The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-01-08
which were poking their ominous tops

dlONC VIC IjUIlGOu.
! was rowing and Brown sat in the bow.
Ee said he preferred the bow, if did not
mind the added difficulty of rowing. Sit
ting that way we could both see the sunset.
For a long time we said nething | rowed
on half lazily When the sun had disap-
peared, turned to Brown with SMILE
"Are you enjoying yourself?" asked
Its dreamy" he returned, and looked
out to sea. Then he added quickly: Pull
way out. Let's row far out to sea and
come back by moonlight. The moon rises
early" was more than pleased, for
moonlight ride was more than had hoped
for. So in spite of tl.e black clouds which
were gathering fast l roMed on and on.
Brown offered to row once, but told him
that l was perfectly satisfied Pretty sooE
breeze sprung up and ruffled the water.
looked back again at Brown and found
him eagerly scanning the horizon. He
started slightly when he saw me looking at
him. Row onw he said. Row on!'
His manner was peculiar. thought he
was nervous. do you fear a storm?"
asked without turning my head. Just then
a pretty large wave thumped against the
bow. Its getting rough" added. 1T
always does after the sun goes down." he
said. 'Row on" looked up at the sky,
cut of which the light was fast fading.
9hen stopped rowing for a moment We
were almost out of sight of land. 1t only
looked like a black streak through the twi-
light. Thewaves had grown considerably,
and knew that they, together with the
tide, would soon carry us beyond sight Of
land. Then if there should be no moon,
and if storm should come up--I found
myself getting anxious.
1--WE must go back, said decidedly, and
was just going to pick up my oars and turn
about when I felt heavy weight plump
down upon me and crush me to the bottom
of the boat. One oar was lifted clear out of
the rowlock and dropped into the water.
In a moment Browns hands were at my
throat, and he was choking me and butting
my head against the boards could not
speak, and my senses were fast leaving me.
remember his face being close to mine,
and his heavy breathing sounding loud and
labored. Then the sharp raised rib of the
boat seemed to crunch into my head, and I
lost consciousness.
The first thing became aware of was a
faint rumbling which came from the dis
lance, and as I gradually recovered saw
flashes of lightning spread over the sky. A
storm was coming FAST The boat was
rocking violently, and Brown was bending
over me bathing my face with water. I
reached out my hand and grasped him.
DON'T" he said simply, and made me
let go.
tried to get up, but he pushed me back.
"Lie still. The sea is rough"
The storm came on faster and faster.
Flash after flash of lightning lighted up the
heaving ocean; the thunder grumbled, roll
ed and crashed; the waves rose to frightful
heights and rushed down upon the little
boat with their tops curling and falling.
The boat would rise on the crest of wave
and then take sickening dive down until
it seemed to me that we must surely reach
the bottom. Then the going up was SO sud
den and the motion so different that I held
my breath. We were wet to the skin, for
the boat often plunged right through the
top Of a wave. We both hung to the seat
of the half sinking boat and waited.
The storm was short. The thunder be-
came fainter and fainter, and the lightning
ceased its zigzag form and gave out soft,
broad glares far off ON the horizon. The
air changed and it became cold I do not
know what time of night it was, but it
must have been somewhere near morning
when big wave dashed us against pile
of rocks and completely shattered the boat.
We were flung out and lodged in large
crevice between two towering rocks. With
what strength we had we climbed up the
ragged surface of the rocks till we were out
of reach of the pounding waves, and there,
{ in cleft, we shiyered till morning.
It was not long before the sun put in
sickly appearance through the riffs of the
scudding clouds and revealed a long stretch
of heaving, muddy pillows, some of which
still frothed and foamed. There was stiff,
cold wind blowing in from the east, and it
made us numb. We waited till the light
got strong, and then we climbed the jagged
rocks and found we were on jutting point
of the mainland in little bay. Far away
/ caught the CLEAN from the dome of Bos-
toms statehouse, and I knew that the
waves and tide had carried us almost back
to Boston. 1t did not take us long to reach
house, where we were cared for until we
were ready to return to the city
I had made up my mind to tell my adj
venture to the good people who cared for
us, but changed it. And when I started
to go Brown crushed something into my
hand. He started to say something, but
stopped, and turning abruptly, left me.
looked at what he had given me. 1t was my
Confederate bill.-Henry Eastman Lower
in Boston Transcript.