River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-03-29
CHAPTER XXX

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Fairfax had been dreaming. He stood
on a barren. rocky islet in mid-ocean- All
about him was a wild. wide waste Of de-
serted. sunlit waters-not a sail, not a cloud.
not bird, nor fish, nor any living thing in
sight Only the endless, boundless, ever
lasting stretchOf sea and the solid, scOrch-
ing rock beneath his feet.
He knew not how he came there. nor why.
To him time and space had no beginning
nor end. Past and future there was none
only one eternal nor.
Like the ancient mariner, be was ''al0ne
on a wide, wide sea but with no other
facts. no other data. ne other knowledge Of
any thing save Of himself. Arthur Fairfax,
and this blisteriug, barren rock and that
vast. silent, glaring wilderness Of waters,
met on all sides by heavens Of brassy hue.
Here he stood, tOnv-hearted, passionless,
quiet as the rock itself and as motionlcss,
staring out over that horrible sea-salt plain,
with fixed, exprcssionless eyes
There cane no morn, no noon, no night;
but ono never-ending, unchanging day.
Time was not.
Il might have been a day. il might have
been month. year, a century-he knew
not, nor cared hut at last there rose far,
FAR away on the uttermOst, EXTREMIST verge
Of the horizon. feeble, upward crawling
and grew dense and vet more dense. On it
rolled with eyer-increasing rapidity, until il
rushed ahead with lightning speed.
WI hin, and almost hidden by this mighty,
roaring column, belching forth fire and
smoke, he detected the Outlh 5 of vessel.
Straight toward the rocky islet, straight
towards himself Il came, with unerring, I'M
swerving course
Now he saw and recognized it.
Il was the "Namovua," enveIopcd in a rag
Ing sheet Of fame that shot upwards and
backwards, roaring and laundering with
terrific sound. and. high in the farthcst
tip Of the yet uusc0rChed bow stood Natalie.
in speeches. horror, her snow-yyhite arms
stretched appcalingly toward him
Nearer and swifter. yet. swept on that
frightful. rolling pillar Of fire, the sea boil
ing and seethmg in its track and vast
clouds Of white steam arising and inter
miugIing with its million blazing tongues
and smoke Of iul5y hlaelness-
With an almost incredible suddenuess il
stopped its headloug speed a short distance
from the rock, and at once began quickly 10
sink
jump" shIleked Fairfax.in terror. ARC
back over the thUudcrous roar rang the
piercing cry;
Save me- save me- q. Arthur. save me-"
His soul ON fire, his strength nerved
70 utter desperation, he leaped far out from
the crags over the sea, and struck--not
the water. but sofd EARTH
In an instant he had awakened from sleep
and found himself sting erect with
nerves and muscles strained 20 their At
most tension. his arms extended rigIu iron
his side. his head bent eagerly forward.
like one alert from fear. Every nerve
tinglei with horror. Ard his ear could
have caught the faIntest possible whisper
What was it, What di5 &c mean' The
cold sweat stood out in great beads over
his forehead. and 10 seemed 10 him he could
vet hear that piercing cry for help ringing
far along the shore and in the woods
II ever a man was thoroughly awake. he
now was.
BE ran 70 the water and glanCIng up and
down heard or saw nothing. save the sui
len waves knocking angrily against the
rCczs. and the shining pillows. glistening in
the moonlight From the forest came no
sound. but the PARKWAY. sea-like murInur of
the pines
Nothing, nothing nothing. At all Only
Asillv dream, and. vet. that CALI that cry
for help. II was real, II was no delusion
of sleep. for il rang. still. IN his ears with
too true tone % be aught else but seuu-
me,
In terrOr-yet he could not have SAID Why
he stood. listening with Dated breath.
Hist bark! What was that, borne BY on
the passing breeze! II there was ever wall
Of woman for help that was one. Clear and
high il sounded
=. Sars ussf ArfhHrl q % Dc h.yg'
Wild and mad with bl.ndeSt rage and fear,
Fairfax bounded over .se rocks and fed into
the vood. ike one insane. .. il all hell were
pursuing him On on he dashed, needing
neither bush, bricr nor crag- Torn and
bleeding, straight forward. towards the
call. he pushed
Again be heard II, aud nearer stiIl; ana
again be paused