The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-09-14

Stranger there during the month.
Mr.. Feisbie found Jimmy an always
ready companion. The boy was up be-
fore day with the fishermen, helping
them unwind their %seines; he went gun.
ming for snipe; he rowed about in any
kind of a boat he could find; he
was busy in the shed repairing
some old saws he begged
every dirty little clam.digger in the in
let to give him q lesson in swimming.
In a week he knew the name Of every
fish that touched that coast, and at
night, when he could keep awake, he
pored over the school. books he had
brought with him. All the while he
was the same silent, bright.eyed, watch
ful little fellow, who would go through
one day after another without speaking
unless he was spoken to. The truth
was, the boy was determined to make the
best of his holiday, and besides not to
lose a single chance of any kind of
knowledge.
"There's no telling" he thought,
"but that some day it may help me to
make u dollar for mother" She was
all he had to care for; he knew as no.
body else did how hard she had worked
to give him those three years of school
ing.
The end of the holiday came at last.
They were to start home on the next
day. Mr.. Feisbic had Como out alone
in Il small boat, trolling for blue mack
ercl; Jimmy was sailing up and down
in a little Tuckerton skifr; and Sam, rs
usual, lay flat on his back on the sand,
thinking of his future. Mr.. Nichols
sat beside him, peering through his
spectacles.
elbow well that little lad steers,n he
said. "You have not learned to man.
age a boatP"
"N-no," drawled Sam. "I intend
to study navigation properly. That's
small game, to my notion"
"You have not learned TO fish nor
swim eitherP"
"No. My father brought no flies to
fish with, and these men hereabouts
know nothing of the business scientific
ally. As for swimming, | intend to 60
to the Na~tatorium; there one can be-
come an adept"
"Oh!" said Mr.. Nichols, and lighted
his pipe.
The evening was dark and chilly. A
heavy sea-fog began to come in. The
wind blew sharply on shore. Jimmy
landed, drew his skihr up, and stood
anxiously looking out to sea.
"What's up now, Jim?" shouted
Sam.
"Nothing. l dare say your father
has put into the cove below"
81 dare say he has done nothing Of
the sort. Why should hep"
"The wind is too full of flaws for
him to land on this rough bit of Shore
"Hillo! where did you pick up your
~seamanship? What do you mean by
flaws? Such bosh!"
Jimmy said nothing. Mr.. Nichols
rose, and taking out his glass, scanned
the horizon. Sam watched him anX-
iously.
"There is Mr.. Feisbie coming in
now. There is not another sail in
sight. If we could only give him warn.
ing!" cried Mr.. Nichols, excitedly.
But it was too late for that. The boat
lunged heavily, and turned over. As
long rs he lived, Sam never forgot that
breathless, awful moment, when the
white sailed boat that had gone out
light and airy as Il bird, wa dashed in,
dragged back, driven here and there,
by the remorseless tide, Il yellow, dark
lump, to which chung a small black
heap, which he knew TO be his father.
"As long as he keeps his hold or
the boat, there is a chance" cried Mr..
Nichols.
What chance? The fishermen had
not yet returned from the Banks; Mr.
Nichols was an old man; and he, Sam,
stood there helpless as a log, crying
feebly, like Il child.
For 4 minute the boat was lost &c
sight. When it came from under the
wave, the deck vas clear.
"Merciful Heaven! he is gone!'
Sam heard the old mans voice beside
him; and then he saw a dark body rise
to the crest of the breaker, and an arm
flung up.
1t disappeared.
The boy was fond of his father; anc
he had keen feelings under his conceit
He grew deathly sick, and blind.
Jimmy ran past him, stripped to tn,
waist, and carrying a rope which wa
fastened to an anchor in the sand. Ill
looked 10 puny and small, poor Jimmy
as he dashed into the waves!
Sam could not move. He lay sic
and gaspirg on the beach. Half a
hour afterwards Mr.. Nichols came Il
him.
"Get up, boy, and try to be of som
use. 1Our ltluci 10 ouNSu, thoiiho I
God and to the common-sense of tina
little fellow yonder. He could swim
and l could not; he dragged him Out
: and brought him to consciousness.
> did not know how to do that, old as
am. But Jim had studied it out
= some book or other"
1 That evening Mr.. Nichols went
J Jimmy's bedside, where he vas snugl
, tucked under half a dozen blankets
8, keep Off the i'll effects of his sudde
u bath.
u "My lad" said the old gentlema
taking off his white hat, and droppir
o into a chair, 81 am the member
Congress from a certain district in Nc
York, and have the appointment of o,
h boy to the engineering corps of the n
c val School at Annapolis. 1t is a col
potency and profession for life.