The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-11-14

and III turn round till we face the steam. CT then, when we rise on the top of 2
 wave, you must look quick" They looked and there was the great
 steamer with her four masts and low red
 tunnels, with clouds of white steam rush.
 ing out of her escape pipes, as she lay
 almost stationary on the water about a
 quarter of mile away.
 Pierrepoint could see that the upper
 decks and bulwarks and the lower rigging
 were swarming with people; every one
 on board seemed to have come up
 When they rose on the next wave, greal
 change had taken place for them-the
 sun had set. Pierrepoint saw it disappear
 as the wave lifted them, and the surface
 ot the water became dark gray but the
 strong light still shone for few seconds
 longer on the tunnels and masts of the steamer
 Pierrepoint with his little burden fioated so low that the men in the boat had no! yet seen him; but he had seen the boat just as the sun disappeared, and now knew where to look for it. He pulled a white handkerchief out of his coat-pocket, and when they were on top of a sea he gave shout and waved 1; but the call was unheeded the sea sank from under them, and they were in the hollow before the boat had risen. The next time he suc- ceeded. AS the boat rose the cockswain heard call, and saw the swimmers on a wave. The boats course was slightly altered, and in few minutes the boat had them alongside.
 All this time Pierrepoint had been treading water quietly, only keeping a lookout, and encouraging Jack to keep up his heart but Jacky could not have kept up much longer. The fright and cold were telling upon him, and as the boat came up, his big eyes closed, and his cheek dropped heavily against Pierre points.
 The cockswain now took charge of the situation. "Don't be ID a hurry, sir" Le called. "How is the boy?'
 "Oh, think he is all right" said Pierrepoint; he was quite lively a mln- ute ago"
 The cockswain then called: " Be care ful now; steady, lads, there be very clre- full One of you catch the child by the arm, another of you lay hold of the gen. tleman."
 Pierepoint had laid his hand lightly on the boats gunwale, and still held Jacky firmly. Mickey, the fireman, fast ened his toes among the bottom boards of the boat, and stretching down till his face almost touched the water, caught little Jacky first by one arm and then by both, and with dexuous twist raised him quietly from the water and laid him in the bottom of the boat Two of the sailors then caught Pierrepoint by the shoulders and pulled him in then they patted him on the breast and back, a way that sailors have of expressing sympathy and approval; and then they cheered and waved their caps toward the ship. The rowers again took their places, the boat was quietly turned, and the men rowed back toward the steamer.
 MT. Pierrepoint and Mickey attended to the child, His color now returned, and his eyes opened, and he sat up, the water running out of his linen clothes. Pierrepoint's eye now caught sight of his plaid lying in the boat, and he asked the cockswain to pass it to him.
 "A lady threw it in as we were leaving," the steersman said.
 "Oh, yes; know very well who the lady was," Perrepoint replied. [" wish l had her here just now to take care of the boy" Then, seeing in what a gentle way Mickey was hand ling the child, he said: My black friend, I'll appoint you nurse, if Jacky does not mind the soot."
 Jacky looked up, and recognizing the fireman as one of his friends, put his arms around his grimy neck.
 "Sure, sir" said Mickey, "Master Jacky knows me quite we'll"
 "Then," said Pierrepoint, "pull of his wet clothes and roll hin up in the plaid.n
 This was done, and Jacky felt quite warm and dry. Mickey kept him on his knee, rolled up like mummy.
 One of the sailors handed Pierrepoint an old rough jacket, which he pulled over his wet clothes.
 The steamer had drifted round till her oroadside was toward the boat, and there. fore, as she could do nothing to lessen the distance, the men in the boat had to do the more rowing, and they got on but slowly, for the sea was little rougher and the light was going. The captain still stood on the Shasta" bridge watching the boat through his binocular. He saw Pierrepoint and the boy pulled in, and then he could see that the men seemed busy about something in the bottom of the boat; alter that he saw Pierrepoint sitting up, and brown bundle in the fireman's arms. He knew this was his boy, rolled up in something ; but he could not help questioning within himself whether his boy was coming back to him dead or alive.
 Mrs. Perrepoint was still beside Cap. tain Hood, and felt that she knew what was passing in his mind. The boat was now much nearer they were both watch ing it intently, but the light was failing. At the same moment they both saw MT. Pierrepoint stand up and wave his right hand in peculiar way.
 That was signal, madam what does it mean ?" asked the captain.
 "Wait minute till he repeats. Yes, see it plainly this time. He says. An