Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-09-03

doors, resolved to eat as little and as
quickly as possible and while they are
thus engaged, let us leave them and go
back to Roll.
As soon as his brothers disappeared
among the sage-b bushes, he laid downin
the stern of the dory, and 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 speculating as to why the boys did
not come back. From observing the
kite he began to wonder how it would
seem to be up 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 q
few moments, and, as is generally the
case when people wonder with their eyes
closed, he softly and quietly fell into a
slumber, as deep as tired boys of eleven
usually enjoy. 1t was q sleep gentle
though not dreamless, for in Rolls i'm
agination 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 happened? !?
Poor Roll, stupefed, instinctively put
his hand up to his cheek. 1t was wet,
not with rain, but merely with 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 windward, a
blue cloud lying low on the horizon, the
fast-disappearing land.
And still the dory plunged on, culver
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 a locomo-
tive, 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 moment or so was Roll be-
wildered. Quickly regaining his pres
ence of mind, he realized his situation,
and comprehending that the first thing
to be done was to unite the kite-string
But this he soon saw was impossible, Us
the strain on the lisxf 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 al
last the poor boy sat down again almost
in despair, while horrible thoughts o.
shipwreck, sharks and starvation kept
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-
lieve 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 ht
j, would have noticed it instantly. Rol
eagerly peered forward till he twas able
to discern, far out at sea on his left hand
a large ocean steamer inward bound.
Here, then, was q chance of being res
cued, if the people on board could only
see him; so Roll excitedly set to work tC
find something with which to attract ut
tention to himself. lie was fortunate
enough to discover under one of the seats
a large bunch of dry seaweed, and
: armed with this very poor excuse for :
flag of distress, he stationed himself il
the bow and patiently waited until thC
steamer should. draw near.
This vessel was none other than tht
Antarctic" bound from Queenstown t.
New York, and now on her last day cut
The passengers were lounging about th'
deck in the half-hour before dinner
when the lookout suddenly reported {
sail on the starboard bow, whereupOl
everybody busted himself in trying t.
make her out.
Hello, it's no sail at all; it's hug
kite!"
This announcement, coming from
young Englishman who had been look
} ing through telescope almost as long a
himself, naturally created quite a sen
sation; and when, shortly afterward,
, was discovered that not only was there
, boat attached to the kite, but that in th
boat was a boy, wildly gesticulating, tn
3 greatest excitement prevailed. TIL
strange combination of boy, boat and kit
was flying along at quite n fair rate G
speed, and coming directly toward til
g steamer.
G Lower boat!n was the order fror
S the bridge, after Il short consultatio
1 among the officers, and the next instan
= the ships engines ceased to move.
e "Give way!" shouted the secon
e mate, as soon rs the keel Of the life-bos