Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-07

& a0gansST aOg aIoTds' 81 p''l'
| These advantage:
drew MI. and Mrs, Broughton to the ole
town, and they took for the summer cot
tage on the very waters brink, where thell
young people could revel in every salty de-
light without the restraints or the exposure
| of a fashionable resort. The Broughton
family was large one, and dare say you
might like to know them all, but my story
has only to do with Ben, boy of IA, who
will never forget the summer ne spent a'
| Rainsford's.
Ben was always an active fellow, very
welcome on the ball field, or wherever good
manly play of any sort was going on, but
| he was neither very large for his age mol
naturally very strong. His successes as an
athletic youngster came through his cour-
age and endurance, his quicSness OF percep-
| tion, and his perseverance. When his
straight, wiry little figure appeared on
either side of a contest it meant help worth
having and the opposing team knew II
well.
Seaside pleasures he knew very little
| about, and his first days at Rainsford's s were
rather dull and he was not at all sure that
| he should fancy this new life. But his
| parents fostered his self-reliance by hiring
| flat-bottomed boat for their children, and
| almost Immediately letting him row about,
close in shore, on quiet days, and by en-
| couraging him to learn as rapidly as posi-
| BILE to swim.
A dock ran out near the cottage and under
It's lee thechildren bathed in safety and soon
| felt at home in the buoyant salt water.
| Some logs foated about, farther out or closer
In, as the tide carried them, and they served
as supports to the tired young legs and arms
and gave them a sense of security. Mrs.
Broughton watched their fun from her win
dows and felt no fear, and Ben, and even
his little sister, grew expert IN this new
element.
Gradually as the summer advanced other
boys came to swim in this safe spot, and on
any pleasant afternoon group could be seen
perched upon the top of the wharf, resting
or making ready to dive. A few were chill
dren of the town, as much at ease and as
fully posted in marine matters as If they had
been born with fins; but there were two
little fellows, neither of them very strong,
who were Just commencing to swim and
were not very successful in learning.
These brothers were especially eager to
become expert swimmers because on their
success defended their ownership of q boat
like the Broughtons'. GAS soon as they
could take care of themselves" their father
had said they should have one. Perhaps
they were timid, for they were nervous lads,
or perhaps their lungs were not strong, but
whatever the cause might be they made but
little headway. Daily they came to the
dock, and the elder boy made some advance
ment, but the younger could scarcely sup
port himself in the water.
Tbair
when on one calm, hot August afternoon,
Just as the tide reached the right point, and
the usual knot of boys in their bathing suits
were sitting at the end of the wharf, Ben
made ready to join them. To his surprise
his mother called him to go to the town on
an errand, which would keep him so long
that the fun would all be over Ben looked
wistfuIly out over the gently heaving water,
changing in the soft light from gold to blue,
and saw the passing boats break the lovely
surface into cleaning foam, and watched the
swooping gulls rising and falling on their
strong, white wings. and everything seemed
free but himself He was not given to many
words, SO he drew a long sigh and started off
obcdiently if not cheerfully.
Just as this small struggle was going on
in his mind the little brothers were making
ready for their daily attempt. Anxious to
encourage the younger to lose his fears and
venture alone in the water, Tom Dunlap,
the older boy, Lad remained on the dock
and urged little Dick to trust himself to
the support of plank and swim out to
where he sat. "Don't be afraid, Dick.
Swim out to me and I'll jump off and join
you"
Laboriously, small Dick tried to obey, but
before those few feet were passed he gave q
sudden cry of fright and slipped away from
the upholding wood.
In an instant Tom had leaped into the
water and reached his brothers side. Take
hold of me, Dick; hold tight"
But alasl the trembling hands of the poor
child made only futile efforts to touch his
brothers shoulder; his short legs tried to
astrike out" and then he sank, and an
agony of fear paralyzed Toms body and
mind.
Just at this moment Ben came whistling
down the road. The boys upon the dock
called to him with shrill voices: :
'The Dunlap boys are drowningi The
Dunlap boys are drowningP'
Ready for their bath, stronger and older
than their struggling comrades, fully able
to swim and to act in concert in rescuinc
them, called by conscience and manliness
and every possible incentive to plunge in
and do their best, they stood upon the
wharf and shouted and stared and pointed
without making one effort to
save.
Hardly crediting the true state of the
case, Ben paused for half minute, keenly
scanning the water before him, and to his
horror he saw white indistinct object float
to the surface and fall instantly out of sight,
and almost in the same breath, nearer In
shore, rose out of the water the face and
head of Tom Dunlap A meaningless stare
from his fixed eyes, gasping flutter of the
mouth, and feeble struggle to use his
arms, and he too was gone.
With eager energy Ben flung of his coat
and stopped to unite his shoes, but a ter
rible fear sezed him; the mere untying of a
,hoestring took too long. Where was that
Faint, white glimmer which he knew-he
could not tell how-had been the face of |
little Dick Dunlap? Waiting for no more,
n he plunged.
When unselfsh courage fills heart. !
teadiness Of mind is apt to keep it CON- !
,any, and Ben thought fast and to good !
purpose: tom is heavier than I am, and |
can't swim well; shall never be able to |
lold him."
With all the force he possessed he made
h. 1oo and .L~-x