Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-01-20
SAVING a LIFE.
A Young Man Tells why He Is No Longer
In tho Hero Husiuess.


| In tho Hero Husiuess.
I am a good swimmer. and. an
to,d. noted for my fests Of skill AM
endurance In the water. II l wasn't
would not BIO alive now to tell my
story.
My knowledge Of the art, combined
with a perfect confidence In myself,
have, on three different occasions
saved my life, when others. giving me
ND for lost have stood by, watching
! me nearly drown. without an attempt
n, rescue, although some Of them were
capital swimmers.
Or course. they yelled and rushed
| madiy about. and threw things in the
! water and shouted crazy commands,
| but not one of them would risk his
precious life for mine. l thoroughly
detest such cowardice.
Though have always burned to dis
tinguish myself in saving life. and
have often purposely gore whore my
services in that line might be needed.
it was only recently that the longed-
for emergency came to enable mo to
prove myself the brave and fearless
man that knew was. 1t happened
| thiswise.
Attached to the hotel where was
boarding was an immense cistern so
deep and dangerous that its vicinity
was forbidden playground for the
| children.
!, as was my custom. WIS lounging
on the beach in front of the hotel.
watching the balhers. especially the
venturesome ones, and hoping that one
of them might give mo the desired
| chance to rescue him. or rather her,
from tho breakers before all the people
| there and be crowned hero. with my
name nspicuousy printed in all the
papers.
Ole beautiful girl in particular
| noticed, and each time she tossed her
shapcly bare arms from Tho water my
heart leaped in my throat, for thought
my dream OF rescuing lovely heiress
and then marrying her was about tc
be realized.
As her handsome I'm floated grace
fully on the crest Of the waves farther
and farther from The shore. l grew
more excited over the glorious pros
pect Of heroism before me.
! Tho laundering Rrf was very high
and filled with sand. showing the ebb-
ing tide was making n strong under
| tow.
Recklcssly or ignorant of danger
my angel continued IN increase the
dis ance between herself and safety.
would have hallooed to her but 70,
the grand feeling within me that was
there able and anxious to save her.
just then females agonized shrick
from the direction Of the hotel brought
me to my senses. MGe shricks and a
kurrving crowd tow aial the els crn told
me that my hulr Of triumph had
arrived My nerves suddenly seemed
as iroa. my head grosv cool. and 1 felt.
now Mt last on trial. that l was more
dan 5lual to the awful emergency be-
fore me.
l certainly preferred to rescue an
heitess fro a the more romantic ocean.
5ts Thought while pNshing my way
through the terror-strickcn crowd try
/ ing - gaze into tie dark and ugly
cistsrn that perhaps saving her little
brtthcr or sister might be also re-
warded with heart and hand.
"Tommie had fallen into the
cistern!'' 1 waited to hear no more.
'Malp way!" l cried. as withou,
taking time to remove even my Goa,
| plunged fearleasly into that black
and chilling rain water
l opened my eyes and tried to see,
but the frightened heads above me
shut out all light. I dove and CROPPED
this way and that. vainly trying to find
the unconscious body of the drownine
child.
listened for its cry. hut the noise
above prevented my hearing. The
suspense was horrible. l swan to the
| opening to shout for light and air,
when down dropped heavy ladder,
hitting me between the eyes, partially
stunning and forcing me down, stran-
Ring, to the Shiny, nasty bottom.
Ihera in that hidcous trap. if colored
waiter hadn't at once climbed down
and hailed me up and out. l would
have miserably persisted in trying t.
save the life OF TomAic-the cat-who
crawled up the ladder after us, looking
no less ridiculous than I. gasping and
dripping. on the cistern box. with my
slir ba'her covered with shawl laugh
ing at US both, and Offering quarter
to tho man who jumped in after her
darling Tommic.
I'm not in the life-savin.g business
any more. H. c. Dodge, in Yanhee
Nade.