The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-08-27
HOW FAR CAN YOU SWIM.

HOW FAR CAN YOU SWIM.
"Look here, Sine. old Purdy might
have told us he'd taken away his oars. :"
well, yes; but there was kind of
a Grin or his face when he told US we
might have it. Not another loose
boat''
1t was solemn fact. Every skitl
along the beach but sod Purdy s. was
fastened by chain and paddock and
stake, to express the objection of its
owner against its use by stray boys.
mo fun going in for swim in this
shallow water. Only wading place. .
Barry. there board. That'l Il dc
for Us. We can paddle her out far
enough.
1t was a lost fragment Of clapboard
about four icet long, and with no house
to it. Nobody could guess how it got
there: but in three minutes more the
clumsy ilat-bottOmed sktif WAS being
slowly propelled away from the beach,
out toward the deeper water of the
lake. -: -lI B.. .u a0
h, Sine Hopkins and Barry Gilmore
had reached. to judge from the remarks
they made th.t precise point in their
aquatic practice when our common
small boy 'long-shore SWIMMING is a
thing to be looked down up III, and a
lake OF some size. or 4 section OF the
Atlantic, was required for anv fun OF
theirs. The day was warm. the water
as smooth as a pane Of glass, and there
was faint haze over the SKY. The
very model OF a day or a per ect swim.
The boat, too, had evidently been built
for it. She was broad enough not to
tip too easily ii you were climbing in.
and the wide seat at each end was Just
the arrangement for diving. '.'
This II do, Sine. Pity We didn't
bring an anchor ....
Waters hundred feet deep out
here. How far are we from slOre?''
Don't know. g, Maybe it's half a
mile. Maybe it's. more. Could you
swim it?'' s.. ,,ir. i-,4..,
"Guess not, Barry. Perhaps l could.
But don't care to try. Not unless the
boat came along. A fellows legs miy ht
give out. or he might take eramp.''
my legs would peg out, sure, long
before got there" .,i :.,.''.''
They were . very good pair for a boy
OF fifteen, and in a moment more they
were in the air, as he sprapg from the
stern of the boat, and went in, capital Y
well, head first. .,....a..s .,.4na =
u. THAT was a good header" shouted
Slime. 'frm coming" ban .a.-3r, ..
8 Come he did, aud thew found the wa.
ter rust about! right for them Not a
trace of chill in it. in spite Of the fact
that the lake was largely supplied from
the bottom. Out there. of course. there
could be no weeds to catch their feet in.
and there was very little to be suggested
by way of i'm Drovement. ~ -.
=. "Fore we get too tired, Barry, let $
try 2 longer swim. 'isf i.oW -,u
y"Come on. Only don't let's go too
far ..tf.. hf4 =, a...,,t ..rrl.s.,.,
They were headed toward the shore,
and they were not looking back, when
Barry exclaimed: ''There's a ripple,
SINE. The winds rising" tal1 j..
g "Barry, look at the boat!' its@n !
"She's drifting out. The winds of
shore" 80 T" '3.'.2..i'. al @,n@ -
:. The boys looked at each other for q
moment with very serious faces; but
they were brave fellows, and there was
no time for hesitat on. .,..'y Fl
( .f'She isn't 50, very far, Sime."' .s., :.
g But she's drifting. .s No telling how
far she'll 60. We mustn't risk it,
ag "Shore7 s too far. Can't do it. We
can catch the boat. - j.. ,aa.~ag5 II
Is" 1.-THE winds rising, Barrt."At
'Choose, Slime shore or boat. A. -
p ashore for me. Choose for yourself.
See how she drifts" 'e'.''tt - 90. ,..
''"You can't reach the shore, Sine.
Besides, want :, l my clothes \ I'm going
for the boat" ~ -, 80 go :
..No time to talk, Good-by, Barry"
Slime Hoqkins telt q great sob rising
as he struck out for the shore, and il
was every bit as much ON Barrg's &C.
count as on his own. but he had ia
choke it down. Iiz,H tld.lntHar apgt
= straight swimming now. and No
nonsense. How plainly can see the
: city," !. "'t.af e.. ''4,' t,'''e's''
That is, he could see the. steeples OF
it, some two miles from the shore he
hoped to reach; and below them. be
knew, were the roofs Of houses, and un-
der the roofs OF two OF those houses
were Barry GiImore's mother and his
own. as 4.s-afs-.. ..l.r.. .,
Steadily, regularly, without q motion
too much or q pull too hard--for he was
thinking very closely what it was best
to do in such q case-Same swan on,
until a duh feeling in his arms warned
him Of coming WEAKNESS. III
ION my ba:k now for a few rods.
II ~ nho{S Esn IN dyn H. ~ ,,oet 500 II