Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-07-13
THE Hero of Beaver Head.
BY ALvA MILTON KERR. fCopyrighted by Kellogg Newspaper Col

He started to get the boat at the head and save the man; then he stood still with his fists clcnched, and watched the boat come down the bay. No one seemed to notice it, and outward it drifted, borne on the long, rolling swells. It passed by the boy, and he wavered 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 life and woULn 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 by his anger.
 The boat drifted through the mouth of the bay; there the unbroben wind quicllcned the swells, and it passed into the open deep. Thousands of miles of water spread away before it, and with out food or oars the unconscious father went outward into the glimmering waste.
 At last the boat dwindled to speck and died in the blue gulf, and great white cloud shut down upon it, like the IldI DlC covering GO L dNC' AO OiAe~C o poignant sense of separation fell upon the boy, the first sharp throe of anguish, as the bond that nature had placed be- tween them parted. He stood appalled, at the deed he had done. A vision of the man starving, raving, drowning, rose before him, and, with cry of terror, he broke through the hate and rage that bound him, and ran towards the head.
 The boat waa lying there with prow upon the yellow sand. He pushed it out and leaped in and spread out the oars, those trusty water-wings that were to move him upon the widest, strangest journey of his life. He swept her out upon the swells. Thank fortune, his arms and chest were well-nigh as thip l1ly musclcd as a mans! His poor, halting legs would not be needed in this bitter race! He thought of his mother and looked up at Beaver head Carl was standing upon its verge.
 ''Tell mother that father has drifted out to sea, an that I'm goin' after him!'' shouted Paul. "Oh, Carl, tell her I'll bring him back to her if l live-if l. live!" and he laid the boat about on the water, and sent her out with all his strength.
 'Tpll mother let him go! Tell her couldn't wait to see her! o Carl, be good to her if me and father never come back-no-Inore!" 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 Cn | the swells
 He sat facing the great furrowCd front of the head as he pulled. Would | he ever see it again? All that he loved was up there, save the poor father toss | ing toward the sunset. He saw figures running to and fro upon the height; his mother was among them! A choll- ing lump rose into his throat, but he never once slacllrn1d his desperate stroke. Outward he went, outward, outward, as if lie and hope lay only in the dangerous central sca. The head | began to sink; slowly it went down, | but his eyes never lcit it for a moment. Soon it's top alone Wal, visible, a bnish | spot with moving Hprclls upon it. Then slowly that, too, went down, and reap pcarcd, and sank again, and he was alone upon the wide, mysterious sea.
 He closed his eyes, his breath coming l IltLIN " II1l G-lN anu al ICSs wrctchcdness fell upon him as the land with all it hCll was parted utterly from him. But he did not pause; out ward, outward he went, crying in his heart to God for time, for daylight, ir which to save the one he had lost. Suddenly he lcapcd up and looked narrowly across the vast cXpanSc nOth ing was there wave the ever-changine belts of light and shade as the fIeccy clouds blew over, and with a pitcouS cry he sprang to the oars and drove the heavy boat onward. Oh, if he could but reach his father ere the sun ceased to brighten distant objects on the water
 He pulled with every muscle strained wcll-niCh to breaking. At last he fel | himself turn sick with labor, and fel upon his knees and dashed his face anC , head with water. He was dripping witl sweat and his heart was huttering iron long and violent action. He thrust hi
 hot arms in the water to the shoulder as he hung over the side of the boat, anC his dizziness passed. Then he Icaped III again and pulled feverishly forward The first great surging sense of crime and pollution never lifted itself iron
 his spirit for a moment. A deadly cX haustion began to creep upon him, bu D he could not rest; the boat kept lcapin, outward, and over all the face of tn
 deep there was no sound save the oar
 working in the locks, his laborin,
 breath, and the low slap and gurgle O
 the water under the advancing prov.
 At last the sun began to go dowr
 and he rose in the boat and strained hi
 eyes again across the waters. Bu
 nothing was visible, and he sank dowr
 i'll with agony and exhaustion. Tn \ sky seemed to turn round above hin / and the ocean seemed to shift from sid
 to side. He was pitiable picture as h
 sat there, clutching the boat in his dizz
 ness. His hat was gone, one arm wa
 bare to the shoulder where his shirt ha
 been torn away in his struggle with hi
 father, his face was streal1cd wit
 blood and his hair hung about his throl
 ping temples in sweat dampcne