The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-02-01
EBENSBURG PA. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY l. 1878

bined tn sweep them down under the Zee.
| at the island Above all, the place swarm
ID with 81, Nothing daunted. hnwrv
rr, these two brave fellows stripped tn tbs;
skin. aud. after after Il sltart g"'d bye and
hurried exhIrtarion To- tie bug oneS Io
inld The liti le ones on, aud all to keep nj
their puck, they leaped INTO the SEA.
They had both resolved to tick to ore
anoIher long as they lasted, both for
mutual encouragement aud as some sort al
| q protec; c;iuu against the much dreaded
sharks. For neatly an hour they swan "i',
sometimes wing un their backs To rest.
sometimes striking out again foi dear life
| Up I" this time, although much fa;igu"d,
| ,hey bad seen no >haifS. at d we rucou,-
aged 10y glimpse. through n break III Tie
| gale, of the l,nd, ds il ros. dark aud {. T.
| > dding above its AhIie fIupe of breakers
| Bu all at once, wIthou mune't's notice,
| they were surrounded all sides by the
| black fins.
| An exclamation of despair forced itself
| ( ON them al this ii ght and b "a wal Ell IL
| agouy of suspense i"r he uI'nrntS ot pain
! VIII ca weie t. en- | their existence. sin
J they mechanically saam ON. aud, 10 THEN
! great surprise. the sharks, although play
| ihg all around them, aid not touch them
! ihcy mace Continual shout rushes AT them
! aud, when the poor fellows clpsed then
| eyes in all the agony "f death. passed them
! or. Turning on their backs, they would ol =
| tneIr 'nou-trou> avs and cl,>e their teeth
! with n '"ud clash within a few inches Ut
| Lheir vIctIn's body.
| Ohe of these men said afterwards that
| he ielt at tunes like IL mouse in the power
! uf cat that plays with the poor wretch
| Utioe SHE mtkrs supper oft IT.. , III.
! however. they swan nn, the thunder roar
| Iug, tite lightning ttshIug above them.
| struggling against ii heavy sea, teri Itic
| wIud and strOug tide, tired and exhausted.
! with these horlId monsters Swimming
| round them.
! One often reads ot nights uf terror that
| turn mau's hair gray. Many uf THESE
may be considered peac, ful when com.
paIed with the horrors of that tive hours
! Nlin.
| AT last, however. they succeeded in near
! ing the extreme eud ot the island. the
! shat ks one 10y Que leaving them. the last,
| however, made IA farewell plunge at the
! lad nearest hIm, aud alt hough he missed
hun with his teeth, s:Iuck him a vIOlcut
! blow III the stomach with his strong AL
| The poor fellow called, aud his Companion,
| VINO was swimming few yaIds IN advance.
| though thorougly exhausted, returned To
| his friend = assistance. lie supported him
until he Iec pveied sufficiently To proceed,
! aud at last they once more toucned the firm
ground. They Struggled up the beach,
aud lay down for few minutes, utterly
1
AIDES cIm2ing Ia that uptu,ned boa reused
| them tO fresh eXeriions.
! After staggering on for about half mile
! IN the direction ot soma houses, they mei
| number of negroes, vino, heroes
! were entnely naked, attacked them with
| stones. and they would III all prob .bIiIty
| have fallen vic inns tu This negro sense of
ueceucy, bad not an officer furIunstely
| passed 10y at that moment aud recognized
! them, La few their story WAS
| told, and prompt measures were adopted
| to rescue The remainder of the party.
| Boats we've launched under the lee OF the
! island aud the TWO mates, although neai "
| dead from exhaustion, persisted IN embark
, my in them The danger no yet
| over, for the sea was running mountains
! high the gale had little abated, and the
night was coming on fast. After long
| aud had pull, nothing could be seen of
| The missing ones
IL nad become qui dark, and they were
! beginning to despair. One boat had al
| ready turued towards the shore, when, 10y
/ the light of "A vivid II ssh, they saw on the
c,est of huge black wave the dismant led
| boat with its knpt of half drowned boys.
! they soon pulled up to it, and found to
| 'her great joy the number complete.
| they, too, had began To despair; had
| feared their two brave comrades had per
| iShed were wearied and suff ,cated 10y the
! cuuStaut seas hat were continually break
| ing over them aud some were talking of
| losing their hold when the timely relief
| arrived.
On reaching the shore, the two b~ave
mates gave in. The reaction which fol-
| lowed their exer :on aud exposure was
| great and dangerous. One died victim
| 1" his heroism the other lived, 5uu his
! health was seriously injured, and his pow
| ers of mind affected 10y all that he had gone
| Though for months afterwards he would
| start up in his bed with shrek of terror
! as he saw, in all :he vivid reality of dream
| land, those monstious sharks glaring at
| hun, aud heard the guash of their sharp
! teeth.
| This wonderful escape can only be &C
| counted for by the fact that the spot where
| they landed was the sight of the slaughter
| house for the troops. and that the sharks
| we're So stated with the nffal thrown into
! the sea at the time. that even tile unusual
! de,icacy of white man could not tempt
| Them. II, however, only Il fe dioIs of
| blood had tIuged the water, the case would
| ia,e been very .,itfcrent for sharks, like
! beasts of prey. reused to fury at the
sight of II, ami IN the coudit ion of these
| p"r fellows the slightest scratch would
have been instantly fatal to them.
ALPHABET OF SHORT RULES.
| we'll to your business.
BE punctuai III your payments.
Consider well before you promise.
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