The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-05-06

quiSu his only nope OF lllS III OrueF JnHt
he might be saved sent thrill through
his chilled frame and he managed tc
call out brolsenly:
Johnnie! the boatl quich, quick,
Willie is gone!"
But Johnnie had just dragged him
self by supreme effort ashore, and
could not have stirred, ut the moment
to save world.
"Oh! Willie, Willic!" cried Alf, as II
his friend could hear him: ~ can't dive
for you. must die, too. There's no
hope"
Is there, indeed, none? All, yes, by
Heavens mercy, one, slight though it
may be as gossamer thread; for ut
this instant there came, running swift
ly down the slope to the waters edge,
the two men who owned the boats and
who, from the window of an overlook.
ing house, had seen the exhausted boy
go down.
Never pausing in their eager race, not
even stopping to ask question, they
sprang into the ready skif and sho,
like an arrow from the shore.
Don't stop! Don't stop for mel" fal.
tered Alf Hughes, rs they swept along.
side. "a few yards further out
straight in q line with .he other boat
Oh, hurry! good men, hurryi"
One man is rowing, the other watch
ing, and now, ten yards beyond the
self-forgetful Hughes, he sees, while
peering anxiously over the side, q white
body lying motionless on the bottom
twelve feet below the surface.
"Back-water! steady her, George" hs
cries to his mate, and down like plum
met he darts to the rescue. In two sec.
onds he is up again, his hand twined
in the boys long hair Another second
and both are in the buat.
Willie has been submerged one and a
half, possibly two, minutes. He may
yet be saved! No breath is wasted in
words, no fraction of time in dallying.
The hardy fisherman who atill holds
the oars, with one long, sweeping
stroke turns the bow shorcward; his
companion picks up the exhausted ALI
as the boat flies along, and the fifty in
tervening yards are passed over in a
flash.
Then the dry man lifts the drowned
youth out to the hot sand, takes off his
own upper garments and wraNs him up
while his friend goes for the anchored
skiff. Quickly returning. tho two beal
the still form tenderly to the house
whence they themselves hete lately
come, leaving the now revi7ing Johr
and Alfred to resume their cl.thing an6
follow when strong enough.
While one of the rescuers assists the
good people of the house in til cir efforts
at resuscitation, the other huHries off tc
the village for doctor, and soon every
thing which skill can sugges'; is being
done for the unconscious sufferer.
Meantime a swift-footed messenge
had been sent to Mrs. Joh;ison's, ant
the distracted mother arrives to fine
her only son apparently beyond all hrl
man help. Not sob, nor murmur, no
complaint does she utter-nothing t,
disturb the work in hand-but witt
fearless eyes and pale cheeks lends her
self to the doctors aid with an enforced
calmness sadly belied by her burstin!
heart.
Minutes pass away-a quarter, hal
hour has gone-and yet there is no sigl
of returning life. John and Alf arrive
and with unwonted solemnity sea
themselves in an outer room, awaiting
in awe-stricken silence the DIR cad vel
! dict which to both seems inevitable
But the skilled physician, Il man G
large experience in such cases, work
steadily on, never despairing. yet dal
ing to whisper to the self-repressin
mother only vaguest words of hope
The labor is hard and the perspiratio
pours down the good mans face as h
tries, by alternately pressing and re
leasing his patients chest and raisin
and depressing his arms, to restore tn