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

UllO O0tCle bOLuO VI OA44 bAAAOWAA AAhN
wood on the fire, an some had axes an
was chopin at the timbers Of an old
boat that had been there for years an
years.
Father an Cap'n lack was side by side
close to the waters edge, shoutin an try
in to get word to them poor fellers out
on the schooner, an the rest Of the men
was standin with ropes, ready to run into
the water if any of 'em should be washed
ashore.
When father turned round an see us,
he come back to the fire, an he says to
me: "What on earth brought you heres
'Tain't no sight for women" an just then
there was kind of lull in the storm, an
! could hear them poor wretches shrek
in to us for help that we couldn't give.
Myi MyI MyI Many's the night since
then that I've walked with that sound in
my earsl Our men give yell in an
swer, an us women bust out a-cryin, all
but Granny Ely. She grabbed father by
the arm an shook him. "Why don't you
do somethinf Be you men, or be you
chickensT' she says. You see, her hus-
ban an two sons was drowned off that
same beach, an she only had her grand
child left. an she was kind of loony at
the sight.
Father knew how she was, an he an
swered her kindly. "There amt single
boat this side Of the CAPE" he says, "an
the beach roads six feet under water an
will be for an hour to come. An no NOR
tai could get boat over the dunes.
Dumb critters wouldn't head into no
such storm even if they was able to haul
a cart through that sand. An if we had
20 boats, granny" he says, I'VE couldn't
launch 'em in that water"
"Where's the lifeboat?" says granny.
"Over in Avery's she'd" answered IA
ther, real patient. "It's no use thinkin
Of it-she can't hold out 10 minutes
longer, don't believe"
"God help us all then" says granny,
pullin her shawl over her head SOS she
couldn't see nothin, an then we kept on
a-cryin.
81 wouldn't take on so, Ad'line," says
father to me then. He hated to see me
cry the worst way. when she goes to
pieces, the men'll wade out with ropes
we've got plenty-an like as not we'll
get 'em ashore safe" but he was only
sayin it to quiet me, for I'd often heerd
him tellin how the undertow was worse
off Scared rock than any place along
the coast. Then he went away, an we
huddled up together an waited fur what
we knew had got to come.
Every time he turned to the fire l
could see Cap'n Zach's mouth openin an
shutin regular as clockwork, an l knew as
we'll as if heerd him that he was ravin
and cursin like pirate. Father he was
quiet, but white as dead man, an old
Cook, standin close up to 'em, was shak-
in all over like the ague.
By and by 'Liz'beth an couldn't stand
1t no longer, an we crept close to where
father was, an just then there come more
of them terrible wailin's from the wreck.
an old Cook he says: She'll go any min
ute now. It's like watchin by death
bed" he says. 81 wisht the minister was
here to pray for EN-" He was Seven
Day Baptis. old Cook was. an dreadful
good
"Drat the minister" says the cap'n,
ugly as sin; "catch him out night like
thisl He's under the bed covers same as
all the rest Of them id landlubbersr
He was hittin out at Dode, you know,
an father he hadn't no word to say. Bein
September. good share Of our men was
to sea yet, an time like this every one
counted, specially great tall Teller OF
Dodes build An father was dreadful
out of patience with him for stayin in
doors. Why, most times he'd been the
first man ON the beach, but Of course he
was feelin pretty sore over the way Cap'n
Zach had spoke about him, an / didn't
blame him SO terrible much for stayin to
home, even if father did. The minister
didn't count one way nor the other. He
come from inland, an was sort Of pindin
an timid. But old Cook liked him, an he
spanked up. an says he, minister hol-
Tered at me out of his window where was
the wreck as come by"
eyes, an then he went back to his
bed" says the cap'n. "Oh, l know at
breedl Let 'em stay to home, and may
the roof fall in on EN-"
While he says this heerd above the
storm sound that makes my blood
creedle up this very minute just tell
In you about it. It was a woman's
voice, singin out clear an loud: "Good
old Bessl Go long, old BessF' an round
the dune on to the beach come the old
lifeboat on'a cart drawed by one of Ben
Farnham's oxen an Dode Avery's old
Bess, an behind the cart, pushin like
crazy creturs, was Dode an the minister
Christy Avery was drivin the team. She
had lantern in one hand an the other
was hitched into the horses name, an she
never let up hollerin at her single min
ute. amt never see a horse In yoke
before nor since, an don't want to, for
1t cut her shoulders terrible, an the blood
was streGmin down her white legs, but
for once 1t was a splendid sight to me.
Every time Christy'd sing out her name
Bess would buckle down till she was most
on tho ground an strain forward as If she
was comm clean through the bow. Don't
tell me she didn't sense what she was do
in. She was maxim that OK work, now
tell you.
For a half minute every one stood
starin as if they see q ghost, an then
they give shout, an you couldn't wink