The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-09-22

glee when Wild and her mother joined
in the work. An hour before the sun
went down across the bay, the kite was
done and the snow ceased to fall. It was
too late to go to the Highland light to
see the signal on the Little Katie it was
too late to do anything with the kite,
even had the wind been right.
The next morning the wind blew just
right, aid almost at the break of day
the boys set forth, accompanied by five
or six B:cn, for idlers are always to be
found Gu Cape Cod in winter.
The kite was made of good stout pa
per, and was covered with messages to
the captain of the Little Katie, or any
other captain over whose boat it might
chance to fall, or get entangled. The
wind was off shore, ana away went the
kite, the mon paying outthe seine twipe !;
but alas the kite went high above the
boats and did not reach them. It was
cold work flying kite on the awful ice
bound shore, but the novelty of it
brought crowd of men to the spot. To
their own surprise they entered into the
work with spirit, but every. attempt that
morning failed. The kite fell short, or
flew too high, or went off in the wrong
direction.
Run home, laddies, and get your
dinner, and get warm clear through
your bones," said one of the men to
Johnny and Peter, about eleven of the
clock, "and we'll see what can be done
with the kite this afternoon"
When Johnny reached home he de-
clared that he. wasn't cold the least bit,
nor hungry the least atom, but he sat in
front of a blazing drift-wood fire and
ate like giant, and got mp to go to the
coast again.
Wild didn't see why she couldn't 20,
too. 1t was her father Just as much
as Johnny's, and she cared as much
about the Little Katie as any of them
did. And so Wild, bundled up until
all resemblance to twelve-year-old
girl was lost, set forth, toiling through
the snow and sand to the coast. At a
short distance in the rear, Mrs. Wild
followed on. 1t seemed to her, as she
lrew near the shore, that half the in
habitants of the next village were gath
cred to see the flying of kite.
1t was just ready to start on its over-ice
journey when Wild came upon the scene.
Don't you see, there won't be any
thing to catch hold OF 2" she said to
Johnny.
"Catch hold Off" repeated Johnny,
who felt that he could not, in justice,
despite Wild's suggestions any more.
"I'u slow you," she said, "if you'll
hold on a minute. Tie some long strings,
now and then, near the kite, that will
hang down."
The strings were tied on, half dozen
of them, at intervals, and away went
the kite, with more "string to it," than
any other kite that ever flew.
"Twon't reach 1t flies too high |!
No go2 Let out! Give it string |
H,lrrah |" as the kite seeming to meet
wind in another current began to futter,
turn, and actually did fall on the ice
within reaching distance of the Little
Katie's crew.
Then such shout as went up from
the Cape Cod shore, for, was there not a
line fast from one of the ice-bound boats
to the firm old mainland, and did it not
mean that bread ut least could be drawn
across the frozen sea to the famishing2
The men on the Little Katie were
pulling in the kite, which looked good
deal worn, but still they gathered around
it, and read in Johnny's boy-hand the
words eff you get the kite, don't pull
in the string, for We'll put something to
eat on it if you are hungry, and you can
pull it over. Everybody's well over
here. Wild and Johnny"
Captain Rose read the words, and then
he and his crew tried to shout back, but
the wind carried their voices across the
bay.
Within the next twenty-four hours the
cord had been doubled, and food in
small packages went along the novel
| fn
of seine twine lay on the deck of the
Little Katie, and many loaves of bread,
with small packages of "salt meat"
sugar, tea and coffee, had been secured
from the sea.
The next morning the wind blew again
on Cape Cod. The inhabitants were on
the watch for the kite, and, 10 it was
seen rising in the air. On, on, it came.
1t sailed over the heads of the group on
shore ; it went right across the "Wrist"
of Cape Cod. 1t would have gone out
upon the ocean, but for the Highland
lighthouse, that caught and held the
great fiuttering bird of man.
Wild and Johnny were the first to
reach the light and cry out "What
news2" to the keeper, who had just sue
ceeded in recovering the battered kite.
"Come and see with your young
eyes" Wild and Johnny found the
words: "We had had nothing to eat for
two days. Now we'll weather the ice,
God willing, and get in all right. We've
supplied the Mary from our stores"
And there, right at the door, the first
comers, who had followed the kite, were
Mrs. Rose and the friends of the men
of the Mary.
"Whose idea was the kite2" asked an
old fisherman.
Wild's," shouted Johnny.
UJohnnY made it though i conldn't