The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-07-02

etaut, oeiore any OF the others could
stop him, he had sprung to the rail and
dived head first into the waters of tho
bay.
Taskcr jumped to his feet, half dazcd
by the blow.
into that boat, NIL o'y'!" he roarcd,
and bring tn cuss back or drown him!'
There was n rush of half n dozen of
the men TO the sitlc. The falls had not
been unlocked, and they swarmed
down them into tho boat. In n flash
the fastcnings were cast off and, with
the second mato in the stern sheets,
they pulled away.
Larry had taken. n long header from
the Carstairs' rail and, when he struck
the water, he went down for ten feet
without stop. Then he struck out
horizontally and, with quick strokes
made i'll the direction he knew the shore
to be i'll, ell the time keeping under
water.
At last, when he felt he must have
fresh air. he let himself rise slowly, so
slowly that his head made not the least
splash as it broke the still water of the
bay,
Then he took u big draught of fresh
nearly n hundred feet from the Cars
tairs, and he heard "old Taslscr" 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
twas evident they had not yet de-
tcctcd him. They were looking in every
direction but the right one. But it 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 be only a
matter of short time. The night was
dark, but there was Il good deal of
phosphorcsccncc 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 cx-
ccpt for 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 pursuers.
few strokes and he allowed himself
to rise very gradually. Everything de-
pended upon how accurately he had
judged the distance between his first
position and the boat. If he had rome
capture was insured. What he wanted
what he must do--was to come up
Immediately under the stern Of the
boat.
Presently, just rs he thought his head
would come above the surface of the
water, he felt something hard over him,
and, reaching up, he touched the boats
bottom. With 4 little mancuvcring he
moved backward and felt his head rise
above the water. He was just under
the counter of the boat.
Let her go on therc! a voice
growlcd overhead, and Larry thrust ono
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
c asy one, but he thought he could re-
tain it for time. His body sloped
astcrn, entirely covered by water, so
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--toward shore.
axH-l, Tho, 1
the water front and he had TO hang on
and hope they would come little nearer
TO the wharvcs.
lie was beginning to get very tired.
lie had nothing to grasp which afforded
him any good hold and his fingers were
becoming numb. The water swrlcd
and rushed past his head. but it was
evident the tritling noise it made was
not heard by those above him.
Presently the boat turned toward
shore. In minute or so he saw the
dark outline of one of the bullkheads of
the piers lie glanced Mt the water in
tcrvcning. 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 n
long breath, and made for the shore
under water. BY and by 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 he had not more than that
TO cover in order to be safe.
lie went at it arm over arm. He had
never known before how fast he could
swim. They gained on him but Larry
kept it up When he reached the pier
he dived under the stringer piece and