The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-03-21


was rising almost perpendicularly to the
sea. Again there was that ominous calm.
A majestic, unbroken mountain of sea came
rolling swiftly on from behind, dragging
her down, down, stern first
Youth cannot but rebel against fate.
Magnus Laurie sat still with folded arms
in the bow of the boat, as the skipper bade
his crew make make ready for the worst
1t seemed vain for him to strive to evade
death. Yet, when he found himself among
the folds of the mainsail as it was being
sucked down by that merciless wave, he
held his breath and fought desperately,
though with swimmers skill, to reach
the surface. And he succeeded, and his
thoughts turned lifewards once more. He
could see nothing of his late companions,
when with strange calmness he swan on
as gently as those bufeting waves would
let him, but, perhaps because his senses
were quickened by his danger, he heard
family the sound of horn A fishing
boat was not far off. He tried to struggle
in the direction of the sound, but it grew
fainter. He tried to look up; there SEEM
ed more light, though the waves had not
abated their fury Magnus was reckoned a
bold swimmer. Perhaps he might keep
himself afoat for half an barely.
Then arose in his heart that prayer which
seafarers through long ages have uttered
''Out Of the depths do cry unto Thee,
O Lord r.
The answer came with terror A water
logged boat seemed to rush out of the mist
of sea and air. Feebly poor Magnus
struggled towards it and caught hold of
the stern post. 1t was the "Stormy Pc
trel." Her mast had snapped off as she
sank, and, with the wonderful buoyancy
of those almost erescent-shaped Shetland
skiffs, she had risen to the surface again.
But, alas where were her hapless crew?
Magnus burst not, however, in her pres
ent condition do more than fasten stray line
under his arm, and be carried along with
the boat. The storm continued to abate,
and there came a sense of utter, hopeless
solitude to that poor youth which was far
worse even than the desparing struggle so
lately made. Hour after hour passed and
still there was but the halfgloom of that
gray sky above, and the weary sea around.
Magnus began to fall into kind of stupor,
and then the bodies of his fisher friends
seemed to be rising and falling with the
motion of the waves. 1t was horrible.
Suddenly three great masses of rock
loomed in the distance.
They were the Ramna Stacks, where
his father and grandfather had perished
together.
With facinated gaze Magnus stared as
the boat to which he was bound steered
towards them. Then he uttered one
wild despairing cry, and all became dark
to him,
"How long were you kept on earth af-
ter died, grandmother These were
his first words when the darkness cleared
away, and he saw the face of Ruth Lau-
rie bending over him. Then Bena seemed
to be there also, and he added, II knew you
would come, Bena.' Suddenly darkness
fell upon him again, but not SO terrible as
before.
With bated breath men still talk of the
rescue of Magnus Laurie Briefly let me
| record IL as IL happened.
With the earliest burst of the storm,
the wives and daughters, mothers and
sweethearts, of the fishermen had gather
ed at the Feathaland fishery station; but
as their fears for their men increased, re-
gardless of the raging wind and pouring
rain, they left the shelter of the huts and
climbed to an eminence hard by, whence
the raging sea Nigh be scanned far and
wide. Ruth Laurie was there already with
the poor girl who unwittingly had brought
this almost hopeless sorrow to the lonely
woman. There was a great shout of joy
as the first boat to weather the storm was
seen on the horizon, at about nine in the
morning. Yet even then every eye was
turned towards auld Ruth Laurie in sin
cere pity when it was discovered that the
boat was not the "Stormy Petrel"
Soon after the other boats appeared, and
the crowd of women and children rushed
down to the strand, leaving auld Ruth and
Bena alone, gazing with strained, fearless
eyes upon the waste of waters, now like a
vast snowfeld by reason of the foam churn-
ed by the recent storm Ruth was look
ing forth towards the Ramna Stacks, as
though they would somehow tell her the
secret of her grandson's doom.
In one of the boats just arrived lay
Jennie Hewison and Eric Ericsson, their
faces ghastly and swollen. They had
clung to the wreckage of the mast until
picked up by one of the other boats, when
the storm abated a little. OF Magnus they
knew nothing; and none cared to go to tell
these two helpless women this
Suddenly, young girl, bareheaded and
barefooted, burst through the crowd on the
beach, and wringing her hands cried i'm
ploringly-
"Will naebody come an help? Granny
Ruth an Bena Sinclair hae bath gone by
der minds! Dey have taen to da face o
the cliff to gang to da Easter Sands.
For moment none answered. All were
dismayed and bewildered by the news.
Then brave Jennie Hewison broke the
spell, and rising on his elbow said "Tak'
ropes, brithers and follow. May be da
Lord-"-he could say no more, but sank
back YEARLY again.
Yes. it was not madness, but the despair
ing love of those two women which had
led them to descend the face of that beet
ling cliff under which lay the Easter Sands.
Whether it was Ruth or Bena know not,
but one of them had seen boat floating
into one of the eddies down below, and
hanging over the stern of that boat was
man s body. His face was the face of
Magnus Laurie The fishermen who had
rushed up to the brow of the cliff leant
over cautiously and beheld the two women
below already struggling towards the boat
hand in hand Every receding wave lay
bare the blood-red roots of seaweeds, whose
myriad arms, lifted by the returning waters
lashed their faces and twined around them
in many a Shiny fold But they felt not
and saw not, save that Mangus lay there
before them, his fair locks dripping and
his grey eyes fast closed. They reached
him and essayed to lift him out of the
reach of the waves that yet dashed
upon the boat to which he had elung.
Those above, however, had already fixed
stake on the edge of the cliff, and had
attached long stout rope to it. By
means of this, four nimble fishers descend
ed, oars being lowered after them. They
beckoned to the heroic women to remain