The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-08-19
HOW FAR CAN YOU SWIM.

HOW FAR CAN YOU SWIM.
"Look here, Slime, old Purdy might
have told us he'd taken away his oars"
sWell, yes; but there was kind of
4 grin on his face when he told US we
might have it.. Not another loose
bOatn'
It was q solemn fact. Every skiff
along the beach but ''Old Purdys was
fastened by chain and paddock and
stake, to express the objection of its
owner against its use by stray boys.
."No fun going in for swim in this
shallow water. Only wading place"
BARRY, there's board. That'n do
for US. We can paddle her out far
enough"
It was a lost fragment of clapboard
about four feet long, and with no house
to it. Nobody could guess how it got
there; but in three minutes more the
clumsy Hat-bottomed skiff was being
slowly propelled away from the beach.
out toward the deeper water OF the
lake.
Slime Hopkins and Barry Gilmore
had reached, to Judge from the remarks
they. made, that precise point in their
aquatic practice when your common
small boy 'long-shore swimming is a
thing to be looked down upon. and q
lake of some size, or a section OF the
Atlantic, was required for any fun OF
theirs. The day was warm. the water
as smooth as pane of glass, and there
was a faint haze over the sky. The
very model of day for perfect swim.
The boat, too, had evidently been built
for it. She was broad enough not to
tip too easily if you were climbing in.
and the wide seat at each end was just
the arrangement for diving. Al,
"This IL do, Slime. Pity VIC didn't
bring an anchor"
"Water's a hundred feet deep out
here How far are we from shore?"
don't know. Maybe it's half a
mile. Maybe it's more. Could you
swim it?"
"Guess not, Barry. Perhaps I could.
But don't care to try. Not unless the
boat came along A fellows legs might
give out. or he might take cramp."
"My legs would peg out, sure, long
before got there" 90.
They were very good pair for boy
of fifteen, and in q moment more they
were in the air, as he sprang from the
stern of the boat, and went in, capitally
well. head first.
"That was a good header" shouted
Slime. 'Pm coming"
Come he did, and thev found the wa
| ter lust about right for them. Not q
trace of q 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 Improvement.
"Fore we get too tired, Barry, lets
try longer SWIM"
"Come on. Only don't let's 60 too
far s+@l - aa.
| They were headed toward the shore,
and they were not looking back, when
Barry exclaimed: There's q ripple,
Slime. The winds rising"
ssBarry, look at the boat!'
| "She's drifting out. The winds of
Shore
The boys looked at each other for a
| moment with very serious faces; but
they were brave fellows, and there was
no time for hesitation.
s'She isn't so very far, SINE" ~.
"But she's drifting. No telling how
far she'll 90. We mustn't risk it. I"
Shores too far. Can't do it. We
can catch the boat"
"The winds rising, Barry"
"Choose, Sime-shore or boat"
ashore for me. Choose for yourself.
See how she drifts!''
You can't reach the shore, Slime.
Besides, want my clothes. I'm going
for the boat
mo time to talk. Good-by, Barry
Slime Hopkins felt great sob rising
as he struck out for the shore, and il
was every bit as much on Barry's &C
count as on his own. but he had Il
choke it down.
!, "Straight swimming now, and ne
nonsense. How plainly can see thu
city,
That is, he could see the steeples o
it, some two miles from the shore h
hoped to reach; and below them. hi
knew, were the roofs of houses, and un
der the roofs of two of those houses
were Barry (silmore's mother and hi!
own. 1eatCT 5Er ED. -E,,5 .ru
Steadily, regularly, without motion
too much or pull too hard-for he wa
; thinking very closely what it was bes
to do in such q case-Sime swan on
until dull feeling in his arms warne'
him of coming WEAKNESS.
ION my back now for . few rods
, It III change the work. and rest me.
can see the boat, but l can't see Barry
The wind is blowing harder"
, All that time, however, Barry ha'
been doing precisely what his friens
had done, only that he had watches
, more anxiously the increasing ripple o.
, the water.
. ..She isn't so very far" he had sal,
= to himself, at first. 81 do wish Sim
a had come with me. He can't reac
: that shore, swim his 0est. 1t II be q
. awful thing to tell
r A couple of minutes later he wa
/, muttering: That was q harder puff
= How she does drift! Seems to me
D don't get an inch nearer. If it blow
D much harde- I'll have to follow her t
the upper end of the lake.