Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1875-11-30

! there with ropes and cables, and boat
, hooks, taking measures that resulted il
| nothing, for there WAS nothing they
could 10. Il was impossible to launch Q
boat. In such sea no one could swim
a stroke; anil though tho little broken
brig was.almost within hailipg distance
nobody could have heard word in all
that crying of The sea; aud before
rockets could bo brought from the town.
on which to send line dying over the
deck, the brig would 20 to pieces. One
by one the poor wrctches in the liggipg
were dropping oil aud battered body
was washed up, and was caught with o
boat-hOok by old Ben Morse--l warning
To any who would have yenlured out.
One Of the fishermen had his spy glass
with him. Don't we know one OF
them chaps?" said he; and he gave the
glass TO rs, and we saw, or thought we
saw. the plaid Scotch cap that we had
seen before, the fair hair. the insolent.
handsome face. now white and awful in
the supreme hour that confronted it. "By
Kingr said old Ben. 'it's young May
nardier! Aud this is the brig Frolc,
from Antigua. And unless we can get
rope to them they're all gone together,
for the wreck will break up with the
hool.tide. Id give year of my life for
u rocket"
Anstice stood still q moment; and as
glanced at her, she looked like one Of
the frozen corpses tossing in the angry
water at our feet. Then she turned and
ran into the house. as il she feared some
thing would make her halt; and when
she came out she had her great bow and
bunch of arrows. and Aunt Maria was
bringing the box OF bowstrings.
She strung the bow as she came run
ming along, and though old Ben laughed
scornlully. she told him imperiously she
could at any rate do no harm. And
taking a coil of cord. she stationed all OF
US in one long line. with open hands,
across which she stretched the slender
cord that she unwound. so that it lay
unhndered, and could slip through our
hands untangled; and old Ben began to
see some wisdom. and to give her some
directions Then Anstice taste ned one
end Of the light cord to her arrow. her
best and lirmest arrow. and she threw
of her hood and shawl. and stood bend.
ing her bow a moment and then she
lifted it and pulled the string.
| never can recall that sight without q
shiyer and shudder, it was SO beautiful
and sublime. as she stood there her love.
ly head thrown back, and all her bright
hair streaming, aud sent of that arrow
to save the life OF the man who had
destroyed her lover and all her peace.
She looked like a great ayenging angel,
and the twanging OF that bowstring rung
in my ears above the souud OF the surf,
eyon while that cord was slipping across
my hands. across all the others, so fast il
scorched the skin. And the arrow flew
up into the sky-far. far up, and over,
and turned and fled and plugged Into the
the sea beyond the brig and they
caught the little cord there, and held
il fast, aud drew on board with it pres
emily the somewhat stouter cord that old
Ben had lashed TO its other end. And
when that stouter cord was In their
hands. they drew in by that hempen
rope the size..::of your finger. and that
was spliced. at the other end to great
cable. And as swiftly as they could,
with their frost bitten fingers. and in the
sea that broke over them still in such
shooting splendor, they made the cable
fast; and with loops about their waist
slipped over the cable 10 prevent their
being washed away. hand over hand
they clambered to the land.
Two had already passed along before
it was the turn of him who wore the
Scotch cap; and watching him, we saw
him suddenly push before him another
whose mufiied face we had not seen. aud
himself help to lash round the cable the
rope that heldhim. And when old Ben
and his fellows caught this last conner.
aud passed him up the bluff. to be sent
along with.the other rescued ones to our
house, almost dead. but. thank God, not
quite-Anstice, STOPPING over. and crying
out with great voice of love. had her
arms about Ralf again! And as for all
the rest of Us. and OF that crew. what q
Thanksgiving we had
yolnntaar Nau Orlaans rannrIar