The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-08-25

OehCAA@ LUZ bAAO OAd MOAAAdh OOLAO hP
brave as an Indian. go long, child"
she says, ian may the Lord bring you
backT" an down she set again. GOVERN
up her head.
Somehow or other them poor souls on
the schooner got knowledge of the boat.
an as it pushed off the first time they set
up kind of a cheer. an we answered
it loud an hopeful. but l tell you we
didn't feel that way. There wasn't
much chance of their ever gettin back
alive, an our men knew it, too, but they
was keen spirited. 1t cut father up not
to go, but he wouldn't have been no
more use than the minister, for his legs
was stiff as wedges, what with the cold
an wet.
Three times that boat drove back, an
three times they pushed her off again,
an at last she got safe through the
breakers.
When they come near the wreck, they
daren't go too close. Twice they throwed
a line to her, an it fell short. 1t seemed
as if had to look at 'em, for all / hated
to, an while ] was strainin my eyes there
come flash of hghtnin, an see every
thing plain as day. The boat was on top
of great wave, an a man was standin
up in her strippin off his clothes-I knew
by his height it was Dode-he was con
siderable over six foot. We all seen him
that way for jest second, an then it
was dark again, an we didn't hardly
breathe till there come a shout from
across the water, an we knew he was on
board the wreck an line with him. We
clapped our hands then an laughed
like crazy folks. l couldn't see 'em goin
along the line, but the boys had piled up
the fire higher than ever, an could get
O sight of the boat gettin fuller an fuller.
an father an Cap'n Zach kept tallzin to-
gether an lookin more Worried, but l
didn't know why, till at last there come
a second shout, an we knew they was all
off the wreck an started back. We
women was such fools we thought they
was the same as saved. an never will /
forget how felt when Cap'n Zach turned
round an put his hand heavy on the
minister's shoulder. "Get down an pray
now, man, he shouted, "for If the Lord
don't help 'em no man comes ashore in
that boat this night"
The minister never stopped for WORD,
but dropped right down on his knees like
a child. His hair was BLOWN round his
face, for he'd lost his hat, an his hands
was all bloody where he'd scratched 'em
on the cart, an believe his face was
bloody, too, but / tell you l never see
any one that looked so good to me.
We kneeled round him, an he shut his
eyes for a minute before he begun:
"Our Father, which art in heaven"-we
said it after him same as if he was in
church-"hallowed be thy name, thy
kingdom come, thy will be done on
earth as it is in heaven"-I peeked at
him then, an he was lookin straight out
to sea, shadin his eyes with his hand,
but didn't think no harm of it. "Give
us this day our daily bread, an forgive
us our trespasses, as we forgive them
that trespass against us, an lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from
evil, for thine is the kingdom an power
-Boysl Helpl Helpl There they arel"
An the first knew he give leap an was
up to his middle in the water haulin at
the boat an the rest at his heels, father
an all. Old Cook told me afterwards
that he hadn't no doubt but what the
Lord finished up that prayer himself. an
| hadn't neither.
Well. thanks be given, they was got
ashore safe an sound, but wet as drownd-
ed rats Nigh on to the first one out Of
the boat was Dode Avery, luggin poor,
senseless Teller, with his leg broke, an
when he was laid by the fire an the
cap'n bent over him an wiped the hair
off7n his wet face he give an awful
screech, for it was his own sonl 1t come
out afterwards that young Zach had took
bad fever on the whaler, an when they
fell in with the French schooner maxim
for Boston he'd been transferred an was
comm home He was kind of weakly
from the fever, so when the mast went
he couldn't help himself, an his leg had
got a terrible blow. He was layin on
the deck, hangin on to somethin an half
dead. when Dode was hauled aboard the
wreck with the line, an the last thing he
remembered was bein h'isted up an tied
on to Dode's back. How that cretur car
ried him along the line to the boat he
couldn't have told, nor Dode neither, l
guess, but he doneit. They didn't know
one another till they got ashore, for the
hghtnin sort of blinded them to things
close to, an they was under water good
share of the time, expect.
The schooner was in dreadful way.
She went to pieces pretty soon after they
left her, an considerable of her cargo an
fittin's came ashore the next day. 1t was
terrible close shave for them men. l
declare | suppose we did act silly over
'em. Folks mostly do such times Why,
every one of them foreigners seemed
almost like my own brother to me. Fa-
Their says gave 'em hug all round, but
you know he always will have his joke.
You never see so many bottles Of spirits
at one timel Every soul of us had
brought one an some two. But they was
needed, tell you, for the poor men was
half starved an froze besides.
Granny Ely set right there on the sand
till Toby come an took hold Of her, an
then she tipped over at his feet an tainted
dead as doornail. She told me good
while afterward that she never expected
to see him again, for all the time the