Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-05-17
There, there. lohv l. ON

on the Falcon. aud we will make a ~ INC me
or YOU, How will that suit you.n man
Joby was delighted, of con IU"' u
sailors. who are wonderfully hanoui Inc
such things, devised suit Of ' "1n,yy, at
for his small body. He SMOOTH" hing
came n great favbrite viii t, "'s oe
of the Falcon. proving 'llimsolf. crew
active and intelligent, and. what 10 be
netter absolutely honest and trutbt faI
INC captain had grown very fond u.
Joby; and as for Joby-well, it va, ra n q
long before everybody on board * kn mol
what JoDy thought Of the capta;n nue."
The Falcon, which was Il sailin" 70.
sci, had met with head winds cnnsta se'
~ since leaving the Channel. ,nn
the fourth week out WIS strno,, w. I'll
heavy gale from the northenst ~ .a
day long the good ship laborul v An
the mountainous waves, leaniu- NV. ana
plunging till it seemed rs thouSh , ,h
grooming. cre;lking masts must con "m
out OF her. But she was st,nnn
Well-built craft, and had passed s,tr1r
through many Il worse tempest
With the fall of the night, the r,,o
increased In violence. The sails had
peen reduced to the heavy lower cam.
vas, just sufficient to steady the vessel
The captain remained on deck. taking +.
position near the rail, where lie coni,l
Keep an eye on the rigging. Near HIM
sheltered by the bulwarks,, sat ,;;,S
Joby, on a coil Of rope
At first the noise and confusion tho
thunder of the water, the Shrek Of
the wind through the cortlage. and the
wild pitching Of the ship had brighten.
ed the boy. But when, by the light
of lantern near by, he saw the can.
tain's face, he felt relieved, and rather
enjoyed the excitement of the storm,
Suddenly, just as the captain was
shouting an order through his trumpet,
a vast billow seemed to rise out of the
gloom and bear down upon the shin,
1t struck the vessels side with an
awful roar, throwing tons of water
on the deck. Before he could save him.
self, the captain was lifted from his
feet and flung overheard into the sea.
Almost at the same instant Il small
figure was seen to leap upon the rail,
cling there moment, and then lean
outward into the darkness and dis.
appear.
Man overboard!'
The terrible cry rang above the roar
of the tempest. For moment I'LL was
panic and confusion. Then, under the
mates command. the ship was rounded
to, with her head to the wind, and
boat ordered to be lowered.
mo use," said one of the men to the
mate, who stood by the rail near where
the captain had fallen overheard, I'VE
could never find them in the daylight,
let alone such a night as this"
Il am afraid not" answered the mate
sadly. Poor old man! Poor boy!
Hank! what was that?"
':Falcon, nhoy"' The shout came
long and strong from the darkness,
not twenty yards from where the ship
lay.
1.-The captain! cried a dozen glad
voices.
Delay your jaw there, We lubbers!
Tail OH that line and haul us aboard,
or we'll be adrift.'
Line! Us! What could he mean? But
the mate had already discovered a
curious thing-;l light but strong rope,
fastened to ring in the bulWalk and
extending outward into the darkness,
toward the spot whence the captains
voice proceeded. 1t was drawn tight,
as if some heavy burden were towing
at the end of it.
In all instant sturdy arms We're pull
ing at it with a will. Then a stout
rope was lowered, and up it like
monkey, scrambled Joby, followed more
SLOWLY by Can't, Essex.
Then a great cheer went up. drown
ing the roar of the storm itself. as the
crew gathered about the dripping
forms of the captain and his little
friend. A few words served to explain
what had happened.
JOby, with his eye OH the captain,
had seen him carried overheard. He
knew that one end of the coil OF light
though strong rope upon which ne sat
was secured to the bulWark. Tor he
had tied the knot himself that very DAY.
Without pausing to think of his Own
danger, he took the free end OF the
rope between his teeth, and was in the
water nearly as soon as the captain
himself
Though he could swim like duck
he was borne helplessly along on the
crest Of the waves almost into the arms
of Capt. Essex. who caught him as he
was sweeping by. The captain fasteh-
ed the line about both of their bodies;
and partly swimming and partly toWeu
by the ship, they had managed to Keep
their heads above the water until the
Falcon was hove to.
The storm blew itself out during the
night, and the next morning daWned
clear and calm. All the forenoon Jopy
wasa observed to be very grave anu
silent, as if he We're bordering some
important question. Finally he pre-
sented himself before the captain III
the cabin.
"Well, my boy" said the captain
what can do for you?"
"A mans life is worth a good deal VI
money, isn't it," asked Joby, tWlrllns
his cap nervously as he spoke. "Not
boy like me, but a grown man. ~
Yes, of course, my lad" replied 'ne
captain. "A mans life is supposed u
be the most valuable of his posses
sions."
"Well. them" said Joby, twrling MS
cap still more nervously, ''they say
saved your life last night. | don't Say
it was much, you see. Any felleW wiz
can swim could do the same; only :
happened to do it,
Eyes, you certainly did it, Joby. Anu