Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-10-12
fContinned from first page J


white breakers Numbered over the rocks
and threw their spray high into the air. a
thick fog hung over Nelson and hid the
outlines of the coast, but here and there a
white swirl of waters showed danger
Gus spot to beware of. After n look
around, | was returning. when | spied Il
little figure percbed half wav up the face
of the cliff. in little shelter formed bv a
projecting ledge.
'Lal. You silly girl come down, There's
not footing for bird there: and what
good can you do? They've never started.
I'm sure. Come and have some
breakfast with Tom" But | might as
well have shouted at the seagulls. for she
never moved.
When | came down again she was still
there, deaf 10 everything except the thun.
der and the roar of the sea The storm
seemed to increase as the morning wore
away. and even Tom had come around IN
my opinion that young Peter never could
have pat out in such a sea. when we were
startled by a message from Lal. She had
sent Ted to say that she saw something
drftwoOd, il might be-slill it was some
thing.
Never. as long as | live. shall forget
the horror which clntched Mt our hearts.
and blanched our faces, as for a moment
Tom and stared AZ one another while
Ted breathlesslv delivered the message.
OF course we followed him at once.
and stood again peering out into the fog
and spray.
81 see nothing. Lal." ] shouted.
Whereabouts is it now ?"
Lsl for answer thrust ont her long honv
arm. There It's" she cried land It's
Lord have mercy tits our boat"
Not one word more did any one say.
Some half dozen men. W. stood there.
helpless, watching the little spot grow
and grow till we could make it out as Lal
did. TO be our boat. Now she's down in
the trough of the wave. now she rises on
top, now she's near enough for us to make
out the six dark figures in her! They are
all there thank God for that Now we
lose sight OF her again, and shout hoarse-
ly 10 Lal. "All right" she pants: '.they
are safe past Split Rock, and they are
going to beach the boat"
Chamber up on fallen mass of rock.
and can see that Lal is right They are
coming on the breakers. and will let the
boat drive ashore. She will 90 to pieces,
but II is their only chance.
We watch breathless. and no one speaks,
although old Peter stands beside me. and
he has two sons in peril. One tremendous
wave dashes them almost within our reach
NOT quite-they are swept back. and the
boat goes under. A moment later, and
she reappears bottom upward. among
the boiling waters, and with a wild shrek
Lsl springs from her watching place into
the water beneath.
Mad foolr cry. breaking into woman
ish sobs. and rushing forward with an
idea OF doing Notwithstanding But
old Peter lays shaking hand on my
shoulder. Don't zee throw YOUR life
away sir. Sleeve got him 10y the hair. and
If anv one can live in such sea, I'll back
Lal.' but your own boys. Peter ?'' /
gasped, completely knocked out of all
self-command.
81 be watching" said the old man Civ
ing me a little shake in his suppressed ex-
element. Nobody hain't come up vet
but Master Clint, and Lal have got her
tight
There isn't much more to tell Out of
all the six only Fairfax was saved though |
the bodies were washed ashore next day.
Lal. whose love gave her superhuman
strength. had kept Clint's head away from
the rock which crushed the life out of the
other poor lads, and almost the next wave
rolled both TO our feet
1t took US a long while to unclasp Lal's
hands, and don't believe she ever knew
that she really had saved the man she
died for.
She was buried when Parson Hooper
came over the next Sunday. in Clint's gar
den. with Peters two sons and the other
poor fellows; but it was many months be-
fore Clint could crawl out 50 far, or hear
how his life had been saved,