St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-08-06
The Crew of St. GATHERINGS.

that was to take place the next day.
On the right. beneath the edge of the
green woods, Toms glad eyes brheld
the men of st. james, pulling their for
ty-two strokes. and flying along like an
arrow. Further off was the crew of
Camworth. spinning toward the upper
end OF the water. TO the left We're the
magnificent fellows of Holmon Hall :;
and last and finest of all, in the middle
of the lake, coming. as Tom thought.
like ''chain-Shot,' were the giants OF
81. GATHERINGS S-thcn six longs oars dip
ping as one, their six brown backs
swaNing like clnckwork. and their ma
genta head-kelchicis rising and falling
together.
Toms heart leapcd us he SAW them.
His admiration ut this crew had made.
him its warm partisan, and he never
doubted but that its men would win the
| race.
The ''stroke-oar WAS Il Young Her
cules named Windhan, as handsome
and agile Il fellow :ls ever led II race.
| This was Toms hero. He had watched
| him with an enthusiasm that < lowed
and grew every day. till it amounted 10
Il kind OF worship. and he had haunted
| the ricc-couISe on his skitf. and hung
abom the boat house, tor Il chance To
hear the splendid champion speak. "r
| perhips win Il glance OF his eye.
! Nmdham WaS too busy To notice his
| boy -,dmircr. although he WAS veIN
kimd.hcartcd. and ready, on occa>ien.
! to srrNe the poorest being that needed
/ him.
| st. tathcrIuc'S crew came >wcrpiug
| on. TouI. all on tiIc with excitement,
| lcaped up and fixed his eyes upon his
/ hero. He could Sce his great muscles.
his nch brown skin. his cagcI. hand
souIt face. his magnificent motion. In
Il paroNN SIN OF ardor and delight. he
lcaIrd To hi, feet and swung his hat.
and shouted aud hurI.lhcd like Il cIaZy
boy.
~ he did 81. he Slipped from the
/ thNaIt. and pitched forward nm his face.
/ The skin lurchrd. The l.tlgr stone that
WAS used sometime, tu anchor it. rolled
overheard int" the deep water, cnrang-
/ ling enc ot Toms AIMS III the lnp-. a.
| it went down.
In u moment the hoy WIS helpless,
dragged under the water 10y the run
coils. The crew of II. Catherine
. m.aul the. splash, hIi IoNtn ON, think
iuy 1t was only Il hn>'S frulir. They
shot past the .kItf iu>f ~ Tom dI>ip-
pr:rrd beneath the >uI face of the lake
.lluld ON '" said Wimlham "hlck
water stop hcl -
The boat. with lis >iA strong men
rnu,d back to the skin. Tnr instant
Windhau'> eye caught sight "t til,
ram ron. h,. saw tbs; nature of the ac-
cidrut. Carefully rai>im. himself. II,
>trpp,d into the :. in and mntIou,d hi,
his men To- puIl away. Then >rizin.
the rope. hr drew it rapidlN up. AN,
soon the arm ut the Irnv ming hu, cam,
ia >i.ht under the. clear water. I;u
llIc wet c"ii Slipped Tom vi~ cone
Qui-k ~ Ihnu.ht " NindIlm div ed nj
ten him. while his crew. Waiting "I
th,rl oars at i distance. kept au\i"u,
watch of the spot. Every man Wa,
ready to plunge in To the Ir>cur. if i
should hc ncccS>.lrN In u minute " ind
liam came up. lie had Tom in hi
arms. He placed HIM in the skin. tar,
down. took ia another man from III,
r.,r,-b,.,t. and sci him ,t work tn tr
,u,ritatr the almost itrlr,> boy. whil,
h, n,.>rrd the oar, and mad, for th,
Ie.IIt.>l ItI.it nullSts
II. h,d scarcely rulI,,I 4 huu,irr,
srrul,rs when h,. met another skin. con
,,i,,iu,,t,,nu,u
"~r,. here, :" cried hr. ..hrr..'. :: ho
that's nearly drov ned. Do \ou know
who hr i, !'
..u'> uuit,. likely he's my urtl, ." Sai,
ON, ni the men in a cold and hrlr,lr>
i,r, ..IIitt'S his >kit1' Iou'rr i'm Irt'
.,.,. him and fine. man lowed :,lnu"
sid,
..N,.. that's him." said he. prerim!
owe, the thvali>. Hes allclS yrttn
bir,, If inter mischief"
IN here. does b,. live ?" roareJ Wind
ham. full of wrath at the mans cool
u,.s, ..pniut ont hi, hnu.c. will \ou
. Ills riuht behind vtr- over there.
pointing to Il small cottage at the cdy
nf th. lake. close h\.
Wiudham turned abruprI\. and she
: t,v.rd the shore. with his eyes c\,
. and ,unu ti>rd un,u th,. h,Iul,s, tnrI
th.,t Law. with if, Sudden brown hai, i
The hnirom of the skin. 1t was som
time before Tom came to himself, :
that he fully realized what had haI
u pcurd. and who we've about him. r.
| ,nuun man had carried him to the cot
, tur, and revived him. and when, wcl
from exhaustion, he opened his cNcl
the first person he Saw was Windhan
Y The poor boy. in all his hand worl
. had never experienced much that W;
heoutiluI and gentle. and now the si"l
of lhe hero of his devotion standing h
II him and looking in his face. made hir
) smile in spite of his weakness. Tll
/. tears filed his ewes. and he ieehly pr
=, ont his hand. Windham took il in hot
of his.
y did vnu yet me out ," said Tom
: Il faint voice.