The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-12-29

and watched her. In a second more he had
stripped off his shirt and was swinging it
in the wind.
"She has seen usl'' he shouted. "Iknow
it-she is steering this way Keep up
heart, men-rescue will come some way.
We shall not be left in midocean to die.
They are steering right for the wreck.
What can they mean?"
The captain rose to his knees and totter-
ed to his feet, clinging to Stinson's shout
der.
"Let me lookp'
We watched him in silence. He had
rescued men from wrecks-perhaps he
knew some way-but he shook his head
sadly.
"There is no hope, said he.
A caldron of foam boiled under the bow
of the noble vessel as she spurned the
waves beneath her, and clouds of mist
rose, hiding the men, who seemed to be
watching us. | saw one figure that stood
apart, that | guessed to be the captain.
He had something in his hand and flung
it in midair. "Get up, all of youp' cried
the mate. "Steady and careful! They
mean to pass Us close and fling each man
rope with slipknot. I've seen it done
to men overheard. He's brave to try the
risk-to come so near"
"There is but one way" cried the cap
tain, "but who would have thought of it
or dared it9 Steady, men, don't let him
fail Get up, Tony. Rescue; catch the
rope; slip it around you'll See, every man
has a rope-seven noble fellowsl Some
would have left us to our fate in the teeth
of rising gale. | could thank him-that
captain-on my knees"
"I'll look out for you, 10, said the sec
ond mate, "if you miss your rope"
81 won't miss it, " said, and you must
save your own lifep
"Slip it well over your arms, round your
waist, then, and cling fast to it, ~
We stood waiting, and what waiting
one miss, and all alone would man be
on that wreck in the awful seal Or we
might be battered to a shapeless mess
against the ship and fall into the waves be-
tween, or some slight fault of the helms
man, and like our brig the noble ship
would be wreck, crash into the hulk of
the Mary Mellus and go staggering down
with all the crew.
One chance, and death in the wild night
gale if one of those brawny arms failed in
the throw and the coil of rope fell short!
High above us lowered the ships bow
| 10, perchance Is feet away. l felt the
stir of her coming, the rattle of the cord
age, the pent in air between the hulls-I
almost said felt the breathing of the ship.
Her broadside on, we were almost level,
and now saw across boiling gulf of
foaming water face. 1t was ashy under
the bronze, and the eyes seemed to burn.
l saw hand flash in air, and something
pass like an uncoiling serpent, Kissing,
through the air. Then / clutched the rope
and felt it cut me to my very vitals and
flung myself forward.
A second over the whirlpool and then
the solid planks beneath my feet.
"This little chaps all right" said
cherry voice, and the sailor, ashy no Ion
ger, was bending over me. | took his rough
hand and kissed it. "The rest, )" sobbed,
fare they all savedP" CALL" said the Sec
ond mate, "and one happy boy shall see
his mother soon and never run away to
sea again"
Through the mists of my tears I saw
! far behind a speck in the gloomy ocean,
the wreck Of the Mary Mellus.
Old Stinson sat on a coil of rope and
laughed; he was hysterical. Carr and
Jackson were telling the crew of the
leaned against the ships rail, his face hid
den. think he was weeping, for when he
| turned his eyes were full of tears. The pool
Corsican was hugging the strange captain,
who was trying to escape
Strange captain, did say3 Thought so
Mt first, then l saw it was Dick Bradford
81 thought was crazy when | recog-
nized the, ship the Excelsior" said our
! 4
and took the coil of rope from sailor and
looked across that gulf of foam with his
mothers own blue eyes knew it was real
and true and my boy was trying to save
his old father, as he had tried to save a
stranger, God bless him."
1t is a May day in the orchard. Above
me is a roof of flowers and sweetness. The
trees my father planted near a century
ago are gnarled and twisted and cling to-
gether. The wind comes from the harbor,
ruffling my beard, which is white as the
whitecaps on the waves.
Flapl fapl flap! Am again at sea, or
am an old man doing ashore2 A clickl
What's that? wake with a cry. A tiny
sunbonneted figure comes down under the
trees. Out of the bonnet look the fearless
| brown eyes or the second mate, VINO mas
been asleep in the old burying ground
many years. He was my sister Mary's
own true husband, and they loved each
other tenderly, and she weeps always when
she speaks of him. She is so old; it is
quite walk for her to come and visit me
now.
"Dranma says | can stop to tea, but
you must only let me have one piece Of
cake and send me home early, and Dicky
Bradford's tumin too" | take her in my
arms and open the gate for chubby Dicky
Bradford, the third of his name. We old
folks live more in the past than the pres
ent, and this whole afternoon I've been
back half a century, getting wrecked in
the Mary Mellus.
"You come of brave folks, Dicky Brad
ford" say, "and hope you'll do them
honor. Patience Stapleton in Youths
Companion.