Middletown transcript., 1886-09-09
peared the form of a boat.
Could it be the yawlf
No: too large. and there


No; too large, and there we're toe
men in it.
He grasped the tiller and jumped
up.
Boat ahoy there r.
Like fash the thought struck him,
they had discovered his friends
absence, and by Jove they were conn
ing straight aboard. s
Once more he shouted: " What do
you want? Keep off there r but the
boat was alongside, and in an instant
man jumped from her to the Flo's
deck-to fall, stunned under q blow
from tue heavy tiller.
Before Lawrence could raise it for
another blow, however. the second
ruffan had closed with him, and they
rolled together upon the cabin trunk
and thence into the cockpit.
Now. Lawrence was a plucky young
fellow, and strong one as gentlemen
run, and the fight was fierce while it
lasted, but at last he lay, overpow-
cred and exhausted, upon his back,
and felt Big Mikes hand close upon
his throat, and thought that his time
had come and uttered a stifed cry.
Then suddenly a light shone in his
eyes, and above them both stood Polly
with the tiller poised in her strong
hands.
"A sounding blow fell on Big Mikes
head; then, releasing Lawrence, the
brute staggered to his feet, fumbling
at his belt, and with growl turned
upon the girl and drove his sheath
knife into her breast. She gave one
sharp cry and clutched at him, but he
struck her down with his fist, jumped
into his boat and when Lawrence,
slowly rising to his knees, again look
ed about him, boat and men were
gone.
Polly he asked, anxiously, " are
you much hurt 20
But the girl did not answer She
lay quite still, as she had fallen, with
The light from the cabin on her white
face and damp, disordered hair.
He thought she had been stunned
by blow, and fetched water and
raised her on his ARMAND then !:
!" Good God I" he cried, what's this 2"
For his hands were wet with blood
and the deck where she lay was stain.
ed dark with it, and a tiny stream
was already trickling across the white
planks toward scupper hole. e
She opened her eyes slowly and
looked up at him.
Mike cut me,p she whispered.
!" I'm hurted bad, l guess" and
moaned family.
For a moment he felt horror-strieken
and helpless. e-'"
"oh, my poor girl, my poor girl,"
he only said.
Then he laid her gently down and
hastily tore up some linen and tried
to stop the bleeding, but the. wound
proved too severe for his skill, and. Z
at last, bidding her lie quiet, he ram
forward. o@ = ~ @ 's'asFs''
1t was the work Of only a few min
utes to make sail on the little Flo, and
this done he shipped the cable and
headed her for, the nearest village,
mile or SO distant. The channel was
narrow and difficult, even in daylight,
the water shallow and the tide falling
fast ; but he felt it was the only chance,
for Polly's life, and as he stood at the
tiller, peering anxiously into the gloom
ahead, with nerves strained to detect
the slightest touch of the centre-bdard
on ground, he prayed very, very hard
that they might reach the shore in.
time. IT, ~
Now and then he glanced down at
the girl, but she lay as if uncon-
scious, and the dark stains on deck
were spreading slowly, moment by
moment, as the boat heeled to the
breeze. .zE.t-..
She is bleeding to DEATH" he
thought with a shudder /; and just then
she spoke, but so low that he hardly
caught the sound. A Fa i'4 s19ef
What is it, Polly I" he asked and
bent down over her to listen.
"Mr. Lawrence, / guess I'm going
to die; +" and then, with soft,
grating noise, the center-board rose,
and the yacht ran upon a shoal. .
All that man could do Lawrence
did in the next few moments to work
of. but without avail. They were
hard and fast and the tide was leaving
them quickly, and at length in de-
spair, he lowered all sail and returned
TO Polly's side.
"We are hard aground" he said
huskily " be patient, child-we can
only wait now till some one comes"
"Lift me up" she said, and as he
took his place beside her and raised
and supported her in his arms, she
laid her head upon his shoulder like
tired child.