Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-02-04
GRACE DESMOND'S PERIL.
Bx HARRY o'coNNoR.

'Did you hear that, boys?" said Pierc,
Ryan to group of which he formed (
part, sitting around the CHEEKY turf fire
of all inn, in small fishing hamlet OIL
the western coast of Ireland.
Every voice in the company ceased
speaking at once. The roar of the
neighborlng surf and the wild tumult OF
the tempest, as it whistled and shrieked
without, broke distinctly on the hearing,
but for more than minute, during which
all listened intently, nothing else was
heard.
at was merely fancy, Pierce" said
The speaker stopped short, for at that
instant, the deep boom of cannon, out
at sea, sounded distinctly and fearfully
across the night.
'There is ship on the coast" said
Pierce. "Hark! third gun, and it
sounds nearer than the last" "And the
wind is right on the shore and blowing a
hurricane" said another. "Lord be
merciful to them" calculated Pierce,
"but let us hurry to the coast and see if
we can help them in any way"
With one consent the party moved
toward the door, first, however, calling
to the landlord to bring lanterns and
ropes in case the latter might be needed.
AS the door was opened gust of wind
eddied into the room, faring the candles
in their sconces, and whistling keenly
around the corners of the apartments.
When the adventures stepped outside
they were almost borne down for mo-
ment by the intensity of the gale. which,
sweeping Unchecked across the plain
that lay betwixt the inn and the beach
burst on the house with almost incred-
ible fury. 1t was showing violently, and
the flakes, Kissing and spinning in the
hurricane, almost blinded tho eyes of the
adventures; but drawing their friez,
topcoats around them, the warm. hearted
travellers bent their heads against the
wind and hurried to the coast.
The shore to which they turned theil
steps was a high, bold rocky coast
against which the surf was now beating
with violence that shook the cliffs tt
their base and flung the spray in showers
over their edge 100 feet above the ragin.
deep below. The party had stood som,
time, however, on the summit of thu
rocks before they could distinguish any
thing through the storm.
At length a light, shadowy obiec
gradually assumed the outlines of shT
flying before the tempest and started out
of the misty distance. For one moment
she was seen driving up toward the spec.
tators. That moment, seeming to then
an age, was spent in breathess horror
i'm lp,, al
hands tighter together and gazed will
straining eyes on the powerless craft tha
was sweeping onward with such ma,
velocity to the cliffs at his feet. On, Oh
she came, driving amid the white foam
A moment more and there was a. crash
followed by shrek that rose even abov,
the storm, and froze the very hearts o.
the listeners. 1t ceased and the hurri
cane alone was heard.
at is all over" said one of thu
listeners.
May the good heaven give rest to the
souls of those who have gone to their las
account this blessed night"
"Amen, said another, and again {
breathing silence followed. At lengtl
Pierce Ryan spoke.
Dlu you near Inuu cry
81 did. 1t sounds like the wall of {
child"
g 1t is just beneath the cliff" said
Pierce. "Listen! there it is again-it is
a woman's voice"
There was no doubt any longer that O
living being was crying for succor from
the foot of the cliffs, and dozen lanterns
were Immediately lowered over the edge
For an instant, and an instant only, by
the light of n lantern lowered further
down the precipics, but almost immedi-
ately shattered TO pieces, the face of q
female had been seen, cast upward in
earnest supplication. But what could be
done for her? The frenzy of the gale for.
bade any attempt to rescue her by de.
scending the cliff, and it was certain that
she could not live until morning, expose,
to the driving snow, the intense cold, tn,
washing of the surf and the fierce eddie
of the gale around the precipice Tn
spectators looked at each other in dismay
and when, in n lull of the hurricane, tn
cry of agony came again to their ears,
shiver ran through their frames. Mean
while the cliffs were becoming crowde
with people, who, apprised of the wrec
by the signal guns she had fired, poure
forth from their cabins to render wha
assistance was possible to the sufferers
A fire was soon kindled on the verge o
the precipice. AS the fire flung its lgh
across the countenances of the group
there might be traced in every face a
expression of the most anxious concern
while each spectator gazed out towar
the ocean, striving to catch through tn
feecy storm n sight of the wreck, o
peered down over the cliff to discove
the exact position of the sufferer below.
During all this time persons had beer
arriving at the scene of the disaster
bringing ropes, tackle, and other apph
ances by which aid might be rendered
to the crew and passengers of the dis
mantled ship. At length, the fire
fiinging its ruddy blaze far and wild
around enabled the spectators to catcl
momentary CLEANS of the wreck. Sh
appeared to be ship of heavy tonnage
and had ran so high up on the rock
that she stuck there as if impaled, he
stern falling off seaward while her bow
overhuDg the boiling vortex on the Ian
side of the sharp rock on which she lay
The racking of the sea had by this tim
broken her hull in two, and the forwa
part, crowded with living beings, fe
away into the gulf below, Just as tn
ruddy blaze of the flames enabled til
spectators to catch their first glimpe o
the wreck. One wild shrek rose over al
the uproar of the gale. and then silence
, il silence there could be amid that hurri
cane, fell on the scene.
''There is not a soul left alive. | fea
IL