Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-01-21
IIe stopped al old sailor and asked
lis anything wrong =

| IN llllIr htcNintli Fll pH Nill VI
Man, she Is drifting this way, an, infect
fear she will be onto rocks afore to-
night"
Jones stood still q moment, and
then followed the crowd az fast No
the storm would lot him, When he
joined them they were gathered on
the summit Of huge cliff watching
the doomed craft. She was now with
In sight, and II was evident that her
seamen had lost a) control OF her.
She must ere long be flung by the
waves upon tho jagged and frightiul
rocks toward which she was drifting.
In the lull oflhe wind, not only the
booming Of the minute gun, but also
the shouts Of the imperilcd crew, could
be heard.
"What can be done T. said Jones
to an old man whose face betrayed the
strongest emotion
"Nothing, sir. ! am afraid. If she'd
manage to rouut to rocks she would
have gone to pcices on ia sand, and
there are plenty oil men that would
have risked their life to save life. But
how arc We to reach them from this
height T. -.
"lIow far are we above water T
"This rock goes down like n wall
forty fathoms, SIR
"What depth Of water at the foot
"Thi'ty foot or more"
"Gocd. Have you plenty OF light
long rope?' p
"Much as you want sir but let
me tell you sir, you cant live ten min
utes down there Ia frs! wave will
throw you on ia rocks and dash YOU to
pieces. Plenty of us would put you
down but you cant swim if you get
down.
'Do you know, old man, what scri
swimming is 7 l have dived through
the surf at Nukuheva.'
"God bless you sir. / thought no
man could do that
While this conversation was going
on Jones was devcsting himself OF all
superhuous clothing and cutting out
the sleeves of his heavy pea.jacket
with his pocket.kpife. This done, he
passed some light, strong rope through
them. The men watched him with
eager interest, and seeing their in
quisitive look, he said:
"The thick sleeves will prevent the
rope cutting my body, you see.
SAY, ay, sir; see now what you
are doing"
"Now men l have only one request,
Give me plenty of rope as fast as l
draw on you. When l sc: on board
Won know how to make q cradle, l
suppose ?"
SAY, ay, sir but how are you 60
ing 10 reach the water ?"
Il am going to plunge down. l
have dived from the main yard of the
Ajax before this 1t was high leap.
He passed a double coil of rope
around his waist, examined thorough
ly to see that there was plenty to start
with, and saying, "now friends stand
out of the way and let me have clear
start" raising his bare head one mo-
ment toward heaven, aud taking u
short run, leaped as from the spring
board of a plunge bath.
Such an anxious crowd as followed
that leap! Great numbers in spite of
the dangerous wind lay flat on their
breasts and watched him. He struck
the water at least twenty-five feet be-
yond the cliff, and disappeared in its
dark toamy depths.
When he arose to the surface he saw
just before him gigantic wave, but
he had time to breathe, and before it
reached him dlved below its center.
1t broke in passionate fury upon the
rocks but Jones rose far beyond 1t.
A mighty cheer from the men on
shore reached him, and now he began
in good earnest to put his Pacific ex-
perience into practice.
Drawing continually on the men for
more rope-which they payed out with
deafening cheers-he met wave after
wave in the same manner, diving
under them like an otter and getting
nearer the wreck with every weve,
really advancing, however, more be-
low the water than above it.
Suddenly the despa,iag men on
board heard clear hopeful voice:
"Help at hand, Captain, throw me
a buoy
And in another minute Or two
Jones was on the deck, aud the cheers
from the little steamer were echoed