The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-08-17


lino at Wills feet. lie made it fast to the
lantern with good, strong slip knot.
Pull away, George" he cried.
The lantern swung in the arr, and IN q
few minutes was drawn safely up to the
branch where George was sitting.
How does that do, VIII !! he called
out.
viii stepped back little to get full
view
That's fine, he cried; they'll see
that ever SO far, know.
50 George made it fast there, and came
down. Then they both walked back few
yards for George to see how 1t looked, and
having satisfied themselves that it would
10, they went back "a the cottage and got
To- bed
While all this was going on, there, far
away IN the darkness, were the poor men
clinging to the wreck, yet expecting every
moment that the vessel would go to the
bottom When the captain saw that there
WAS no hope of saving the ship, he had or
dered the boat to be lowered. But no
sooner had the first man stepped INTO 1t
than violent wave tore it clean away from
its fastenings, and that one man MAS alone
on the dark, Wild sea 1t was Of no use
trying to use the oars. Away he went, at
the mercy Of the winds and waves he
knew not whittier. Hour after hour pass
ed and, still tossed and driven nn the
raging sea, he became so exhausted with
cold and fatigue that he lost hope, and
almost wished he had gone down with the
sinking ship.
But suddenly as he rose on the crest Of
great wave, he thought he saw light =.
Before he could he sure, he Was down
again IN the trough of the sea How any
iously he waited for another wave to lift
his boat Oh high, and then how eagerly he
strained his eyes in the direction Of the
light Yes, there il was sure enough a
little, fickering, ghmmerlng light, far
away on his left But the wind and the
waves were carrying him beyond it. Tie
seized the oars, and struggled hard To- turn
his boat. But all his tolling was iii VAIN I;
he could make no way against such a sea.
" STILL, he thought, . | fancy its not
quite 50 violent as 1t was and if can
manage to hold her back bit, and keep
the hight III view, the storm may abate
before long, and then | may get her
around. Poor fellow He could scarce
some tine drifting further and further
from the light. But STILL the storm was
gradually abating, the winds became less
violent, the waves less wild, and at length
he managed, though with great ditfic ilty,
to q, his boat around. Hope sprang up
witnIn him, and he pulled away with all
his remaining. tren-Th toward the light.
1t WAS a fearful struggle. Worn with
long tuiing. lie felt at every stroke that
his strength was leaving him. But he
held on, gradually coming nearer and
nearer, until, Just AS he was on the point
i giving way, his boat touched the beach.
Tie scrambled ont, and with one desperate
effort reached the shore. He dragged
himself wearily out Of reach Of the tide
and. thanking God for his delverance, sank
exhausted on the sands When I've
had a Ii tie rest, he thought, IN lind
out ~ hat that light is.
1t us now see what became of the poor
fellows on The wreck. When they saw
their boat swept away IN the manner !
ha, lescri ed, they gave up all for lost,
and looked for nothing but watery
grave But God, i'll His good providenc,
had help at hand which they knew not Of.
When it was known at the hfe-bnat
station that a ship was i'll distress, the
greatest excitement prevailed, and the
brave and sturdy fellows who had often
manned the hfe-boat before, came hurry
ing together, determined To do all that
could possibly be done to save the ship
wrecked crew
When "Old Bluff arrived he found all
in readiness. He took his place IN the
lfe-boat with the rest Of the crew, and off
they went.
| will not attempt to describe the diff
ficuIty and danger of the task, or show
you how courageously and resnlutely they
held on their way. will only say that,
after long and fearful struggle with the
winds and waves, the wreck was reached.
and every soul on board saved. When at
last after hours Of absence life-boat
got back to the shore, the people gathered
there gave great shout Of joy, and re
ceived the poor shivering creatures from
the wreck with the utmost kindness.
Only one Of all that ships crew was miss
ing it was the poor man who had been
carried away at first by the boat.
The old fisherman stayed until all were
safely landed. and then, thinking that his
long absence might alarm his boys, he left
the others to look after the shipwrecked
sailors, and started for home.
As he came near, he saw the light shin
ing from the tree.
"Why, what does this mean N he
thought. Have those boys been up the
tree while I've been away It looks un-
common like it.
N 4 e,
if they were still there, and was
presently net by the shipwrecked sailor.
The poor man had followed the light until.
to his surprise, he found that it was only
lantern hanging from the branch Of a
tree. As he stood gazing up at it, and
wondering why it could have been placed
there, he heard footsteps approaching.
Hoping that he might be guided to some
place If shelter, he turned aside to make
inquiries, and, as have said, met the
returning fisherman.
Can you tell me, friend, he said,
where | can find lodging of some
sDrt I'm stranger here, not long age
escaped from the wreck out yonder, and
don't know where to 60, or what to do"
Wen soon put that all right, then,
/
Just behind that light there, and you
heartily welcome to what shelter we car
give you"
You're very kind, said the stranger
and I'm grateful to you but, tell me
did you hang that lantern up in the tree :
mot /, said the fisherman, laughing
sI know'd nothin' of it till l caugh
sight of it comm along. But | expec
it's some of my boys doin's. NObod.
goes up that tree but them, as know Of.
God bless EN-, said the sailor. -
it had not been for that light, shoul'
have been at the bottom Of the sea b!
now. I'll tell you how it was
''Stop a minute, replied the fisherman
"here we are at the gate. Wen ge
things a bit comfortable first, and thel
YOU shall tell us all about il"
They opened the gate and went in A
their footsteps sounded on the grave