1871-05-18

uoW, v'" tH0y "'S" 'N 'l - "
wing in at her best Speed before the
furious galenow blowing:
..lf her sticks din'tthe best seasoned
timber I ever heard on,"- said Tom
Peters, ''she's gone! 'fhe Lord have
mercy on~her, " so be it she strikes'on
the second rect. No one on 'em would
ever git to shore"N N
Again the gum flashed, this time
much nearer the.sllore, and the bea
cons began to light up the darkness.
All he'peorle- along the shore were
on the beach, men, women and chf-
dlen, and they could hardly stand up
against tlfe wind, which cut the c,crests
from the heavy waves, and sent the
spray into the faces ofthe crowd. For
two hundred yards from the shore
they could see plain|ya succession OF
white-capped waves rolling in wildly
toward them, and then the white jb Of
q schooner glearied before their eyes,
and she struck
From the place where they stood
she was wrapped in darkness, except
her bowsprit. The naXt wave lifted
her and threw her further.in, dropping
her with crash upon the rocks Ev-
cry bolt seemed to start under the ter.
riblc shock, and there she hung, the
merciless waves beating against her,
and tearing away her sheathing every
moment. Again and again the huge
rollers came in, and every one, on re-
ceding, bore away some portion OF the
wreck. The wrecked schooner seem
ed to complain at every blow. Hel
crew, eight in number, ran out upon
the bowsprit and waved their hands
toward the shore for aid
''Run out the boat cried Alton.
''Do not let us stand idle here"
Many willing hands siezed the boat
and ran her out into the surf, and as he
worked, Alton Somers was praying:
ooh, God, by whose will | mus
perhaps lose my best and dearest on
this desolate shore, grant that my
hands may aid in saving life, which is
daar to some one, though ne"er dear
et than her love to me!'
They worked hard, and desperately
AS often rs they thrust out the lone
life boat, 50 often .hc cruel surf caught
it an1 dashed them back, bruised an(
bleeding on the shore.
"Ths will not do, said Alton, 'i
we intend to save yonder drowning
men. Take your places, all who &C
and ie5 those wh) stay on shor'
give us a start through the surf. Ge
out your oars, every man, and as soon
as they can grip the water, pull as you
never pulled before"
They took their places at his order
and poised heir oars and little Willie
Darrell, Nathalie's bro ther, took his
seat at the cox-swain. The lad had the
same clear bright eyes as his sister and
sunny hair like hers. His presence in
the boat seemed to give the men
strength, as they sat face to face, fol
Alton pulled "stroke," Twelve strong
men on each side oi'thc boat siczed hel
and ran her out through the drift, am
first line Of SURF and then fell back out
Of reach.
The oars dashed into the water, an(
eight muscular frames were thrown in
to the stroke. 1T did not seem to tell
Would she como back, after all? l
she did, woe to the unfortunates upoI
the bowsprit. Another stroke, and al
upon the shore gave a great shout fol
they knew. that they had conquered a
last. A feeble cheer came back from
the men Oh the wreck. Just then, ;
mountain wave rose high in the air
and the spar was buried. When it re
ceded,. two forms less less were seen
upon the spar.
"Look sharp there in the bows
cried Alton. keep your eyes in tht
water Willie. Do you see them p
"Iere they comc!' shouted Willie
who was wild with excitement. "Un
:ship oars, and stand by to take them'?'
Z As tue two men who had been wash
cd off the spar drilted up, strong hands
seized and dragged them'into the boa
where they lay thoroughly exhaus ted
From the higle window which
looked out upon the sea. Nathal,c
Darrell watched the struggle. She saw
her hero, calm, and unmoved by any
feeling save compassion for the men
vino shared his peril, working wit!
cool courage to save those precious
lives. She had been harrassed b,
fears that If she allowed herself to fol
low the impulse ofherheart, she nigh
do the man she loved q wrong, in suf
fering him to marry woman beneatl
Thin ia social rank. This had been he,