The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-09-02

anu Leu ner SWING Oh tH0 DlIloWS.
81 suppose I must have fallen into a
sort of dream. Though did not sleep
nor close my eyes, wasn't taking notice
of anything. How long this lasted
can't say, but was suddenly reused by
faint shout from seward. AT that
turned to see Wales Jones coming in at
a great pace.
ellis double bladed paddle was going
like the arms of an old fashioned wind
mill. He was within quarter Of mile
or so of me, and could make out that
he was down on one knee, with the other
leg thrust out in front of him---his IA
vorite attitude for putting on all steam.
81 got into my head that hewas hit.
ting it up as he calls speeding, by show
ing me his superior pace, but pretty seen
he jumped to his feet, pointed to shore
with his paddle and shouted some words
that couldn't make out.
"There was no mistalling the gesture,
though. I looked ashore to see the sky
blackening with the coming Of squall
'sWeIl, sir, in about one minute,
guess, there was no shore to be seen. It
had been blotted out. A front rain and
wind came fairly shrieking over the
water. knew there was no use trying to
paddle or control the Yvonne. The best
thing could do was to lie down and so
give her my body for low ballast.
''As / stretched myself out in the bot
tom the squall broke over me with a
fury that passed almost as quickly as it
came. It was just as though some vast
mouth had opened, given one long,
mighty puff and closed again.
'sLittle more sea had risen than would
come on a big pond with such sudden
gale. But where was Wales2 I looked
back as I turned toward shore. In the
distance I saw the squat racing away.
was confident that it had fed past
where / had seen the Englishman, yet
not a glimpse of his red canoe did
catch.
Before I had fairly searched the sea-
ward horizon the wind came upof which
the sauall had been q forerunner. It
was not what you'd call great wind,
but from the first I could feel that it was
going to be steady and rising wind.
It blew straight from shore, and put in
my paddle with wonder whether I had
strength to make head against it long
enough to save myself from being blown
out to sea.
81 was in good condition, for I had
been padding on the Riverside reach six
or eight miles almost every day since
April, but pretty soon | began to see that
Icould not make the shore.
.'The wind was no gale, you under
stand, but it was dead against me, and
it's pressure was as steady as a jack
screws. The Yvonne is one Of these
sgirling' canoes, made on the bark canoe
model and too high in the sides and ends
for work in wind. Perhaps you know
how hard it is to keep canoe of that
model straight into the winds eye?
"Well, then, you can fancy how she
fell off first to this side, and then when
/ corrected her to the other, as her nose
caught the wind on coming up over wave
after wave.
'sThe sea was rising, It was not high;
it was not yet dangerous. I was under
no fear of capsizing or being swamped.
My fear was only that could not make
head against wave and wind. Not to do
SO meant to be blown out to sea.
81 could, soon saw. get through the
water more quickly by steering half
across seas instead of dead against them,
but was sure the Yvonne drifted side
wise when gave her quarter at all to
the breeze. Those wide bottomed canoes
have no such hold on the water as Pc
terboro or Rob Roy. OF course could
gain nothing by running quickly at an
angle to the shore if I were drifting out
from it at the same time, SO doggedly
stuck to my straight wind pad
ding.
ssMy one hope was that some yacht or
catboat would come to me before my
strength went, but not vestige Of cam
vas could I see except the spirit sail Of
some boat running to and fro in the river
inside the Kennebunkport pier. I could
see many people ashore, like puppets
moving about, but well knew that they
were so accustomed to the sight of Wales
at sea that they would never imagine me
to be in danger in waves much smaller
than the Englishman played with
''Sea and wind gradually rose till ]
doubted whether I was gaining an inch.
Little whitecaps began to break near
me and greater ones in the northern and
southern distances. If waves with for
midable crests arose, was sure they
would pour over the Yvonne's sides.
Gail the time / was thinking of the
fate Of Wales, fancying how his body was
drifting down and down far behind me
and imagining the same ending for my
self. Twice had turned to glance be-
hind without making out his low sided,
red canoe, SO was the more convinced
she had been rolled upside down in the
squall.
"Hello. Is this Brighton Staticni I
shall have to hurry up with the story.
Well, suppose I struggled in that stu
alton for three-quarters of an hour with
out gaining so yards. All the time the
waves were coming up higher till the
crests ran past me in a swirl of bubbles.
AS the boys say, I thought my name was
4lo,, ha.19 Distinct