Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-06-06

swimming from the meek" to the
shore. He had never heard that any,
one had ever performed that feat but
would it be possible to swim from the
boat to the shore, through the icy
water and the wide belt of entangling
eel-orass? 1t did not seem SO far to
the Neck" and there was no dread
ed eel-grass on that side to catch his
feet and pull him down; but the near
est point was fully two miles from
the lighthouse, the only inhabited
house there. He might reach it alone,
but could he DE SO mean us to leave
his uncle without an effort to save
him, and poor Siah too:
Uncle" said Frank, Il am going
to swim ashore; here we are right
opposite Capt. Wentworth / can
swim ashore, get his dory, and come
after you and 'Siah. think | can do
it; at any rate. | can't hold on long in
this wind. and l shall soon be too
numb to swim"
The Captain was silent-what could
equally dangerous; but Frank, loosing
the hold of one hand. was already
working his stiffened fingers, and try
ing to throw off his boots in readiness
for a start.
"Go" said his uncle; "and God
help YOU
And God did help him IS he threw
himself into the angry waters and
struck out for the shore. He felt reso-
lutte and confident, wasted no strength
in uncertain, hurried movements, but
with deliberate and steady strokes
went on. The tide being almost at the
flood, he passed through the entang-
ling eel-graSS with less trouble than he
had feared on, on, stroke after stroke,
the shore seeming to grow no nearer,
until at last, with one final desperate
effort, he reached the shallow water;
his feet touched bottom, he staggered
forward, and fell upon the sand.
Hardly minute would he take for
reSt-the others must be saved. He
sprang up, waved his hands toward
the distant boat to show the men that
he was safe, and looked about-no
boat in sight, he ran up the sands to
the boat-house and pushed at the door
it was locked!
Here was difficulty that he
had not foreseen; it would take
at least twenty minutes to run up to
the house for the key and return;
twenty minutes lost, when every one
was precious He seized something
heavy which lay at hand, and showered
frantic blows upon the cruel door; at
last it yielded, and there was the boat,
with oars all in readiness: he had
dreaded that the oars might have been
taken away. Yes, there was the boat,
but it was IAany feeJ from the water,
and it would be hard task for man
to drag it through the deep sand,
while he was but mere boy, nearly
exhausted already by extraordinary
efforts but he hardly thought of all
that he laid determined hands upon
the boat, and 1t moved.
Impossible as it would have seemed
to him at any other time, the
boat was launched; then he took
up the oars--his work was almost
done, but he must not rest yet. and
with straining muscles, he retraced his
way over the rough water. His uncle
almost fell into the boat, with the
words:
Frank, you have saved my life. |
could not have held on moment
longer"
But where is 'Siah?' asked Frank.
Poor fellow! I'm afraid he's
gone. He declared that if you could
SWIM ashore, he could. | begged him
to wait until you could take us off, but
couldn't keep him. | think he went
down just on the bar yonder.'
Frank shed bitter tears it was hard
to give up life he had done so much
to save.
They took up the oars and pulled
slowly to the shore. Frank went di-
rectly home, sending what men he met
at once to the shore while the
Captain walked TO the nearest house,
borrowed dry clothes. and returned
to the shore to direct the efforts
made to recover their unfortunate COM
panion. Accordingly, the nelghbors
were startled from their afternoon
quiet by the sight of Frank, few
wet garments clinging to him, run
ming at full speed toward home.
There, of course, he was received with
great surprise, and his story heard
with explanations of deep sympathy
and Thanksgiving while grandmother
and mother rubbed him and brought
dry clothes and hot drinks, and finally
put him to bed among soft blankets.
where, tired out, he soon fell asleep.
His mother watched him for short
time as he lay warm and rosy, his yell
low hair curled by the dampness into
hundreds of little rings upon his dear
head, safe upon the pillow at home, i'll