Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-09-08
OF any use If only they had rudder
they might run tho boat ashore. bnt nnfora

they might run tho boat ashore; but unfor.
tunately they had been 10 timo to secure
only tho last, ruddorless ekilf. "Thank
tho. fates it docs not leak." "Doos 40,
lesk?" Ito looked down, aud saw tha.
the Irregular bottom of tho boat was
covered with water to the depth of half a
foot. When they had started away from
the pier landing Tom had braoed his fee,
against tload, GROSS cleet, and Laura's
stout boots rested on tho same dry foot-
hold. Uutil then neither hud noticed the
water. @t ae
Tom searched in tho bottom Of the boat
for bsiliug eau. Ho could not flud ono.
Laura moved 80 as to look in to the little
locker under tho stern seat. There was no
can thero.
"What shall we do2" she said.
"l must bail with my hat" ho replied,
slowly, as if thinking it out; "the water
must come in very slowly, it is Ioug time
since VIC left Washington street wharf"
to looked at bis watch; it was then past
tour and they were nearly opposite Fort
Point. SO far as they could sec there was
not single sail in the ofling. They
looked back at the oity; there were no out
coming tugs or steamerp, or schooners even.
Then they looked out through The gate and
Wondered
There is on untrans!atabio poetic some-
thing about our Golden Gate that the syrn.
pathetic beholde,, in coming or outgoing,
gfzlng upon 1T from any standpoint, never
fails to realize. Something which perhaps
nc acknowledges, yet may mover put it into
lifting phrases. Perhaps it is beoauso it
seems SO 70 hold the keys of our California
hte, that we may not dssooato it from
either our history or our future. Perhaps
1t is because in looking at it one cnu never
quito DISCERN its big beyond, of veal or of
VOC, of ounshino or of tompest
awe should uevcr have had this sun act
anywhere else, Laura aud Tom poiuted to
'H declining sun, hanging without cloud
apove tho wilderness OF waves. They
looked bnck at tho city. aud all the West
ern windows we're ahame.,
81 did not think before there was 50
much gold 10 Frisco" sad Tom.
"Oh. Tom, | don't want to die end
leave it all, )" said Laura, tremblugly.
Tho Outlying breeze had shaken o( tho
SPELL The air had grown Suddenly chill.
Ear ahead they could see tho ominous
white OF the carccning swell, and along the
shore they heard the dull boom Of the surf.
Lower and lower sank the white, electric
dazzle; buff and pink und orange toniug
iuto narrow belts Of opal. Right ahead
rose the bnck Farallones, and as the sun
sank still lower they stood out in unbrokcu
cn'!iue against its disk
With his soft hat Tom mado slow pro-
gress in bsiliog Until then the water had
oozed ~ 80 slowly that danger from leakage
had uot alarmed him until then; the cur
rent, too, had carried them along so gently
that the danger of upsetting had not pre-
seated Itself. But alter they passed the
fort the motion Of the waves changed, rot
suddenly, but gradually, until at last the
boat was rocking like cedar chip iu the
cddies of II milI race. Aud still the tide
had not turned.
Ccas'pg lis bailing for an iustsut Tom
though: he heard the sound OF water trick
ling into the boat Perhaps it was his
instinct Of dagger aud not his ears that
warned him, for the wages we're splasEius
against tn: outside, and the motion cluscd
constant tapping of the water within the
boat Tom made careful cxa.uiuutiop
aud at last found little hole through
which the water poured in q fitful stream
MS the boat rocked from side to side.
:" must stop that Leak" he said. "Can
you ha:i?"
The sun sad set and the flush was fading
out of the Western sky. In all the waste
OF waters theto was no moving object. If
there had been ship 10 sight she could
nave seen it, she thought, almost dcepar-
iugy.
She began to bui as well as she could.
with the felt hat, and 10 her oramped pusi
iion. A long line of gray was coming up
from tho South
1T is fog" said Tom, in whisper
Until he said "It is fog" she did a0t
realize the almost utter hopelessness of their
position. Even if the tde should turn
before they reached the bar it would be
impossible to protect themselves in fog
For moment she thought she should quite
break down, tho fate before them seemed
go terrible. Pom had succeeded in stop-
ping the leak aud had resumed boiline. TO
make that task easier he had cat the brim
from his hat. The fog wps now I'll arou nd
them, and it was quite dark. They
thought they heard the surf more distinctly.
'Ihc tide Las turued ~ suid Tom.
And so it had. but just how they would
be effected by the change they could not
tell Ion kept on bailng until the
amount of water in the boat had materially
decreased They had not spoken to Zach
other for come moments At last Laura
leaned forward Her hand touched TOMS
aud he took it in his own That ia od
clasp, meant to them things unspeakable.
Her hand was very cold, almost az cold as
his own: In his pocket was silk hand
kerchief; he handed it to her aud babe her
tic it about her neck, for ho dared not rise
to fastcn it there himself, Then bo took