Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1893-06-09


"My boy! Ny boy" cried Mrs.
Bertram, in anguish. ''Nhere is ne
Where can he be?"
The captain tried to laugh away her
fears
''The boat has drifted ashore, sad
he. ''The current sets that way.
Don't worry, Lily; we will soon have
him back. D."
He lowered a boat, and was soon
making for the shore. with good
crew, one of the men standing In the
bow, holding up large lantern, which
threw a broad CLEAN across the water.
The sailors were soon ashore, but
saw nothing of the boat.
They shouted the little boys name
again and again, but there came no re-
spouse.
Far along the shore they pulled, but
! they discovered no sign either of the
boy or the gig.
For hours they vainly continued the
search.
''What surprises me-, said an old
sailor, els that we did not hear the lit
tie fellow sing out when he found him
self going adrift. Can it be, sir, he
fell over and was drowned right under
the ships stern?"
Bertram bowed his head on his
hands and groaned.
81 have had that same thought" he
said.
It was past midnight when the
searchers returned aboard. The poor
mother, as pale as death, seemed al
most ready to swoon, when she learned
that no trace of the little one had been
found
''We will look again in the morn
despond, Lily
All that night he endeavored to
soothe his wife; but her anguish was
almost beyond endurance, such as no
pen could describe.
At daybreak the captain had his boat
! down again.
Besides the crew, it now contained
Mrs Bertram, who had insisted in ac
companying the party.
After a long search, the boat was
discovered among some rocks, where
the breakers had almost dashed it to
pieces.
Had little Thomas been drowned, or
had he contrived to get out of the boat
and reach the sandy beach g few feet
distant?
A cry Of JOY escaped the vigilant
mother.
She pointed to the sand, where the
impressions of little shoes, not yet
washed away, were visible.
Leaving two men in charge Of the
boat, the captain, followed by his wife
and the rest of the crew, and armed
with a loaded rifle which he had
brought with him from the ship, made
his way inland There was thicket a
short distance beyond the beach, and
this the party entered.
The ground was marshy in some
places, and the tracks Of the lost boy
were occasionally seen.
Following these traces carefully, the
party at length beheld, ahead of them,
small opening, and there, not hun
dred yards off, apparently asleep, on
the bank of a shallow stream, they be-
held little Thomas!
He lay upon his side, his cheek rest
ing upon one arm, his long curls
streaming on the ground.
The rosy, healthy color upon his
face at once convinced his mother that
he was unframed as we'll.
At first the happy woman could not
utter word for JOY.
Then, with cry of gladness, with
outstretched arms, she ran toward the
! slumberer.
But she had not taken ten steps when
her cheeks blanched, and an exclama-
ton of dismay escaped the whole party.
An enormous crocodile had slowly
lifted its hideous proportion from
amongst the long reeds fringing the
lower part of the bank, and was now
crawling toward the sleeper.
The animal, half covered with mud
and green slime, presented an appear
ance at once uncouth and horrible.
It was full twenty feet in length, it's
body covered with rough, irregular
scales, it's legs spotted, its claws sharp
and crooked.
The jaw wide open, revealed rows of
sharp teeth which were not close
| together, but q little apart. Each of
its eyes, Of an oval shape, and of fiery,
blood red hue, looked as if separated
by dark line, which gave to it an
aspect of indescrible ferocity and vora-
ciOusness.
The terrible jaw was already within
q few feet of the chiId's head.
Before the most active of the sailors
could reach it, the teeth would close
4loA I~.S-