The Red Cloud chief., 1884-09-12
TWO BRAVE BOYS.

oraHe ueedS WHICH people are dong.
and it very often happens that they are
done by boys and girls.
William and Frank Hardina are the
sons of n Bohemian cigar-maker in
West Farm, just above New York
City Frank, who is twelve years old,
still go 5 TO school, but William, being
two years older, helps his father at
home. In the family they speak the
bohemian tongue, hut to the gentleman
who interviewed them for this article
their language was pure American.
Most street boys i'm New York have a
dialect of their Own-a sort of '.English
as she is spOke"-which improves upon
the ordinary tongue by turning M into
II, and using a great many words which
neither Mr.. Webster nor Mr.. Worcester
ever heard OF. From these faults the
speech of The Hardina boys is quite
free; neither is it marked by any for
cieD accent.
Before coming to New York thew
lived in Springfield. Mass. and Detroit,
Mich. and it was in the latter place
that they learned TO swim.
They'd chuck us into the water"
said the elder, by way of explanation,
land we'd either nave 10 swim or sink"
SO by practice i'm the art the BOYS be-
came as much at home in the water
a. out OF il. They were told, too, by
then father that if they ever saw any
one drowning they must not hesitate TO
jump in. Don't wait to take your
clothes OFF, said the father; even if YOU
do get them wet l sha'n't punish YOU"
so instructed, they knew what they
were to do when the time came. 1
don't suppose they ever imagined il
would come. but all the same they
were prepared; and being ready TO use
ones knowledge is quite us necessary
as to have the knowledge itself. 1
don't suppose. either, that Annie Over
packer and Mamie Carroll ever imag-
ined that they would owe their lives 10
the circumstance of the bohemian BOYS
being tossed into the Detroit River.
But our lives hang together 10y very
queer threads, and this is what actually
happened.
Annie and Mamie, who live in IRE
mont, a short distance from West
Farms, had gone on a picnic one after
noon in July. with Annic's aunt and
some other friends. The picnic was
held in a grove on the banks of the
Bronx River. and near by a sunday
school picnic vas also being held. ANY
one who has Travelled on the Harlem
N New Haven Railroad will recollect
the winding little stream that follows
the course of the road. as one nearS
New York, with rs many twists and
turns rs if il We're a Sc pent- Near the
shore the river is shallow enough. and
I'm parts of its course it drifts lazily
along, and clearly shows the pebbly
bottom. But here and there are
.~reacherous holes where the water is at
least thirty feet deep, and where N
might drown as easily as if the little
brook were Long Island Sound or the
Atlantic Ocean. With care. however.
bathing is not unsafe. but whethec it
was or not. the girls had promised
themselves this sport rs a part of the
picnic. So, having put on their bath
i~nm-dresseS, they waded cut into the
water. and stood there tor n time
watching the motions OF Annie's broth
or. who had swum ore5 beyond them.
and was vainly urging them To ''oome
ahead"
By.and-by the brother got tired, and
struck out down the stream. The girls
then turned their attention to them
selves, and playfuily tried TO see which
could duck the other. MoSing back
ward step 10y step, they were getting
out into the river, and, without know
ing lit, one,of the great holes WAS yawn-
ing behind them. Now they areon the
brink of it. Suddenly steps over.
and with a loud cry. striving 10 raeover
herself. graspS the other and drags her
into the watery depths. Before those
who are watching from the shore can
realize what has taken place. the chill
dren have disappeared, and only the
widening ripples show where they have
sunk Wild shrieks 60 up from the
shore. and one woman. who rs Annie's
unt- becomes frantic with terror, and is
about to leap in after them- Two
mounted policemen gaze stapidly on
the scene unable to do anvthins, for
neither ean swim.
No one had noticed two b~sref0oted
BOYS who were fishing on the haak not
far AWAY All at .once there is q cry:
.'We'll SANE them"' followed BY a
splash. and tAvo heads are seen SWIM
ming in the wafer. The :wo boys are
the Hardinas. and ittev have reneun-
bered their fathers advice.
Quick as they wene. however. the |
girls had already risen and sunk twice
Only one more chance remained, aud sS
tane of the girls came up for the third
and last time 10 the SRface. Williams
grasped for her. azd holding her tight
made tor the shore. 1t ives Mamie Car
roG~ the smaller of Che tive. leaving the
oldeg and heavier girl To- the twelve
yeat~old boy. Frank howca er, was not
unequal to The task. and as Armies
headSame to the sasfacc IN. ,lutc' ell
a the ,ong hair. But il slipped through
his wet fingers and the girl went DOWN,
eiutchiAg a: his foot and dragging him
along with her. Kicking away her hold,
he Owed after her, and caught her once
more. Then, throwing n arm around
her aeck. and holding her securely in
that positiop. he rose to the surface.
man ged /, o place her on his back, and
soon found hiplself in a place where he
could walk to land.
When be could put down his burdep
not a light ONE for a boy OF his age
the people who fOcked around found
her insensible. Indeed. it took over an {
hour to revive her. Meanwhile the
boys wrung out their wet clothes, and {
the congratulations of the ]
crowd and somewhat embarrassing en-
braces Of the girls frienos. No one ,
thought of offering any reward but the !