The record-union., 1893-08-05

the storm a sound that makes my blood
creedle up this very minute Just tellin'
you about il. 1t was a woman's voice
singin' out clear an loud, Good old
Bess! Go long, old Bessr an round the
dunes on to the beach come the old life
/ boat on cart drawed by one Of Ben
Farnham's oxen am Dode Avery's old
Bess, an behind the cart, pushin' like
crazy cre'tur's, was Dode an the minis
ter! Christy Avery was drivin' the team.
She had lantern in one hand am the
other was hitched into the horses name,
an sne never let up hollerin' at her a
single minute. l amt never seen horse
In yoke before nor since, an | don't
want to, Tor 1T cut her shoulders terrible,
an the blood was streamin' down her
White legs, but for once it was a splendid
sight to me! Every time Christy'u sing
out her name, Bess would buck le down
TIL she was most on the ground, an
strain forward as if she was comm clean
through the bow. Don't tell me she didn't
sense what she was doin She was
maxim that OK work, now, I tell you.
+ or hall minute everyone stood star
| ing as II they see ghost, an then they
| give snout, an you couldn't wink your
eye hardly before that cart was unloaded,
an we had the yoke off n them cre'tur's.
1hey was so beat they dropped right
down where they was, an no wonder.
/ Why, there amt been a loaded wagon
over them sand hills more n once or
twice in all the years Fve lived here, an
always in bright daylight. But that old
horse would toller Christy anywhere, an
natralIy the OK had to come along am
he done noble, | won't deny. Christy
she set down by Bess on the sand, an |
see 1t wasn't no time to speak to her, for
the hrst man into that liteboat was Dode,
yellln, Volunteers ~ AM the minister
on top Of him. But father he took him
by the arm, Lord love you, no, sir he
says very respectful. You amt a sailor,
slr-you'd hender more'n you'd help"
An always held that it showed lust as
much spunk in that young man to step
back as 1t done to come forward-he done
both.
Well, the boat filled up in no time.
When Toby Ely stepped up Dode says,
NO, boy, you're all granny's got Stay
back" But the old woman come up
brave as an Indian. go long, child"
she says. ''an' may the Lord bring you
back" 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 1t pushed of the first time they set
1 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
spirited. 1t cut father up not to 90, 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.
Nhen they come near the wreck theV
! darsn't go too close. Twice they throwed
line to her, an it fell short. 1t seemed
as II had to look at 'em, for all | hated
! to, am while l was strainin' NV ewes
there came a flash of lightnin', an [ see
/ everything plain as day. The boat was
| on top OF great wave, au' a man was
standin' up in her strippin' off his clothes
! i knew by his hight it was Dode-he
/ was considerable over six foot. We all
seen him that way for just a second. an
! then 1t 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 am the line with
him. We clapped oUr hands then, an
laughed like crazy folks. | couldn't see
EN- goln along the line, but the bows had
piled up the fire higher than ever, an 1
! could get sight of the boat gettin' fuller
an fuller, an father an Cap'n Zach kept
talkin' together, an lookin' more wor-
rlted, but l didn't know why, till at last
there came second shout, am we knew
they was all on the wreck an started
| back. We women was such fools we
thought they was the same as saved, an
/ never will | forget how l felt when Cap'n
Zach turned round, an put his hand
| heavy on the minister's shoulder "Get
down an pray now, mon" he shouted.
for if the Lord don't help 'em no man
comes ashore in that boat this night"
Inc minister never stopped for a word,
but dropped right down on his knees
! like child. His hair was blowin' round
1 his face, for he'd lost his hat. an his
I hands all hlnn1yy
scratch'd 'em on the cart, am | believe
his face was bloody, too, but l tell you |
/ never see anyone that looked so good to
me. We kneeled round him, an he shut
his eyes for minute before hebegun.
Our Father which art in heaven"-we
said 1t alter 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 ont
/ to sea, shadin' his eyes with his hands,
( 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.
/ Tor thine ls the kingdom am the power
! boys! heEp help! there they arep'
an the first l knew he was up to his
middle in the water hauin' at the boat,
an the rest of 'em at his heels. father am
all. Old Cook told me aiterward that he
hadn't no doubt but what the Lord fin
ished up that prayer himself, an | hadn't
neither.
/ Well, thanks be given, they was got
ashore safe an sound, but wet as drowned
rats. Nigh on to the first one out of the
boat was Dode Avery, luggin' a poor
senseless feller, with his leg broke. am
when he was laid by the fire, an the
| Cap II bent over him, am wiped the hair
/ Oh II his wet lace, he give an awful
screech. for it was his own son 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 leo
had got terrible blow. He was layin'
along 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'lsted up an tied on to Dode's back.
How that cre'tu'e carried him along the
line to the boat he couldn't have told, nor
Dode neither, guess, but he done it.
They didn't know one another till thew
got ashore, tor the lightnin' sort of
| blinded 'en1 TO things close TO, an they
was under water good share of the time,
| | expect.
The schooner was in a dreadful way.
| She went to pieces pretty soon after they
/ lett her, an considerable of her cargo an
( httin's came ashore the next day. 1t was
terrible close shave for them men. l de-
clare suppose we did act silly over 'em;
folks mostly do such times. Why, every
one OF them foreigners seemed almost
ike my own brother TO me. Father saws
| gave 'em hug all round, but you
know he always will have his joke You