Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-03-31

| surrounds 1t. and hand-ropeS depend
from its sides.
women first" is the sailor rule
for veal or woe, and yet the women
were afraid, and few minutes of
curious stiffness fell on the crowd
grouped about the car.
But the waves played death reel
on the ships sides, and the wind
shrieked miserere, and
There was mother on board, with
four little children.
She was the one who went first,
and in her strange prison-house
passed from death to life.
The car went back and forth all
night, and by day da n seventy peo-
pie were sheltered in the station and
about the neighborhood. ''Ottinger's
folly" had become Ottinger's fame;
and the timbers of the Ayrshire lay
scattered for miles along the shore.
OF this car he made a free gift to
our Government, and to those Of all
the maritime nations of the world
refusing compensation for it, as it was
mot for personal gain, but to save
life"
While he was off with the Argo-
nauts lie discovered bay so fair in
outline that he named it for his fav-
orite Humboldt. He was the first to
explore fully the Pacific slope; and
his accounts of its wonders and beau
ties drew emigrants by the hundreds.
His next cruise was in the West
Indies; and there he met with an
adventure equal to any of Mayne
Reds.
| His First Lieutenant was MIR. Fen
nimore, the nephew of Cooper, who
has given the only touch of romance
to the Indians they Tor WEI know.
They were off the coast of one of
the lesser islands; and the Captain,
the Lieutenant and sailor went
ashore for birds and water The sol
itary river that ran through the coun-
try was blocked off from the sea by a
barrier of sand, which the last storm
had cast up. They drew alongside
and lifted the boat on top of this en-
bankment, supposing it safe, especial
ly as they scooped a narrow bed for
the keel
They filled their beakers and came
back with good bag of game just in
time to see high tide on, the sand
bank demolished and the boat gone
adrift.
They caught her and braced her up
as we'll they could-for night was fall
ing and the ship lay three miles out =
then started to pull.
| A wind had sprung up and was
whipping the water into short chop
ping sea, which soon knocked in the
loose planks and out the temporary
repairs, and left the boat in sinking
condition.
The three men threw off their heavy
clothing and took it by turns to lay
across the thwarts of the half filled
boat and paddle-the others resting
their hands on the gunwales, and
} swimming and pushing.
Bad enough? Yes; but, as they
changed places once, they saw cutting
} the water right and left four sharp
J fins.
Fancy it. Wind and tide setting
against three tired men, four hungry
sharks following them, and the sud
; den night of the Tropics on them.
But life is sweet; and the swimmers
thrashed the water with their legs,
and the oarsma1 beat with his paddles,
and every now and then they would
, rise and shout together. But the
darkness gave back their cry, and the
only sound heard was the laboring of
their own breath. The sharks circled
nearer and nearer-sometimes COM
ing SO close to the swimmers as to
send them trembling into the boat.
! This would make her sink suddenly;
! and in the scramble that ensued the
gray devils would be scared off few
yards.
By-and-by each mans heart gave
out; but they worked on from sheer
J force of habit. Those sharp dorsal
fins cut shorter and shorter circles
through the water and the ship was
miles away.
| Out of the darkness came q sound
like the sweetest music. 1t was the
"rick-rack, rick-rack". of oars playing
against thole-pins, and they shouted
for their lives.
The sound stopped. Had the wind
shifted, or had they lost the boat by a
change of course? Despair seized
them by the throat and shook out a
yell that cut the air like knife.
A voice answered; and between
shouts and counter-shouts the gig
ranged alongside the American sail
ors. She proved to be an English
ships boat that had put in for water,
by what we call an accident and
knOw is God. She took them back to
their own vessel; and Captain Citing
er says just as he was getting dry and
warm without and wet and warm
within, knock sounded at the door
} of the cabin, and in response to his
summons entered the sailor who had
done his part SO manfully during the
afternoon.
He stood turning his cap in his
hands, and twigging at his fore-lock,
with intervals of embarrassed bowling;
but never a word did he say until the
Captain asked:
| well, Bob?''
Then he plucked mp courage and
said:
"Cap'Ii, l wanter rapoiergize fer
a-comin' on board this afternoon SO
| cfto,, ,fh<,,,t v,ormiccicp R,1t ,doo1