Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-10-31


These thoughts flashed through his brain,
and in moment his mind was made up.
Ave, he would outbrave Sim in accepting
the challenge.
81 accept your proposition, Sim" he
cried. Then he added: "And to make
the race more even for you l will only
take sister Lily along to help me sail the
boat"
A wild yell of approval went up from
his companions, for all knew that Lily
spratt was as plucky girl as there was
in Tomsburg, and that her skill in hand
ling boat was second only to that Of
the most expert boatmen in the village.
Just then Annie Jason came upon the
scene, and joining her brother, asked the
cause for the uproar. Sim told her in
hurried whisper.
"The Spratts shan't crow over us,
SIM" she said resolutely, stamping her
small foot upon the sand, "I'll go with
you"
When Sim had made known what his
sister had said, another shout, more wild
and more prolonged than the first, rent
the air.
In short time the news OF the pro-
posed race spread through Tomsburg,
and in less than half an hours time men,
women and children were congregated
upon the shore, all taking a lively inter
est in the preparations being made there
The sun was just going down behind
dark mass of clouds when Jay and
Sim, accompanied by their sisters, came
down to the landing, where their re-
spective friends had hoisted sail on the
two boats, and made everything ready
for a start.
The young men made hasty survey to
see that their crafts were in ship-shspe,
and having satisfied themselves that
everything had been properly attended
to grasped the tillers, gave the signal to
cast of and darted away from the shore,
like birds on snowy wings, amid lusty
cheers from those left behind.
The sky looked rent and threatening.
There were distant thunder and frequent
flashes of lightning. Dark towering
masses of clouds rose slowly upon all
sides of the horizon. The wind was due
east. blowing a stiff breeze. The two
boats were close hauled on the wind,
barely making their course. The water
was rough and the waves ran pretty high
casting drenching spray over every
thing as the little crafts were forced
straight through them. The crews Of
the two boats-the girls as well as the
boys-were we'll protected, however, by
long oilskiu coats, reaching down to
their feet, and Southwestern hats.
For the first ten miles it was pretty
even race; then the wind died out COM
pletely. Night had set in. The thunder
sounded louder and closer, and the light
ming came in binding flashes. The
clouds rolled upward from every side un-
til they met overhead. For few min
utes the thunder stopped its loud eau
nonade, and the lightning ceased; the
only sounds that broke the silence being
the dying murmur of breaking wave
and the gentle swash of the water against
the sides of the boats.
The darkness was intense; the air was
hot and sitting. Then an OmniOus sound
came from a distance-a sound that the
occupants of the boats had often heard
before-a low murmur at first, increas-
ing gradually in volume, until at last, as
it drew nearer, it sounded like roar OF
wrath mingled with shrill shrieks Of
agony and despair.
Sim and Jay hastily lowered their sails
and furled them snug and fast; and just
az the first chilly breath of the squall
touched their sweat beaded cheeks and
forehsads they threw the anchors over
board.
Then the storm broke loose in all its
fury. The thunder roared more deafen-
ingly, the lightning flashed more blind
ingly than before. The phosphorescent
water cleaned as an ocean Of fire lashed
and driven before the gale. The two
sail boats were tossed like corks upon
the angry sea, but their anchors held
them head to the wind, while strong,
nervous hands grasped the tillers and
steadied them as they plunged up and
down among the furious waves.
The two boats seemed to be riding the
gale safely, until suddenly the "Annie's"
cable snapped. The Annie was to the
windward of the Lily, and when the
cable parted she drifted straight down
upon the latter. They came together
with fearful crash. Then came a wave
higher crested and more furious than its
fellows. It burst upon the boats while
they were yet side by side, sweeping their
decks from fore to aft, at TIE same time
tearing them apart and carrying one far
astern of the other.
Jay looked around for his sister. At
his feet, in the small cockpit in which he
was sitting, now half filled with water,
he saw a motionless figure, which he
thought to be hers. Hc reached down
his hand and dragged her toward him.
A long and vivid flash lighted up