The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-07-03

ON BOARD THE YACHT.
So astonished, nay, shocked, was Hen
ry at such an answer that he jumped
from his tracks as if wave were about
to ingulf him, whereat Nellie laughed.
Then Henry flushed with something
akin to anger.
"And that is ALP" he asked; and after
a slight pause, 81 think we understand
each other" he added, and walked rap
idly away.
To everybody but Henry and Nellie
the afternoon passed happily. The tide
had nearly reached it's height when all
noticed that the horizon seaward was
nearer at hand than it had been. AS they
watched they saw the sky slowly but
surely eat up the rolling waters, and
presently across the pounding breakers
dense and gloomy fog stalked in upon
the beach, and in another moment,
wind driven, it had wrapped itself about
Lone Hill, blotted out the Point of
Woods and hidden in blank grayness all
the land beyond the bay. But it made
little difference to the party of excur-
sionists; there might be necessity of
waiting before venturing across the bay,
but that would merely prolong the en-
joyment, and so the fun went on.
1t was some time between and 5
o'clock, and fog and wind and tide were
ing through the gray obscurity with
message that turned the thoughts of all
the party from amusement or patriotic
celebration. His message and the deeds
it led to are well remembered along
that part Of Long Island. and they have
taken their place in the history of the
United States. The man was Keeper
Baker, Of the government life saving sta
ton situated at Lone Hill, and he
brought word that big vessel had
stranded about half mile east of the
station. When the southeast wind
gathered up the dense fog of July A, 1884,
Baker began to patrol the stretch of
beach guarded by his station. and so it
was that shortly after she drove in upon
the sands he was able to distinguish dim
ly the outlines of a great boat beyond
the surf, and he knew at once that all on
board were in imminent peril. He did
not say all this to the party of excursion
lists: one glance at his strong face told
them that he sought volunteer crew.
He had hardly begun his hurried expla-
nation before Henry Martin had placed
himself at the keepers side. 1t was but
a moment, and then the keeper, followed
by six stalwart men, hurried to the sta
ton.
The surf boat was already on the car
riage, and loaded with all the appliances
for saving life. The men dragged the
heavy carriage over the sands, the broad
fanges of the wheels sinking but little,
and excitement of the work making the
task an easy one. The whole party of
excursionists followed until they, too,
could distinguish now and again dull
black shadow in the fog seward that
they knew to be the hull of the stranded
vessel Then they saw the experienced
keeper and his volunteer crew push the
long, deep boat from the carriage to the
sand aII into the surf. More than one
woman's heart grew faint as the valiant
workers completely disappeared in the
spray of the first roller that struck them.
Then with a great glow of Il
relief they saw the -4
boat upright upon -AzG@
the tumbling =szgzSs.2
water, four s=sEssszssI|
men pull Issszss s ;z;asszaSzsSl
ASssaS s Ii s; ! s:s:s.sse
GAE@ - at tn 9
ga "A 49, oars, and
EW&A I@R.IAS1ga@ directing her
STsA Hss 2" head straight
EtSSTssst " ~ coming S waves vae a md
MlWH "Ii after that they watch
Mfl0Iq ed with straining ewes
and bated breath the snrf
boat slowly make its way toward the
vessel, until the fog shut it wholly out of
vision.
The men pulled away, and at last by
the exercise of skill that accomplishes
marvellous deeds with small boats in a