The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-07-29

the fasteningS were east off and. with
the second mate in the stern sheets,
they pulled away.
Larry had taken n long header from
the Carstairs' rail and, when ne struck
the water, he went down for ten feet
without a stop. Then he struck out
horizontally and, with quick strokes
made in the direction he knew the shore
to be in, all the time keeping under
water.
At last, when he felt he must have
fresh air. he let himself rise slowly. 50
slowly that his head made not the least
splash as ii broke the still water OF the
bay.
Then he took big draught of fresh
air and looked around him. lie was
nearly a hundred feet from the Cars
tairs, and lac heard ''old TaslSer" swear
ing and believing some commands to
the boat.
Turning his head in the direction Of
the shore he saw, not twenty feet dis
tant, the boat which he Judged had
been put out after him. The men were
lying on their oars and the officer in
the stern was standing up with his back
toward him, scanning the bay around
him.
y
tcctcd him. They were looking in every
direction but the right one. But II was
equally evident to Larry that he could
not hope to pass them and get To shore,
his only place of refuge, without being
seen, when his capture would bc only =,
matter of short time. The night was
dark, but there was a good deal of
phosphoresccncc in the water and his
movements would show him to them
very speedily. Swimming under water
for that distance was beyond even him,
and he was an excellent swimmer.
As the boat lay there, not moving ex-
cept for a slight rocking, and he saw
them all looking away from him. an
idea came to Larry which made him
silently sink his head below the water
again and strike out under water to-
ward his pursucrs.
y few strokes and he allowed himself
10 rise very gradually. Everything de-
pended upon how accurately he had
Judged the distance between his first
position and the boat. If he had gone
three feet too little or too much his
capture was insured. What he wanted
what he must do-was TO come up
immediately under the stern of the
boat
Presently,.iust as he thought his head
would come above the surface OF the
water, nc felt something hard over him,
and, reaching up, ne touched the boats
bottom. With little mancuvering he
moved backward and felt his head rise
above the water. He was just under
the counter of the boat.
Let her go on there a voice
growlcd overhead, and Larry thrust one
arm forward and down and grasped the
keel: the other arm he bent above his
head against the sternmost part of the
counter to fcnd himself OFF with.
As he lay his position was not an
e asy one. but he thought hc could re-
tain it for Il time. His body sloped
astcrn, entirely covered by water, 50
that only his head and part OF his
shoulders which were concealed by the
boats ovcrhang, were above the sur
face.
The boat started ahead slowly and
Larry thanked his starS-tovarj shore.
For awhile they patroiled parallel with
the water front and he had to hang on
and hope they would come a little nearer
to the wharvcs.
lie was beginning to get very tired.
He had nothing to grasp which afforded
him any good hold and his fingers were
becoming numb The water swirled
and rushed past his head, but it was
evident the trifling noise it made was
not heard by those above him.
Presently the boat turned toward
shore. In n minute or so he saw the
dark outline of one of the bulkheads of
the piers. He glanced at the water in
tervcning. There was about two hun
drcd feet between him and the shore.
lie made up his mind To try it.
Once again he sank, having taken
long breath. and made for the shore
under water. BY and 10y he had come
To the surface again.
The instant his head broke the water
there was yell from out in the river.
They had discovered him, he knew.
but they were nearly hundred feet
away and ne had not more than that
to cover in order To be safe.
lie went at it arm over arm. lie had
never known before how fast he could
swim. They gained on him but Larry
kept it up. When ne reached the pier
he divcd under the stringer piece and
his pursucrs halted. They couldn't fol-
low him there.
\ couple of minutes later figure APP
peared on the wharf. 1t was Larry.
The men in the boat saw him shake
his fist at them and then move quickly
away. The second mates heart quaked
as hc thought of the reception old
TaSller' would give him when he came
back pty-handed And Larry went
off to his lodgings, well satisfied with
the outcome of his adventure, notwith-
standing it had given him the most un-
pleasant experience of his life of dan
ger and hardship.-Francis c. Williams,
in Detroit Free Press.