The Irish standard., 1891-08-29

I The boy watched him walk waver-
|ingly out upon the landing-plank to
large four cared boat. The chain hung
Flooselv over the stake at the end OF the
lplank, and the mans foot caught under
at, lifting it from the stake, and he fell
forward into the boat, giving it a great
I}urch outward. The wind had been
following steadily from the land all day,
and long crested swe'ls were running
westward as far as the eye could reach.
lThe man. from being stunned, or in a
stupor, did not rise, and the boat began
drifting outward The oars had been
removed, and the boy turned about
with a noise in his ears like g1rgling
water The sun seemed to get dark to
him; the greatest struggle OF his Lie
bad come.
He started TO get the boat at the
head and save the man; then he stood
still with his fists clenched, and
watched the. boat come down the bay.
No one seemed to notice it, and outward
St, drifted, borne Ola the long, rolling
swells. 1t passed by the boy, and he
0avered and strained in the conflicting
currents of feeling that beset him
Should he save him? He saved him but
yestermorn! Lo his reward! But was
not he who MIGHT save q life and WOULD
not, almost as guilty as he who took
one? Something like this passed through
his mind but he could not reason; his
thoughts seemed scattered and confused
10y his anger.
The boat drifted through the mouth
OF the bay; there the unbroken wind
quickened the swells, and it passed into
She open deep. Thousands of miles OF
water spread away before it. and with
out food or oars the unconscious father
went outward into the gli1nnleri,lg'
waste.
At last the boat awindled to a speck
and died IN the blue gulf, and great
white cloud shut down upon it, like the
marble covering to a grave. At that a.
poignaDt sense Of separation fell upon
Che boy, the first sharp throe of anguish,
as the bond that nature had placed be-
ts7ecn them parted. lie stood appalled,
st the deed he had done. a vision Of the
xuan starving, raving. drowning, rose
before Him, and, with a cry Of terror,
ne broke through the hate and rage
that bound him, and ran towards the
head. /:
The boat was lying there with Prov
upon the yellow sand. He pushed it
ont ana leaped IL, and spread out the
oars, those trusty water-yvings that
were to move him upon the widest,
strangest Journey Of his life. He swept
her out upon the swells. Thank fortune,
bis arms and chest were wcll-nigh as
Ghickly lDuscled as q mans! Ills poor,
Aaltiug legs would not be needed in
&l,is bitter race! He thought Of ills
another and looked up at Beaver head.
Carl was standing upon its verge.
F'TelL mother that fati1e. has Grifted
out 10 sea, an that I'm goin' after hi1n!'s
shouted Paul ooh, Carl, tell her I'll
bring him back to her ii liveif l.
xiye!'' and he laid the boat about on
che waiar, and sent her out. with all his
strength.
Tell mother I Let him go! Tell her
couldn't wait to see hex. @ Carl. be
good 10 he7. if me and father never
come back--no--more!" Then the voice
failed the boy upon the cliff could hear
it no longer, and turned and ran toward
the house, and Paul went outward on
the swells.
IIe, sat facing the great furrowed
front of the head as he pulled. Would
~ ever see it again? AL that he loved
was up there, save the poor father toss
inc toward the sunset, lie saw figures
running to and fro upon the height;
his mother was among them! A choh-
inc lamp rose into his throat, but he
never once slaclzened his desperate
stroke Outward he Went, outward,
outward, as If life and hope lay only in
the dangerous central sea. The head
began to sink: slowly it went down,
but his eyes never left it for a moment.
Soon it's top alone was visible, q BLUSH
spot with moving spec,1s upon it, Then
slowly that, too, went down. and reap
paared, and sank again, and he was
alone upon the wide, mysterious sea.
he closed his eyes, his breath coming
hard with the struggle, aud q great
wretclletiness fell upon him as the land,
with all it held, was parted utterly
from him. But he did not pause: out
ward outward he went, crying III his
iae;,t to God for time, for daylight, in
which to save the one he had lost.
Suddenly he leaped up and looked
narrowly across the vast ezpallse moth
ing was there save the ever-changiug
belts Of light and shade as the neecy
clouds blew over, and with q piteous
cry he sprang to the oars and drove the
heavy boat onward. Oh, if he could
but reach his father ere the sun ceased
60 brighten distant objects on the water!
He pulled with every muscle strained
well-nigh to breaking. At last he felt
himself turn sick with labor, and fell
upon his knees and dashed his face and
head with water. He was dripping with
sweat and his heart was huttering from
long and violent action. He thrust his
Tot arms in the water to the shoulders
as he hung over the side of the boat, and
his dizziness passed. Then he leaped up
again and pulled feverishly forward.
The first great surging sense Of crime
.,and pollution never lifted itself from
his spirit for moment A deadly ex-
.haustion began to creep upon him. but
he could not rest; the boat kept leaping