The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-05-07

Tom was passing on, but he quickly
turned. and said
" Now, Just for that, you can 20 and get
the sounding-pole yourself. was going
after it. bu I'd see you In Halifax, now,
before I'd do it,
" Who wants you TO get itg Idon't.
It's IN the sOunding-boat." HtItt
IL amt, either. It's been new-palnted;
and it's been up on the lady's cabin guards
two days, drying" tNA a 49,
ilew back, and shortly arrived among
the crowd of watching and wondering la
dies just in time to hear the command:
Give way, men !"
i looked over, and there was the gallant
sounding boat booming away. theunprin-
cipled Tom presiding at the tiller, and my
chief sitting by him with the Sounding
pole which | had been sent on a fools en-
rand to fetch. Then that young girl said
10 me
"Oh, how awful 10 have To 90 out In
that little boat on such "A night DO you
think there is any dangery'
| would rather have been stabbed.
went off, full Of venom, 10 help In the pi-
dollhouse. BY and by the boats lantern
disappeared, and after an interval,
wee spark glimmered upon the face OF
the water mile away. Mr.. T blew
the whistle. in acknowledgment. backed
the steamer out, and made for il. We
flew along fora while. then slackened steam
and went cautiously gliding toward the
spark. Presently Mr.. Il exclaimed
" Hello, the buoy-lantern s outl'
He stopped the engine. A moment or
two later he said -
Why. there il is again ~
So he came ahead on the engines once
more, and rang for the leads. Gradually
the water shoaled mp. and then began 10
deepen again Mr.. = muttered
"Well | don't understand this. be-
lieve lat the buoy has drifted off the reef.
Seems to be little too far to the left. No
matter, it is safest TO run over il. any how"
So. in that solid world of darkness, we
went creeping down on the light. Just
as our bows were in the act OF blowing
over IL. Mr.. r seized the bell-ropes,
rang a startling peal, and exclaimed
" My soul, it's the soundng-boat "
A sudden chorus of wild alarms burst
out far below-a pause-and then a sound
of grinding and crashing followed. Mr..
T exclaimed
"There! the padtlle-wheel has ground
the sounding-boat TO lucifer matches,
Run, See who is killed."
was on the main deck in the twinkling
of an eve. NV chief and the third mate
and nearly all the men were safe. They
had discovered their danger when ii was
too late TO pull ont Of the way: then. when
the great guards oveTshadowed them a
moment later. they We're prepared
and knew what 10 do; at my chiefs order
they sprang at the right instant, seized the
guard. and were hauled aboard. The next
moment the sounding yawl swept aft to
the wheel and was struck and splintered
To atoms. Two of the men. and the cub
I n mi Ill faaf va
like wild-fire over the boat. The passen-
gers came docking to the forward gang
way. ladies and all. anxious-eyed, white
faced. and talked in awed voices of the
dreadful thing. And often and again |
heard them say, Poor fellows poor boy,
poor boy.
BY this time the boats yawl was man
ned and away. 10 search for the missing.
Now faint call was heard. off 10 the LETT.
( The yaw had disappeared in the other d.
rection. Half the people rushed to one
side to encourage the swimmer with their
shouts; the other half rushed the other
way 10 shrek TO the yawl to turn about.
by the callings, the swimmer was APP
preaching. but some said the sound show
ed failing strength. The crowd massed
themselves against the boiler-deck ratings,
leaning over and staring into the gloom
and every faint and fainter cry wrung
from them such words as " All. poor fell
low. poor fellow is there no way TO save
him.'
But still the cries held out. and drew
nearer, and presently the voice said pluck
lily
IL can make it. Stand by with. a
rope"
What a rousing cheer they gave him
The chief mate took his stand in the glare
of a torel-basket, "A coil OF rope in his
hand, and his men grouped about him.
The next moment the swimmers face ap-
peared in the ci Gle of light. and in anoth-
er one the owner of il was hauled aboard,
! limp and drenched, while cheer on cheer
went up. IL was that devil Tom.
The yawl crew searched everywhere.
but found no signs o the two men. They
probably failed to catch the guard. tum-
bled back. and were struck by the wheel
and killed. Tom had never jumped for
the guard at all. but had plunged head
I first in the river and dived under the
wheel. Ii was nothing: | could have
done il easy enough. and | sald so; but
every body went on just the same, max
I ing wonderful t,oio over that ass, as il
he had done something great. That girl
couldn't seem 10 have enough Of that piti-
/ ful " hero" the rest of the trip but little
| cared; | loathed her. any way.
/ The way we came 10 mistake the sound
I ing-boats lantern for the buoy-light was
this. My chief sad that after laying the
buoy he fell away and watched
/ ii till il seemed 10 be secure; then he took
up position hundred yards below it
and little To enc side of the steamers
course. headed the sounding-boat up
stream, and waited. Having 10 wait some
time. he and the officer got TO talking he
looked up when he judged that the
steamer was about on the reef; saw that
the buoy was gone. but supposed that the
steamer had already run over IL; he went
IN with hi. talk no notified that the