Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-03-21
Not another person was in sight


sail after YOU"
''Thank you, captain"
''Diclz," said his mother, "can't you
let the lobster pots go?"
Couldn't possibly" smiled the boy.
''Could you have the heart to ask me?
Will you cast me off, mother?" he
called second later.
''Wait Ia minute" exclaimed Mrs.
Swing. Fetch your boat close. up. 1
want to speak to you, Dick"
The boat received the necessary i'm
petus, and touched the side of the pier.
Mrs. Swing had seated herself on the
topmost layer of logs forming the
wharf, and leaned over as though to
speak confidently to her son.
Dick" said his mother, "hold fast!
I'm coming" and into the boat she
dropped before either Captain Rose on
the dock or Captain Richard in the
boat had knowledge of her intention.
What under the sun, mother" cried
the boy, lido you mean?"
Il am going with you, Dick, to keep
you from tumbling overheard when
you haul in," and she seated herself in
the stern, calling back as the tide
floated the boat out. 1--WE depend on
you, Captain Rose, to send after us if
we-if it gets too rough" she gasped,
with dash of spray in her face.
LAY, ay!" cried the captain, and he
took off his hat and swung it, he
scarcely knew why.
OF all the women in Dell Haven,
from the eldest to the youngest, Mrs.
Swing most feared the sea. To live
beside it, to watch its every mood de-
lighted her. but to venture on it for
pleasure she was never known to do.
A moments peace she never knew
when Richard. her only son, was ex-
posed to the treachery of the waters,
but rather than mar his wild delight in
wind ard waves this unselfish mother
concealed as much as possible her anx-
iety for him.
Richard was not selfish, and had he
imagined what his mother was at that
moment suffering, would have put the
boat about and tied it forever at the
stake rather than cause her this agony.
just as the boat got well into the
toll of the waves the sun arose, she'd
ding such brilliance on the waters that
Mrs. Swing, who sat facing it, was
dazzled and well nigh failed to see in
time a gill net into which the boat was
running.
''See any boat ahead mother?" ques-
toned Richard. ''You must keep a
good lookout for me. I've got my
ranges right and can fetch the lobster
ground every time"
rs it far?" question: his mother
shudderingly.
Not very; just outside Dull Head.
/ reckon we'll fetch it," said the lad,
dipping his oars for a full stroke and
then letting the boat slide up to the
summit of rolling wave, a trick he
had caught from Captain Hezekiah
Danforth. the master boatman of Dell
Haven.
The wind grew stronger and strong
er, and the waves every moment in
creased in size. Even Richard glanced
sideways more than once with ill-con-
cealed anxiety as the long pillows came
tumbling on, and just then getting a
glimpse of his mothers face beheld it
so blanched with terror of the sea that
it seemed to him his mother was no
longer in the boat with him.
Dick" she gasped, as his oar missed
stroke and sent the spray over the
boat, Dick. I'm afraid to 60 on"
Dick glanced backward. He had
pulled about a mile from shore and
was midway between the two head
lands Familiarity spoken of as the Horns.
Dull Head was surrounded by an even
accommodating mass OF breakers, and
Bright Head caught the sea on its
precipitous sides, sending it backward
in fountains of foam, and all the four
miles that lay between the two points
were rolling miles of pillows.
Sitting with his face landward Rich
ard had not fully felt the danger.
Now, the lad could not repress
shudder as he said: Il don't believe |
could find the buoys in such sea, and
nobody could haul in the pots. be-
lieve I'll put about"
s.Oh, do! o Richard, there comes
an awful one!' and Mrs. Swing slipped
down from her seat into the bottom of
the boat and hid her face from the on
coming wave.
Richard gave a mighty pull at the
oars to keep the boat head on, and it
rode that wave in safety only to meet
new ones, into whose depths the tiny
shell rolled to be completely hidden
from the sight of the two men who
who were standing out on the Dell
Haven pier.
One was Hezekiah Danforth, the
other was Captain Rose.
why didn't you dun little COM
mon sense into the woman if she didn't
take it naturally" scolded Captain
Danforth, '.or shut her and the boy up
somewheres."
81 told her, but I declare when l
was young l could have brought down
them oars in half the time it takes
Jim to fetch 'em. l say, 'Kiah Da H.
I,forth, amt that boat trying to put
about?"
1T acts like it. John, but it will get
swamped just as sure as guns if-no,
it's going on. There's nothing else to
do. l never in all my life saw time
when there wasn't sail in sight.
The boats gone! No! There
it comes up again.
Suddenly a cry for a helping hand
was raised among the bystanders, and
willing hearts went forth from the