Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1885-12-16


down, In vain L tried to cOnouer
to seem cheerful and at ease. but 2
last Mrs. Hilder said half laughingly:
Il do believe, Amy, that you al
worrying about Captain Annesley. III
Is quite safe. l dare say he will be i
very soon now."
Il hope So" L replied. 81 Won
deny that l am extremely nervous.
should like to go to meet him, Ada"
continued, ''wIll you come with me?
Ada was delighted.
1t took only few seconds to put o.
my hat, and then we started off, not [
walk along the shore, but to go up TIA
cliff, from whence we could see roun
the corner far off. and probably be abl
to distinguish Jack coming toward
home. He was rather a cOnspicucu
figure from the style of his dress, whicl
consisted of white flannel trousers am
4 flannel cricketing- jacket OF violet an,
orange stripes. His straw hat was ais,
adorned with muslin puggaree. so
knew we should have little difficulty il
recognizing him even from a consider
able distance.
Ada and l mounted the hill YER
quickly, and presently we were scan
ming the shore for what L most earnest
ly wanted to see. The first thing W,
saw were three black figures on tn,
shore perhaps a mile away-three men
No signs of Jack were to be seen.
perhaps he has gone home,n sug
gested Ada.
Perhaps - agreed.
But we walked a little farther on
and we noticed the three men suddenly
separate. They were opposite very
long ridge of rocks. The sea was very
far out, and the rocks were all visible
Probably the men were prawn.i fishing
One of them went IN advance; he was
going along the road swiftly. L could
see him leaping from rock to rock, un
til he got near the end, and then the
three came after him more slowly
slowly but very surely. They were all
making for one point, and closing round
1t.
Far off as it was, could distinguish
their every movement in the clear sum
mer air.
All at once a fourth figure showed
clearly against the dark rocks. Icould
see the white hat, the dark jacket and
the white trousers. knew it was my
husband. He had sprung to his feet
and was facing the first man.
heard Ada trying to reasSure me,
bu5 her words were lost upon me. /
was watching these figures with almost
paralyZed terror. L saw the two meet
in a struggle. saw the figure OF the
first man disappear. and then saw the
other two, with fourth running along
the ridge to join them, dash forward
toward jack.
They were almost upoa him, when in
an instant saw him spring from the
rocks and apparently strike out.
| saw no more. Though the very
pulses of life seemed to be palsieI with
in me, and felt the death-like chill of
-..Aarlg fainting steal over me, the aw-
rui exlgeucY OF tha situatinn nnrrad-ma.
TO instantaneous action.
did not feel as if | ran. | felt that
l almost flew down the hill. Merciful
ly it was close to the pier. As reach
ed it the first person | caught sight of
WAS Pierre Blanc. He was standing
with his dog, as usual.
How | made HIM understand the des-
perate case never knew, but man.
aged to gasp out enough TO get him and
myself into his boat with hardly as 1T
tie time lost as it has taken TO tell.
Pierre pushed off the Marie Antoi-
nette with the celebrity of a strong young
man, and Brave, not to be left behind
jumped into the boat, whining with
eagerness as if he knew by
intuition the errand We were on; that
once more a life was in the balance
life TO be saved, if it were not already
lost. Pierre took both the oars.
would fain have taken one, L felt
50 ST Ong, as If the agony l was endur-
ing must nerve me to drive the little
craft on at greater speed than his
long, slow, firm strokes. L was obliged
to ooey him and sit In state of CON-
paratlve inactivity with the tiller ropes
held in my trembling fingers.
All had to do was to keep her head
straight, and surely no race was ever
rowed with 50 agonized yet so careful
4 steerer.
Fully fifty yards had to be covered
before We rounded the corner, and as
we did so felt, despite the sea being
calm. a long swell. The
tide was still running out, it seemed to
be against US, but Pierre did not falter;
On he rowei and as we turned the cor
ner my eyes swept over the water in
search of the swimmer we had come to
save. saw no trace of him.
Suddenly fancied | saw dark OBJ
much farther out than
the line we were taking.
"There!" l exclaimed, pointing in
5he direction.
Pierre ceased rowing and calmly stood
Up to investigate, and then we seemed
% my terror to drift backwards.
By this time l had, half in English,
lalf in French, managed to convey to
Pierre the circumstances OF the case.
He seemed 20 know the very ledge from
which 1 told him had seen Jack jump
nto the sea. He knew the tides. and
lie knew just the direction in which
Jack, if he had kept atloat, would be
lriven.
"Ah," 1 heard him mutter, that's
to
And then Brave barked, and l sat
lolding the ropes. but dumbly praying,
realizing that ali loved-all L cared
or in the world-wds in desperate and |
leadly danger, for. though Jack was a
rood swimmer, his illness severe |
congestion of the lungs-had weakened |
lim greatly; his clothes and boots would |
impede him fearfully, and unlsss assis-
ance reached him speedily, L felt that
n few minutes more, probably, all
would be over. Nearer and nearer
We came, Brave growing more and more
,xcited every instant; Pierre sticking
.aliantly to his oars. The waves were
stronger the farther We went out, and
very other minute we lost sight of the
,bject we were trying to reach. But
We saw it again-this time more dis
lnctly. Then l forgot tiller ropes and
1 could only see one thing
md that was Jacks face In the distance
Jack swimming still, but feebly.
He saw us, too. That nerved him
when his strength failed him. The first
ound of possible rescue had come to
-, a., tba ebapa of Rravp'S bark And