Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1891-09-18


twisted it with all his strength Il
turned; and in moment he had It on
and, climbing upon the edge of the boat
he wound the rope about his shoulder!
and hands and lifted hard Suddenly
as he strained, the rusty bolt left it.
socket, and he plunged headlong from
the boats side upon the wet sand
Scrambling up, and snatching the rope
he hurried down the beach Without
waiting to take breath, or steady him
self, he plunged into the spray, and
climbing above the surf, took his dan
gerous way across the head. Onward
he went, creeping along the dripping
ledge, with clouds of mist rolling past
him up the cliff, and now and then the
moonlight breaking through upon him.
As he approached the beetling point
that hid his father and the unknown
child from view he paused with fiutter-
ing pulse and listened No sound save
the long rolling crash of the incoming
surges met his ear. Tremblingly he
crept on round the point and looked
down; there they hung! and his heart
gave great leap at the sight. The man
with closed eyes seemed sinking down,
but the child still held him fast about
the neck.
Father! father!" shouted the boy,
with warning voice, I'm come! I've got
the rope!"
The man reused himself with pitiful
smile and the boy made hurried moose
of the rope and cast it down. The
father steadied himself and at length
got the moose over the child's head and
around its body. Then he kissed her
and said, falteringly: "Idon't know who
We are, little thing, an ant made
out a word we've said, but we've saved
me so far. and mebby if we get outer
here yen keepme saved from something
worse than this. Good-by!"
Then grasping the rope tightly Paul
began to pull and the child swung
away from the man and hung over the
plunging waters with wide, terrified
eyes. Slowly he drew her up, and the
man watched until she was safe on the
ledge; then he said: Now. son, I'll see
what good ann" and he began strug-
Cling to get upon the end of the leaning
column
Again and again he essayed it: he
was so numb he could scarcely move
The boy watched him, with every
muscle rigid from sympathy The
action seemed to warm and freshen the
man. and at last he got upon the pillars
end and sat still, with his forehead rest
ing against the cool wall before him
''Now, my son." he said, when he had
gotten his breath, take all the time We
need for gettin' the little thing onto dry
ground I'll be a-rsstin' while y're gone.
Don't hurry, I'll be a-restin'. Keep the
rope round the child, an if she falls
mebby We ken save her again. I'd
rather ye'd save her than me. Good
by!'
Slowly and warily the boy picked his
way through the curling mist, guiding,
lifting, leading the frightened child
along the dizzy path. At last they came
down and out upon the beaten sand,
and as he took the rope from round the
child's quivering form he heari cry,
and looking up saw his mother coming
down the rain-gullied bluff, with the
gray light of dawn breaking over the
edge Of the cliff behind her.
''Oh, mother, he's come! Fathers
Gomez cried the boy. Hes just
round yanderi I'll bring him in min
uter'
The woman's haggard face lit up as
she ran forward to meet him. When
she saw the child she stopped short
"Why-why, where did that little thing
come from?" she asked.
81 don't know, mother. Father said
shed been holding him round the neck
an keepin' him from drowndin'," said
the boy, and he looked at the shivering
waif with something like awe.
The child sat still on the rock where
Paul had placed her. and looked from
one face to the other. Her clothes were
fine and thin, but torn and wet, and her
tangled curls chung about her thin neck
like yellow silk. Her blue eyes were
very appealing, and the woman dropped
down ON her knees beside the child with
great pang of pity at her heart
''Oh, you poor, drowned, starvin' lit
tie thing!'' she said, whats become of
your mammy?" The child gazed at her
wonderingly a moment, and murmured
something in foreign tongue.
'Mercy!" exclaimed the woman. ut
can't speak English; it's foreigner"
and she put her faded shawl about it
Suddenly the boy started up. I'm
goin' now, mother" he said. I'm 60
in after father:' and before the woman
could comprehend he snatched the rope
and ran up in the spray and was swal-
lowed from her sight The act appalled,
her, and she sprang screaming after
him, but she slipped on the wet rocks and
the plunging surges beat her back. To
her mother heart it was much as if he
had passed into billowing fire. The mo-
ments seemed interminable; would he
never come back from that battering,
pounding gulf of foam and noise?
A half hour of terror went by; then
he burst out of the wreathing
spray above her, with cry much as if
he had opened eyes in Heaven. Behind
him came his father, dropping and stag
gering forward, and husband and wife
fell into each others arms, and stood
swaying and sobbing on the sand, while
Paul crept away, sick and broken. and
crying to himself.
Ali he had been through great peril;
he had done a noble deed; he had
brought back his self respect; but had
not the old lowering darkness come
along with it?
When Trave Armsr, following his |
wife, bent his tall, stumbling form and |
II
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