The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1888-10-18

spray to where Ingram cronched at the tiller,
almost ~paralyzed by the narrowness Of the
escape. IF q don't get ont of there, 4
Numbered Clarence, his voice rising high
above the wind, DIN me i'll don't throw
| you overheard"
The ladies screamed; hut IN the midst of
her terror Miss Ethel could not stiffe a feeling
of admiration for q man who swore in the
very face of death. Still she knew it was very
wicked, and she put her cheek close to her
mothers and closed her eyes and prayed.
Az for Mr.. Ingram, he quilted the tiller sui
his feet dangling in eight inches of water.
Looking at him presently, Clarence became
convinced that the man was terrified beyond
all human understanding, and there arose in
him q great bitterness of spirit to think that
his brave, 1axen-haired darling over there
mad placed her affections on such an object.
TO SO fearful o pass did Mr.. Migrants terrors
bring him that he presently lay down full
length upon the thwart. his face covered with
his hands and his occasional groan and APP
peals to Heaven for mercy, the only sounds
he could utter.
For four long hours did Clarence, assisted
by the gallant f1sheTeyouth, who worked with
all his young might, do battle with the an
CRY waters. His hat had blown off, and in
the gathering darkness Ethel could see how
wan and tired and hopeless his face looked.
The curly hair, about which she had so often
ioked him, lay in damp masses on his fore
head, and she fairly ached to risk upsetting
the dancing by leaping mp and smoothing
down the matted locks with her white, soft
hand. Clarence uttered no word, save to as
sure the ladies that they should reach the
shore safely if it took all winter to do it.
Mrs. Baxter's face was q study. Shekept her
arms tightly about her beloved daughter
and her glance wandered from time
to time from the stern, miserable face
OF the mar at the helm to the now silent, mo-
tionless form on the seat opposite. Mr.. In
gram had either tainted or fallen asleep.
Had he been able to note the expression of
the older lady's face as she glanced at him he
would hardly have felt flattered.
The shore was still a mile and q half away,
and darkness had fairly settled down upon
the sea, when a rather strange thing hap
pened. On his last tack Clarence had
noticed the wind to be veering, and now, to
his infinite joy, he felt it coming ~squarely
abeam. Further and further it swung, until
almost dead astem; and once again the little
craft began her career over the waves under
@ full pressure of sail.
Ladies'" remarked Clarence, icily, 1--WE are
saved" -
His tone did not encourage an extended re-
Spouse, and none was attempted; but the
eyes of both ladies contained moisture for
which the spray was hardly responsible.
The novelty of again rushing headlong
through the water aroused Mr. Ingram. He
sat up suddenly, rubbed his eyes and sur
veyed the situation. Helooked ahead, and as
they rose on the crest of q wave, perceived
lights twinkling along the shore.
They're out lookingforus us, - he said, with a
faint attempt at jauntinesss "Forbes, per-
haps you'd better let me take the tiller now;
you must be used up"
Mr.. Forbes looked at him savagely and
rejoined, with great emphasis: "Lie down
again and shut up!"@a
/ Mr. Tnrroy ~, .ro nJoJ H. a-.L
but obeyed the second. g.
On and on swept the little craft, riding gal
lantly with her heavy load of water and hu-
man beings over the crests of the great seas.
Nearer and nearer they drew to the shore,
where the swarm of twinkling lanterns on
the beach spoke Of the anxiety that prevailed
there. In five minutes more the boat was
dashed upon the beach and q dozen men
sprang to clutch the gunwale and drag her
out of reach of the receding wave. The
first man to greet the O was
Mr.. Benjamin Baxter, who had run down on
a late train and down whose big, kindly face,
tears ofjoy were chasing themselves. After
he had kissed his wife something more than
a hundred times he turned to look at the
others. But there was only one other, Miss
Ethel stood there, drenched and wretched,
both men had slipped through the crowd and
disappeared. ,7a q
In less than half an hour, having seen his
"NS cN ~eS"cS CuC OS OH MI.
started out into the corridors to look for
Clarence. He had not to go far, for on pass
ing his room he noticed a light there. He
went in without knocking, walked up to.
where Clarence stood, with his elbows on the
mantel and his face leaning upon
the young mans shoulders and
looked into his eyes. / can'tspeak, boy" he
said, in q choking sort of voice, fall that T
can say to you-and l say it from the bottom
Of my hearts, that you're q noble fellow.
God bless you'll"
terrible muddle. Clothes, hats, sticks, pipes
and every thing else that goes to make up q
young mans summer wardrobe, were scat
tered about the floor in confusion; while an
open portmanteau lay near BY. "What does
this mean, Clarence?" the old gentleman
asked.
ut means" replied the young man bitterly,
that I'm going away from here before Pm
an hour older. Yes, I'll tell you
why" he added fercely, in an
swer to the mute inquiry
of Mr.. Baxter's eyes, 'it's because l love
your daughter Ethel SO well that life without
her will be a misery to me, while she"-
look from that ID poltroon than she does
for my whole soul and body; that's why!''
Mr.. Baxter. gazed very earnestly at the
young giant, who looked wonderfully hand
some and brave and honest standing there in
his wet clothes. Then the old gentleman's
eyes began to twinkle q little. He. was al
ways something of a humorist.
Clarence" he remarked, ~oracularly,
you're a brave boy; but you're q fool.
Don't stop me Sill" he went on, but I've
just come from Ethel, all I've got to say is
that if GU leave here this night yonn wish
you had been d%rownded, as you deserved to
be-" ~
When Mr.. Baxter was excited, Lindley
Murray frequently suffered. Clarence, how
ever, did not notice it this time. Having de-
livered himself of his parting shot Mr.. Baxter
wrung the young mans hand and left him.
And Clarence stayed. But the queerest
part of thewhole affair was that from the in
slant the boat had touched the shore, Mr..
Ingram vanished from their sight and ken as
utterly as if the sea had Crowned him-as
Mr.. Benjamin Baxter would have put it.