Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-02-19
MOILIE'S ADVENTURE.

customary SdlHG VI CIOQu0tS dlOGI tod,
so the whole family sat on a broad piaz-
"a overlooking the lake, comfortably
chatting and enjoying the beautiful land
scape spread out before us. The little
steamer Maud was gliding up to the
pier with a merry crowd of pic-nicers
returning from an afternoon in the
woods. and the whole scene was one Of
exceeding beauty.
81 never see a party like that" said
Mr.. Bennett, "without thinking of the
horrible excursion Mollie and [ took
once, and which, providentially, did not
end in tragedy"
"Please tell about.it, Fred" said [;
we are just In the mood to hear thrill
ing adventure"
"How is it, Mollie, shall | tell it, o.
will your" asked Mr. Bennett.
"You tell it, Fred, of course" Mrs.
Bennett replied; my part is not at all
thrilling: | did not do much except cry,
and wiring my hands, and such coura-
geous proceedings during the whole
time, so go on with the story; if you get
it wrong anywhere, [ will correct you.
Listen, them" said Fred. q guess
none CT you have heard it except moth
er, and she can compare the story with
the letters we wrote home at the time;
see if [ nothing extenuate, etc. One
day during our stay at g., two years ago,
we were invited to an excursion down
the bay to the lighthouse, which is on a
small island, about seven miles from the
city. We had delightful ride. and
spent the day In roaming up and down
the beach, inspecting the lighthouse and
eating the good things we had brought
with US. At five o'clock, we slowed away
in our baskets the remains Of our feast,
preparatory to our starting for home.
Mollie complained of headache, and
asked me to go with her down to the
boat, as she imagined the cool lake
breeze would bring healing on its
wings The boat was propeller, built
for a tug, but altered into a pleasure
boat in an awwkard, bungling manner,
and was the most inconvenient arrange
ment ever saw. The cabin was in the
forward half of the vessel and was lit,
tie, cramped affair, like an omnibus in
side, and about as large. 1t was impOs
sible to get from one end Of the boat to
the other without climbing along over
the top OF the cabin and engine-room,
and when the passengers once got into
the cabin they had to stay there until
the boat landed. Mollie has habit of
forgetting her gloves or something when
she leaves a place, and in this instance
she sent me back to see if I could find
her fan. [ had just reached the shore
and was walking up the bank leaving
Mollle III the cabin), when a man ran
past me, bounded like deer down the
bank, along the pier to the steamer,
and, quicker than can tell you how it
was done, he unfastened the line at the
stern of the boat, opened the throttle
valve of the engine, clambered up to
the pilot-house, and with the axe
that was hanging there, cut the
remaining line which fastened
the boat to the pier, and was steaming
away toward Lake Michigan at the rate
Of ten miles an hour, beford we had re-
allied what had happened. was par
alyzed with terrible fear. Poor
Molie! alone on the boat with MUIR
derer-for we soon found he was such
in thought-if not In deed. The cap
tain of the steamer had sharply repri-
manded the man, who acted as steers
man on our way out, for some blum
der he had made in etfecting landing.
The fellow answered back in so insult
ing manner, that in fit of passion,
the captain sprang at him and clutched
his throat. The fellow at this, drew an
ugly knife ands stabbed his adversary
twice IN the body. The captain fell
like log, and the other, frightened at
what he had done-or at thought of the
consequences ofhis act-ran-the steamer
off with the idea Of escaping cap
ture.
eve knew something must be done,
but what? The only boat at all service
able was fastened behind the steamer,
and we could see it bobbing along IN
the rough water caused by the propeller
wheel, aud getting farther and farther
from us eve.y moment. Rushing around
the shore of the island, half insane
with anxiety, l discovered an old fiat
bottomed boat, leaky and rotten with
age; calling one of our party to help
me, we managed to get it out of the
sand and gravel in which it was i'm
bedded. Taking an old board that lay
on the sand, we showed off and pad
died Tor the government dredge, which
was at work two miles off, calculating
that they must have boat with them
for the workmen to go ashore in. While
one of us padded the other bailed out
the water, and after a hard hours
hard labor, we reached the dredze.
1t was like tearing my heart out to
turn our boats head to the city, while
Mollie was being carried, as | feared, to
her death-for | was sure that the muir
derer would not pause at trifes-and if
his safety was endangered by his pres
ence on board, he would not scruple to
take her life. We, however, kept on
and reached the river at last, and while
my companion went to telegraph to S.
for the steamer "Nortb- West' (Which we
knew was there to start in the search.
got on board tug, and explaining
matters to It's captain, we at once start
edi pursuit. The captain appreciated
the horrible situation and venture to
say that quicker time was never made