Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1889-10-04


dragging across our bow was imp )ssible,
evea though many minutes had been to
spare.
Feeling very helpless and dcsper.
ate, went through all my pockets for
the knife, till it hashel on me that,
some time before, 1t had droppel from
the gunwaIo in which hal suck it,
and was now lying out of reach under
inc footboard. Harry began to cry
loudly, calling, 'Ol, what will mother
dop
"The undula'ion that p7eccdes q large
steamer rocked us. Raising my eyes
frvm a val endeavor to get a glimpse
Of the knife the steamer seemed almost
upon u'. never saw a vessel shoulder
up so monstrously at the distance So
close was she that in the twilight ]
could el9arly see the rel paiat of her
run cleaning in the water about her.
"With the quick device and light
ming activity Of despair l seized an oar,
and, knccling on the bow, with one
downward drive of its handle knocked
the staple that secured the ring clear
away and with another motion hung
out the coil of rope into the water.
"But the bowsprit of the Thcban
was not five seeon Is away then. l
struggled madIy to get some healway,
hoping to escap, tho paddle wheels, but
my poor little boy, vii with fear, i'm
.peded Inc by clinging about my legs.
Using all my force o1 the oar as a pad :
die, | did, however, manage to give
her sight motion up stream, stern
iifst, but too late; thu next moment the
ilgnrc heal AMI swelling bow of the
tlheban blotted out The sky, and she
rs upon US.
mot with her cut water, fortunately,
pf we shoull have been instantly
Smashed down; it ran out twenty feet
beyond beforo VIC wero touched. Had
she not been half slowcl down to take
the windings Of the channel, We should
doubtless have been overwhelmed by
the roll of water from her bow; but
somehow the skiff rode this, an | the
next moment was thrust against the
river, and crowded so hlrd against the
steamer where she widcned that we
moved on as if gluel to her side.
"obv.oaslH this strange situation
could endure but for few moments
and then my little fellow and | must be
drawn under and battered to pulp with
the remorsclcs, crash of the paddle
wheel 50 terrible and so near.
TO leap far out for escape from them
was impossible. | had clasped Harry
in M arms with some unreasonable
imagination that my iuterposing my
ncdz IsN.aa 70 I'D gave him from the crushiag
blows of the foat'. The hope to sink
beneath them did not flsh among the
first crowling thoughts of those despair
ing moments, not till my glance fell
on the fifty six weight that still lay in
the boat.
Instantly 1 stopped, seizei it with
my right hand, and, with ny little boy
close huggel, leaped desperately from
the boat into the water.
"Thc sensation of being sucked or
trailed through an amazing current. the
roar of the battered water, the over.
powcring fear of the cruI paddles
how we'll | rcmcmberl ldenly-ii
was as though wave had flung its mass
at me-my legs were swept down with
the water driven from the impact of tho
floats, my hold was nearly jerked from
the fifty-six pounds of weight that
held, then down, down, down until tn,
weight touched the rocky bel. lei
go and rose through twenty feet o
water with gasp, to see the Thobar
roaring away steadily on her course.
Poor little Hurry hal never cease
Struggling; he struggled more violently
as now he caught half choked breath.
tore his arms from my neck with
desperate m).ion as we began to sinh
again, and turned his back to me. w
rose again, trea1ing water. managed
to support his heal out of the wa.e
long enough to make him understan
that he mrst become perfectly motion
less il he wished me to save him.
"Thc poor little man behaved splen
lidly after that, but by several sligh
immersions had lost his senses in a half
drowned ia mt before l managed to ge
ashore. l had, however, no great diff
Guilty in restoring him. Fortunatel
there was house on the island, an,
there We spent the night.
"You may be sure that / lost no tim
IN investigating the conduct of tn
Theban's pilo.. The man denied al
knowledge of the occurrence, and
could see that he was really surprise,
aud shocked; but that he felt in som
degree guilty, l could also perceive
Not one of the deck hands, none of tn
officers, would confess any knowledg
in the matter, and not till the eross-ex