Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-10-18


and the mate sat beside mo Ia the stern
sheets,
DO you see that cake OF loo with
something black upon Il, ladsF ]
cried pull mo alongside OF that, and
I'll give you a bottle Of rum each to-
night, and q months extra wages when
you are paid off,
The mon bent TO their oars, but
their strokes were uneven and feeble
They were used up by tho hard duty
of the preceding fortnight, aud though
they did their best, the boat made lit
tlc more way than the tide. This was
q long chase, and Mr., Larkin' who
was suffering as he saw how little VIC
gained, cried outi Pull, lads, I'll
double the captains prize; two bottles
of rum and two months payi pull
lads, for tho love Of God, pull
A conyulsivc effort at the oars told
how willing the men were to obey but
the strength Of the strong men was
gone. One of the poor fellows wash
cd Us twice in recovering his oar, and
gave out the other was nearly US tar
gone. Mr., Larkin sprang forward
and seized the oar.
Lie down in the bottom OF the
boat, said he to the man, sand, cap
tain, take the other oar; we must row
for ourselves
| took the second mans place; Lar
kin had stripped to his Guernsey
shirt, and as he pulled the bow,
waited for the signal stroke, gradually
increasing in rapidity until the wood
seemed to smoke in the oar-locks. We
kept time, each by the long, deeI
breathing of the other. Such pull
We bent forward until our faces al
most touched our knees, and then
throwing all our strength into th'
backward movement drew on the oal
until every inch of the space covered
by the sweep had been gained. A
every stroke the boat shot ahead lik'
an arrow discharged from u bow
Thus we worked at the oars for fiftcel
minutes; it seemed to me as man.
hours.
Are we almost up to it, Mr.. Lar
kin?' / gaspcd out.
almost, captain--don't give up
for the love of our dear little ones a
home, don't give up, captain
The oars flashed as the blades turn
ed up to the moonlight. The men VIII
piled them were fathers, and ha
fathers hearts the strength whlcl
neryed them at that moment was NOR
than human.
Suddenly Mr.. Larkin stopped pull
ing, and my heart for moment cease
its beating, for the terrible though
that he had given out crossed m
mind. But | was quickly reassure
by his voice. Gently, captain, gent
Iva stroke or two more-there, tina
will do !'-and the next moment tn
boats side came in contact with some
thing, and Laykin sprang from tn
boat with his heavy feet upon the ice
1 started up, and calling upon the me
to make fast the boat to the ice, TO
lowed.
We ran to the dark spot in the cer
ter of the mass, and found two littl
bows, the head of the smaller restin
in the bosom of the larger-both wer
fast asleep! The lethargy whic
would have been fatal but for tn
timely rescue, had overcome the.n.-
Mr.. Larkin grasped one of the lad:
cut off his jacket, and then loosing hi
own garments to the skin, he place
the cold child in contact with his ow
warm body, carefully wrapping ove
him his great coat, which he procure
from the boat. 1 did the same wit
the other child, and we then returne
to the boat, and the men, partially IT
covered, pulled slowly back.
The children, as we learned Whe
we subsequently had the delight of re
, storing them to their parents, wei
playing on the ice, and had venture
on the cake which had jammed in'
the bend of the river ten miles abov
New York. A movement of the tic
set the ice in motion, and the ljtt
, fellows were borne away on that CO.
, night, and would inevitably have pc
ished but for Mr.. Larkin's espyir
, them as the ice was sweeping out
sea.
How do you feel?' said l to Il
, mate, the morning after this adventure
A t...t .1:T g, Tho ANNA oopfai in