Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-10-20
CHAPTER XIII.
GRAHAM.

Yes; / knew her In a moment.
The lurid light OF the tem%pestuous morn
Ing shone full upon her face, and the cling
ing dress and cloak, which more expressed
than hid her lovely form. Her eyes were
wildly fixed, her face pale as death; but In
her features there was a splendid selfpos-
session far removed from common fear.
Though so many years had passed since
we had last met, she was still the same; only
taller and more womanly, and even more
strangely beautiful than when she had first
shed love and rapture on my boyish heart.
She was fastened to the mast by a rope.
Her feet were bare, and / saw, to my horror,
that all she wore save the great fur cloak
was q night-dress of white cotton. reaching
TO her feet Her hair fell over her shoulders
I'm loose and dripping folds, descending al
most to her waist. Peering more closely, /
perceived that her lips were blue, and her
form shivering with cold; indeed. it was q
miracle that she had not persisted In the chill
of that cruel night.
From that moment I saw nothing but that
one figure; all others were blurred and prac-
tically unseen. In my wild amazement and
eagerness 10 reach her, ] could have sprung
into the tossing waves.
The vessel lay sidclong, her decks turned
toward the shore; n fierce pillows. strik-
ing her seward sides, broke with a thunder
Gus roar and q cloud of spray, and then came
surging down the slippery decks In a thin
sheet Of foam, boiling round the naked feet
OF the solitary maiden.
We hung OF for q minute, to let one great
sea 20 by; then we swept alongside. What
followed was more like q dream than wax
ing reality. But with an eager cry | leaped
upon the deck, and staggered up toward
Madeline Graham.
Twice / slipped to my knees, and was
drv n back n bruised against the bull
warks; but the third time / succeeded, and,
reaching her side, chung TO the mast and
gazed into her face.
"MadeIinew i cried
Her eyes met mine, but she gave no sign
OF recognition. Ii was clear that what l re-
membered 50 wildly she had utterly forgot
ten.
Drawing my clasp-knife, l cut her free,
and put my arms around her to bear her
back TO the boat. The decks rocked and
split beneath us: she chung to me, as II In
terror. Then I watched my chance. and,
raising her bodily In my arms, carried her to
the vessers side. aud handed her to the men.
Twas about to follow her, when ! was a.
tracted by q wild scream, and, turning, ! per-
ceived the figure of another woman crawl
ing on the deck, close TO the companionway.
She was dark-complexioned, Ikea mulatto.
and almost naked. Without a moments hesita-
ton. I ran to her, and half lifted, half drag
ged her to the vessels side.
now perceived that we had saved, In adj
dition 10 the two women, two white seamen
and Q black man, who afterward turned out
to be the ships cook. I chung to the bull
warks, and looked round, searching for any
other signs Of life.
'Comc, lad, Gomez cried my uncle.
'sQuick! the ships breaking upg'
looked ut the strange sailors. who eat
shivering In the bottom OF the life-boat
"Are there NJ more souls aboardy' ! cried.
Mot one" they answered. All the rest
had persisted In tho iong-boat In the fatal at
tempt to reach the SHORE.
There was not . moment 70 b lost The
vessel was evidently doomed. and every
shock OF the sea threatened to complete the
work Of destruction. The black funnel, al
most wrenched out Of the bursting decks,
was leaning ovov terribly. and threatening
every moment 10 crash down bodily and de-
stroy The life bo
I lcapt III. and scrambled 10 my place In
TIE stern On the seat Close BY me- wa Made
line, her eyes half closed, her neck resting
On the eunwale; and at her feet was the
colored woman. moaning and crying.
Is was but The work OtA moment 70 strip
on my pilot-coat and wrap u round Made
lines half-nAkcd 1lmbss but while 1 did %
TIE men cxted impattsntly and puehod on.
st0tve WAY, ladsr' ! cried. ~Newf fnll
lor yogs jtvsgs.