Sharp County record., 1880-09-30

anything"
"TIl keep an eye on it," answered
Roll, as the two others trudged off
through the long, salt grass, on their
way to the house. Arrived there, at first
the oars could not be found, but after
a search they were discovered under
the cherry one broken short off
at the blade by the children in their eff
forts to knock the fruit off the branches
Calling for string, Ernest sat down on
the back porch and silently began the
tedious task of splicing the two pieces
together.
At last, after the rudder had been Sc
cured and they were just ready to start
it was too provoking to have their moth
er call them in to take some lunch, for,
as she expressed it:
There's no telling when you'll get
back from your kite-sailing.n
Reluctantly the boys threw down the
things they were carrying and went in
doors, resolved to eat as little and as
quickly as possible; and while they are
thus engaged, letus leave them and go
back to Roll.
As soon as his brothers disappeared
among the sage-bushe5 he lay down in
the stern of the dory, resolved to make
himself comfortable until they returned.
1t was very cozy in the boat, and as
the wind blew through his tangled hair
and on his wet body, it felt cool and re-
freshing in the extreme.
Roll lay thus for several minutes,
watching the kite struggle to free itself,
and specializing as to why the boys did
not come back. From observing the
kite he began to wonder how it would
seem to beup there where it was, sway
ing to and fro and soaring among the
sea-birds.
Thus Rolls fancy scared, and unfor-
tunately for him, as there was quite a
glare in the sky, he shut his eyes for a
few moments, and, as is generally the
case when people wonder with their
eyes closed, he softly and quietly fell
into slumber, as deep as tired boys
of eleven usually enjoy. 1t was sleep
gentle though not dreamless, for in
Roll imagination he was himself kite,
flying among the clouds, rushing
through space toward an approaching
storm.
Nearer and nearer it came, and now
he could hear its roar, when, just as he
felt the first splash of rain in his face,
he awoke with start.
Where was he? What had happenedP
Poor Roll, stupefed, instinctively put
his hand up to his cheek. It was wet,
not with rain, but merely with a dash
of spray, which the bow of the boat,
half-buried in foam, had thrown up in
her reeling, staggering course.
Roll looked around him, but there
was naught to be seen save sky and
water, and over the waves, far to wind
ward, a blue cloud lying low on the
horizon, the fast-disappearing land.
And still the dory plunged on, quiv-
ering in every timber, as she fairly
leapt from one billow to another. Far
above him was the great kite, rushing
through the air and dragging the boat
through the water with almost the speed
of locomotive, while from the stern
hung a little end of that fatal rope,
which, truth to tell, was an old one Tom
had found on the shore.
Only for a moment or so was Roll be-
wildered. Quickly regaining his pres
ence of mind he realized his situation,
and comprehended that the first thing
to be done was to unite the kite string.
But this he soon saw was impossible, as
the strain on the line had drawn the
knot too tight. Roll felt for his pocket
. to get out his jack-knife, but alas! since
he had started on this singular voyage in
his bathing-suit, he was disappointed in
finding either. To break such stout
cord was far beyond his strength, and
at last the poor boy sat down again
almost in despair, while horrible
thoughts of shipwreck, sharks and star
vationkept thronging through his mind.
Thus he was carried along for some
distance, until, when he again got up and
looked about him he could scarcely be-
Heve his eyes.
The low, blue cloud, instead of being
astern as before, was now directly ahead.
Had the wind changed and thus
turned the boat around? No; for he
would have noticed it instantly. Roll
eagerly peered forward till he was able
to discern, far out at sea on his left
hand large ocean steamer inward
bound.
Here, then, was a chance of being
rescued, if the people on board could
only see him; so Roll eXcitedly set
to work to find something with
which to attract attention to himself.
He was fortunate enough to discover
under one of the seats a large bunch of
drv sea- weed, and, armed with this
very poor excuse for a flag of distress,
he stationed himself in the bow and
patiently waited until the steamer
should draw near.
This vessel was none other than the
Antartic," bound from Queenstown
TO New York, and now on her last day
out. The passengers were lounging
about the deck in the half-hour before
dinner, when the lookout suddenly re-
ported sail on the starboard bow,
whereupon everybody busted himself in
trying to make her out.
"Hello, it's no sail at all it's a huge
kite n
This announcement, coming from
young Englishman who had been look
ing through telescope almost as long