The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-08-23

be II things was different. But things
be az they be, and ye must CO."
4 shall not go" said Herbert I ,a.,,
earnestly, this u downright foolish.
two'll be enough u wust comes 70
"John Norton returned the young
man solemnly, sisay no mere. abaiI
stay with you and the lad. five live,
all will live. IL we die, we will die to-
gether, for will not leave YOU" =
Be It a. ye cay then, boy; yis, let II
be as We say. This 10 no time for
words; and / can understand yer feel
in's; and 1t may be We be right. The
lad and me met ut the pond Of the
beavers, and IL may be best we both go
with him to the eend Of the trail"
In moment the old man said, sud-
denly; !" Henry, II We could git one OF
them water pipes, and the pumps are
still a-goin,' Il may be ye could save
our lives. But be careful where ye go,
boy, for it's hot there ahead" n'i
Lightning Is scarce quicker than
was the motion of Herbert, as he darted
forward into the smoke, which was
rolling up In great volumes from the
front part Of the boat. l.nli
BY this time the forward half Of the
vessel was almost one sheet Of flame.
A column Of fire rose out ofthe forward
hatch so feet into the air, but was
mercifully blown onward by the force
Of the gale. From this the trapper and
the lad were ct least safe, but the
flames were now breaking over all re-
straint. The deck. itself was being
burnt through, and sections were fall
ing into the hold. Thesstanchions and
timbers Of the bulwarks were already
In full blaze. The outer edges Of the
upper deck were girdled with fire.
The roof ofthe pilot house had begun
to kindle. The flames were already
eating their way toward the stern and
would soon be In the rear OF the two
men who were standing half hidden In
smoke at Q point which would soon be
the very center of the confagration.
But they never fiinched. They stood
in the exact position where they were
when Henry left them; the trapper
still holding the trumpet in his hand,
and the lad still gazing steadfastly
ahead. ,taTf nuei.-S
"Tell them to port two points" said
the Lad quietly.
The Old man paced the trumpet to
his lips, and through the braxen tube
his voice poured steady and strOng:-
"The boy says, Tell 'em to port two
The vessel swayed suddenly to port:
and as she leapt away the boy said -
TELL them to hold her steady as
she is"
Again the old man lifted the trump
ct, and called -
The BOY says, Tell 'em to hold her
Fora minute not word was spoken.
The steamer tore on through the
gloom, lighting her path with the
flames. The roof of the pilot-house
dropped in, and the smoke and cinders
hid the two men from the sight Of
those who, with prayers on their lips
and with agonized faces, were gazing
at them from behind. "fa iFlet
Suddenly out of thesmoke and fire
came the tones of the trumpet :--l ,
"The lad says, Tell 'emI hear the
surf on the beach," Nh
Then the smoke suddenly lifted, split
by gust that tore through the all, and
those behind saw three men instead of
two standing on the deck. The trapper
and the lad still at their station, and
so feet farther aft Herbert, hose in hand,
flooding with water the blazing deck
on which they stood. But what could
the power of man do against the rush
ofsuch flames? The young man did
bis best. With hands blistered by the
awful heat he stood heroically at his
post; but the garments of the lad were
on fire, and the hair of the trapper was
burnt to the scalp.
, Suddenly the starboard half Of the
upper-deck fell with crash. AS it
fell those behind saw the lad turn to
the trapper, him totter-saw him
steady himself-saw his companion
catch him by his arm-saw the old
hero, with the sleeve of his coat, that
was itself smoking, wipe the cinders
from his lips as he lifted the trumpet
to his mouth; and out ofthe black eddy
ing smoke as 1t swept over the three
and hid them from sight, beloved the
words strong as trumpet could send
them
1.-THE lad says, Tell them I see the
surf on the beach! Hold her steady as
she ISL God-n
The sentence was never completed.
The bottom Of the vessel touched the
sand slid along it--and was driven
by the momentum of her movement
half her length up the beach. Then
she ruled over with great lurch; her
smoke-stacks went down with crash,
carrying the upper deck on which
they stood with them, and the three
men sank from sight In the smoke