American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-09-07

age, as they could only work bctwecl
tides and now being hurried they LINGERIE,
longer than usual. At the last minute
they found it must be moved, and so wer
detained.
Better leave her until tn tide GIBBS.
said one. but the rest We're not of tn
same mimi.
May they argued. It'll be all to d,
DER again if we do that. Theirs plenty
o time if we look sharp enow. Heav'
again lads
Then it was that with the help of strain
ing and Juggling there came a little lurch
and then it was that as the Mary Ann
slipped over on her side one of the work
ers slipped with her, slipped half under
meath her with a cry. and lay on the sand
held down by the weight that rested OF
him.
With his cry there broke ont half ;
dozen others, and the men rushed up tt
him with frightened faces.
'.Are yO hurt. Seth. lad,' they cried
care yO crushed or owt ~
The poor fellow stirred a little and then
looked up at them pale enough.
'.Bruised Bit" he answered them
''an' 81 k bit. but | dunnot think theer's
any bones broke. Look sharp. chaps, an
heave her up. She's a mott O. weight or
me-"
They went to work again one and all
so relieved by his words that they were
doubly strong. but after toiling like giants
for a while they We're com pellcd to pause
for breath. In falling the boat had 50
buried herself in the sand that she was
harder to move than ever. 1t had seemed
| simple enough at first, but it was not so
| simple. after all. With all their efforts
they had scarcely stirred her an inch. and
| their comrades position interfered with al
most every plan suggested. Then they
| tried again. but this time with less effect
than before, through their fatigue. When
they were obliged to pause they looked at
| each other questioningly. and more than
one of them turned 4 trifie paler, and at
last the wisest of them spoke out.
Lads he said ''we Gamma do this our
| sens. Run for help. Jem Coulter, an run
wi thy might. fur it wunnot be so long
afore TIN tide III tlow."
had lain with closed eyes and set teeth.
but when he heard this his eyes opened
and he looked up.
.'Eh!'' he said. in that blind stupid
fashion. '.What's that theer tha's sayin'
Mester?''
81 wOr tellin' him to look sharp, tha's
aw.''
The poor fellow moved restlessly.
''Aye! aye.'' he said. ''LOok sharp
he nun do that. 1 ditna think q the
tide And he shut his eyes again with a
faint groan.
They strove while the messenger was
gone; they strove when he returned with
assistance: they strove with might and
main. until not Il man among them
had the strength of a child. and the
boldest of them were blanching with Il
fearful, furtive excitement none dared to
show. A crowd had gathered round by
this time-men willing and anxious to
help. women suggesting new ideas and
nnp no 1a1 pI
earnest style, children clinging TO their
mothers gowns and looking on terror
stricken. Suddenly. in the midst of one
of their mightiest efforts, a sharp childish
voice piped out from the edge of an anx-
icus group brief warning that struck
terror to every heart that beat among
them.
''Eh. Mesters!'' it said, ''th' tides
creepin' up Bit
The men looked round with throbbing
pulses, the women looked also. and one
of the younger ones broke into a low cry.
lord ha' mercy!" she said. It'll
sweep around TIL Bend afore long am
an" and she ended with ? terror in her
voice which told its own tale without
Other words.
The truth forced itself upon them all
then. Women began to shrek and men
to pray, but strange to say, the man whose
life was at stake lay silent, though with
ashen lips about which the muscles were
tensely drawn.
His dull eyes searched every group in
del, despair that was yet a passion, in all
its stiffness. 500
ssHow long will it be, he asked slowly
at last-'' tn tide? Twenty minutes? ~
Happen So" was the answer. ''An',
lad, lad, we Gamma help thee. Wen tried
uncouth fellow who spake. '.TEeor is ma
one on us but I'D leave limb behind to
save thee, but theer is M time-theer is
ma" -
One deep groan and he lay still again
quite still. God knows what weight OF
mortal agony and desperate terror crushed
him in that dead, helpless pause.
Then his eyes opened as before.
''I've thOwt o deein','' he said with a
queer catch Of his breath. ''I've thowt
o. deein' an I've wondered how it wor
an what it felt like. l never thowt o
deein' like this here" Another pause and
then
(which o 70 lads IL tell my MISUSE"
CAY! poor chap, poor chap.'' walled
the women. ''Who on 'em WHIP
''Hswd tina noise, wenches.'' he said
hoarsely. ''Yo daze me. Theer is ma
| time to bring her here. I'd ha' liked to
Iia' said one word .Jem Coulter rails
ing his voice. canst tina say it fur me -
Aye" cried the man, choking as he
SPOKE. surely, surely. Ana he knelt
down.
"TeH her 'at if it wor bad enow-this
here-it wOr not so bad as it mOught h:.'
been-fIr me. | mought ha' fun it wors-
err. Tell her I'd like to ha' said word if
l cOuld-but i cOuldna. I'd like 20 ha'
heard her say one word as happen she
would ha' said if she'd been here an tell
her 'aJ if she had ha' said it tn tide
mought ha' conn an wclcOme-but she
didna, an theer it stands And the sob
that burst from his breast was like the
sob of n death-strickcn child. .'Happcn"
he said next-'.happen ne o. yo wo-
men fOak say bit O a prayer-yO're not
so fur fro safe sand but yo can reach it
could say-srIch like rs yo teach yo're
babbies.''
Among these was one who had-thank
God, thank God and so. amid walls and
weeping. rough men and little children
alike knelt with uncovered heads and hid
den eyes while this one woman filtcrcti
the PRAY er that was Il prayer for a dying
man; and when it vas ended. and all rose
glancin" fcarfuly at the white line o.
creeping foam, this dying man, for whom
they had prayed, lay upon his death-bed
of sand the quietcst of them all--guict
with strange calm.
Bring me my Jacket" lie said. IAN
lay it DER my fIce< There's a bit o posic
III tn buttOil-hole. | @ctten it out o. tn
missus's garden when | conn away I'd
like to hold it i my hand if it's theer
yet
And as the long line of white came
creeping onward they hurric,iiy ,liI rs he
told thein--laid the rough garment over
his face and gave him the humble DIVING,
flowers to hold, aud havin" done this.