Richland beacon., 1872-09-07
Then he got up and took his rough work

! 4 HflL Dodl Il hlOlt lIouD!t. AH't ne
sighed heavily.
Half way to The gate h stopped before
a cluster of ground honcy>uckie and per-
hap> for the first time in his life. wa, con-
SciOus OF Il 81 !dcn cur OILS admiration for
them.
''She's powerful fond . such like bits
o. tiingS-po-icS an such like" hc sai l..
"Thcms some as pl'ntca to please her
on tn very day IL we were we'd. I'll tax
one or two. She's most fond on 'cm--.iIr
such hard un."
And when he went ont he held in his
hand two or three slender stems hung
with the tiny pretty humble bells. Who
knows whether some subtle influence at
work in soul or body. or even the air he
brcathed. did not prompt the novel mood.
lie had these very bits of simple bios
SONS in his hand when he Went down tn
where the Ji0,p I,He lay on the beach
| for repairs. ~ his lrllow-workmcn said
when they told the story afterwards, re-
mcnbcrin" even this trivial incident.
He was in a strange fame OF mind. too.
they noticed, silent and heavy and abScn..
lie did not work well. but Jagged over his
| labor. stopping every ROW ana then To pass
the back Of his hand over his brow as il
TO rouse himsei!
"No look a> if yo an tn miSSuS had
had a ta!in' oHi an yo'n "ctt"n til worst
- tn bargain one of his comrades sail
by way OF Il rough jest.
They We're fonI of joking with him
about his love ior his handsome tacituri
wiir. But he did not laugh this time Il
h" usually dill.
Mind Thy owl tackle. lad" he said
| duly. IAN I'll mimi mine
From that time he worked strafilv
amon-- them until it WAS nearly tiinc for
! the ii e. To rise. The boat they were re-
pairing had hecii = difficult JOB to man,
age. aS they could only work between
tides. and now brin" hurricd they fingered
longer than usual. 1T the last minute
they found it must be hcmov@d. and so were
| detained.
Better leave her until tn tide chbS. .
said one. but the rest were not OF the
same mind.
Nay" they argued, it'll bc all to dO
DER again if we do that. Thrrr's plenty
o. time if we look sharp cnow. I!cav,
again lads"
Then it wac thai with the help of strain
ing and tugginy there came a little lurch
and then il was that IL the Mary JHHt
Slipped over on her side one of the work
err Slipped with her. slipped halt under
meath her with Il cry. and lay on the sand
held down Ivy the wri0ht t,}$t rested OF
| him.
With his cry there broke out half a
| dozen others. and the men rushed up to
him with frightened faces.
Are yo hurt. Seth, lad:' they cried.
'Arc yo crushed or owt =
The poor fellow stirred little and then
looked up ut them pale enough.
! IL h.rt
IAN ,i X a bit. but dI'nno: ;hnk theer !.
| arr bones broke. Look sharp. chaps. an
helyc her up. She's Il mott o weight on
me.
They went 10 work again one and all.
80 relieved ny his words that they Were
doublv strong. but after toling like giants
| for Il while they were com pellrd 10 pause
for breath. In falling the boat had 81
! buried herself in the sand that she wa
| harder to move than ever. 1t had seemed
simple enough at first. but il was not so
simple. after all. With all their effort
| tlry had scarcely stirred her an inch. anc
their cOmrade' position interiered with al
most every plan suggested. Then they
tried a@ain. bat this time with less Citec
than before. through their fatigue. WhcI
they were obliged to pause they looked a
each other queStionin@ly. and more than
/
/ last the wiScSt OF them spoke ont.
Lads" he said "we Gamma do this our
sens. Run for help. Jcm Coulter, an run
wi thy might. fur it wunnot be so lont
aforc til tide III ilow.'
In to this time the man on the sand
had lain with closed eyes and set teeth
but when he heard this his eyes opcne'
and he looked up. =.
- II" said. in that blind stuni'
fashion. whats hat ticer tha's sayiri
Mcster:"
..Th' tide" blundcrcI the speaker
Il wor tclln' him to look sharp. tina
The poor fellow moved reStlcSSly.
Ave, ave- he said. Look sharp
he mum do that. | didna think o IN
tide" And he shut his eyes again with
faint groan.
They strove while the messenger wa
zone: they strove when he returned Wit
Resistance they strovc with might an
main. until not i man among thGi
had the strength of Il child. and III
holdest of them were blanchinr with
fearful. iiirtivc excitement none dared
show. A crowd had gathered round b
this timc-men willing and anxious t
helm. women suggesting new ideas an
comic, ting the wounded man in rou@
, earnest style, children clingin% to the
mothers GOWNS and looking on terro
: stricken. Suddenly. in the midst OF on
: of their mightiest efforts. a sharp childiS
: voice pip,tl out from the edge Of an an,
| icus .rr0up a brief warning that Struc
terror to every heart that beat anon
them.
.Eh. Mesters." it said, ''th' tide
crcepin' up Bit"
: The men looked round with throbbin
, pulses. the women looked also. and OF
: of the Younger ones broke into low cr!
( Lord ha' mcrcv." she said. 1T
! sweep around tn Bend afore long an
| an and she ended with = terror in h'
b. voice which told its own tale wilhoI
: Otlvr words.
| The truth forced Itself upon them Il
tlien. Women began to shrek ana me
G to pray, but strange 10 say. the man VINO
i life was at stake lay silent, though vii
: ashen lips about which the muscles we
II tensely drawn.
His dull eyes searched every group
e dea despair that was yet passion, IN .
d its stiffness.
..Uow long will it be, " he asked slow
II at last-"th' tide? Twenty minutes: =
a Happen So" was the answer. An
V lad, lad. we Gamma help thee. Wen trl,
Is our best. lad''-with sobs even from u
uncouth fellow who spake. "IEe Is
:. one on us but I'd leave limb behind
o save thee, but theer i M time-theer
/ ma
e One deep groan and he lay still again
. quite still. God knows what weight
It mortal egony and desperate terror cru>h
II him in that dead. helpless pause.
Then lis eyes opened as before.
o 1--WE thowt o decin'.'' he said With
! queer catch OF his breath. I've tlio'
n o. deein' an I've wondered how it "
il an what it felt like. | never thoWt
" deein' like this here Ano;herpausea al
A. then