Iron County register., 1886-10-21
"MAN OvERBoARD."

The Brave Act of Robin, Who Saved IIis
Big Brothers Life.
"Where did you get this picture,
Jack, and whose portrait is it?'' in.
quired little Elsie of her coastguard
friend.
Il picked that up in book-shop
many years ago. returned the honest
tar, ''for | thought it had strong
look of Robin, my little brother"
"What, had you brother, too?" in
quired Elsie II never knew that be-
fore. Tell Us about him-dor' Whilst
Freddy chimed in with ''Yes, spin us
a yarn, Jack"
Thus beset, and smiling down upon
the two eager faces, Jack established
himself upon his chest, and holding the
print in his hand, ransacked from his
memory the following incident:
''When Twas young" (Jack's stories
generally opened in this manner) 81
had, like many another lad, a craving
after the briny; and, i'll spite of poor
mothers remonstrances, [ went into
the merchant service. A pretty hard
time had of it, can tell you, Master
Fred, and l kicked about for many a
long year from ship to ship and port
to port. Twas sixteen or more before
l found myself in my native village
again.. near Falmouth, my father dead
long since and my mother very ill.
She was overjoyed to see me again,
poor soul, and on her death-bed COM
mitted to my charge my little brother
Robin, as pretty little fellow, with
curly hair and blue eyes, as you ever
saw. Some months, went by. but my
coin ran short, and at last had to go
to sea again, leaving Robin in charge
of 3 respectable old body as had known
mother well. He was. to 60 to school,
for he was a smart little lad, with more
learning in his little finger than in
my great hulking head. But the
wrench of parting was very hard. /
was glad enough to get off at last, and
turned in dead beat into my hammock
the first night aboard, glad it was all
over and the little lad in safe hands. l
was awoke at last by something NOV
ing on my bed. At fiust thought it
was one of them impudent rats, of
which there are shoals, on board some
of the wooden vessels.
Il put out my hand. and was as
founded to feel a little soft hand thrust
into mine, while voice. whispered
It's only me-Ro6in,' and sure enough
so it was! Robin, who had run away
from Mrs. Yarrow's, and slipped on
board and been hiding away the whole
of the day whilst we were going down
channel!
Here was pretty kettle O. fish,
and though | scolded him well he only
clung to me the more and, cried, while
turned over in my mind how best to
get him ashore again, and what the
captain would say the next morning.
But the captain was as soft-hearted Il
man as ever trod deck, and his wife,
who was aboard, when she saw Robin,
cried out: why, he's the very double
of our Charlie! we must keep him.
So that clinched matters, and Robin
stayed aboard.
''Rebin took to. sea-life, very kind
ly. He became prime fayorite with
all; the toughest had soft word for
him, and stopped their horse-play and
evil conversation when the little inno-
cent lad was present.
I'VE were sailing round one of the
West Indian islands one evening, and
| was looking across the ocean, when
in the stiffness / heard a sudden plunge
in the waters, and the well known cry
Man overboard!' Leaning over the
side saw a dark, speck struggling i'll
the distance. Without more ado l
kicked off my SHOES, took header
and made straight for the object.
which, to my horror, l found to be the
captains wife. She was, crazy with
fright, poor soul, and clnng to me with
all the despair of a drowning creature.
1t was comparatively easy matter to
:. good swimmer to keep afoat till help
came, and | fe,t- no alarm, more es-
pecially when a boat was showed off
from tne ship to meet us.
But when about half way towards
the boat, cry arose which curdled the
very blood in my veins. "A shark!
sharkr they called out, and the row.
ers redoubled their efforts. Sure
enough one OF these monsters of the
deep which infest the shores of the
West Indies was on. our track. /
strained every nerve, my limbs felt all
of sudden as if weighted with lead. /
knew instinctively the: tiend was gain
ing on US, and, burdened as was, ex-
pected horrible DEATH every minute
for both of u.s.. Only few strokes and
we should be in safety; but how far of
the boat seemed tony strained limbs.
All this passed through my mind, and
L saw as in vision. little Robins white
face at the bow urging ME on, whilst
the voice of one.of nay mates came dis
tinctly across the water, sealing our
fate: He'll newer do Et-neyer!'
1.-THE words. were. hardly out of his
mouth when Robin rose from his seat.
with arms upraised,- took a tremendous
header into. the sea. and began to
make for us. Ike passed us, but the
monster, keen, in pursuit, crossed him
unheeded. Robin. who swan like a
duck, dived. beneath the shark, inflict-
ing great wound with his knife on
the tieshy part of the huge body, and
bobbed up Ikea cork some distance off.
The savage creature turned suddenly
on his new victim leaving red streak
on the green waters, and ROBIN, taking
advantage of his start, struck out gal
lantly towards the ship.
a and my burden were soon lugged
on board, and all eyes were fixed ON
the fiaxen head in the distance. They
held me back by main force from
jumping into the water. It's of no
good. mate, they said; they are too
far off, was then obliged in spite
of myself to become witness of the
awful race for life. Robin strained
every limb, and / fancied the enemy
showed signs of weakness from loss of
blood. But Robins strength also be-
gan to give at last, his strokes were
shorter. he made less way, and the
monster seemed to find it out, and to re-
double his efforts. lashing the sea with