The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-09-14

miheo 10 swim to land, and not only
To swim to that distant land, but to
carry with her the almost helpless old
man
The wind had died entirely away
and the sea was rapidly subsiding
That much was in her favor. Then.
too, she knew the next morning the
steamer Eilxe-Lile would cross the
channel on her way from Hilo to Hon
ofuln; If She could keep afioat, could
see the steamer. could make those on
board see her. then she might hope for
rescue. Keeping her eyes fixed ON the
distant mountains, she swan on and
on, sometimes towing her father by
his arm thrown across her shoulders.
sometimes pushing him forward with
her breast and using both arms, some
times holding him with one hand and
swimming with the other
Hour after hour passed. She became
exhausted, and, turning upon her
back, floated for while to rest her
strained arms and shoulders: then
again she SWAN on, on toward that
dim speck against the darlxening sky
which she knew was mighty Mama
Loa. That must be her landmark un-
til she came near enough to the shore
to see the lower land. No matter what
point she reached, only the solid land,
no matter whether near or far from her
starting point.
Night fell; but, watching the stars,
she kept her face turned toward the
place where, miles away, lay the
longed- for land.
Kalamanu, while day lasted, was
able to hold his head above the waves,
but soon after nightfall he became too
weak to do even this. Finding that he
was failing he told his brave daughter
To leave him and strive to save her own
life. She refused; both or neither
should reach the land Together they
would meet their fate. good or evil. .
When he became too weak even to
keep his face above water she tore
strip from her single garment and tied (
it so as to keep his head on her shoul-
ders- On and on she toiled.
Night passed, morning came and
found her, with aching arms and
shoulders, still swimming, slower now,
toward the distant shore. Up came
the sun, and the tortures of heat were
added to her sufferings. Her arms,
face and shoulders We're blistered by
the scorching rays until the touch of
the salt water was agony Still she
pressed on. Noon came. nearly TWEEN
ty-four hours since she began that
long fight against death.
An hour passed and still no succor
No sign OF a steamer or other vessel,
and the distant mountain seemed as
far off as ever. For the first time the
heroic girl began to despair. She felt
that she was growing weaker. Moth
ing had passed erlips since the morn
ing before, when they had left port
She was growing faint, and wondered
if she had not best give up the battle:
but not yet, and again she pressed on.
Her father had not moved for some
time, and she did not know il he still
lived. but dead or alive, if she reached
the shore she would bring him with her.
The steamer Lil<e-LiIle left port ON
that morning two or three hoars later
than usual, owing to delay caused by
the gale the day previous. Straight
ont into the channel she steamed.
About three o'clock in the afternoon
the man on watch called to the officer
of the deck that he saw some strange
object "A little ahead of the steamer.
Asked what it looked like. he said he
thought it some strange animal, but
that it was surely alive, as he saw il
move from time to time.
All hands watched for glimpse of
the object which had been reported.
and in half an hour they were near
enough to see 1t from the deck and to
recognize it as living being. A boat
was quickly lowered and royved rapid
" to the side of the object. They found
a native girl with an apparently dead
man tied fast to her body swimming
feebly away from them. With a stroke
of the oars they overlook her and
grasped her to raise her into the boat
She did not seem TO know that any
one was near her and still strove
weakly to swim away from them, but
strong hands lifted her up and laid
her down in the bottom of the boat
At first they thought the man was
deal, but when they reached the
steamers deck he was still family
breathing, and in the hands of a skill
full physician he was brought to his
senses
But more interest was felt in the
poor girl than in him. When she had
left Laupahoehoe the morning before
she was a beautiful girl. When lifted
To the steamers deck she was burned
and blistered. face, neck and arms, un-
TIL the raw ueSn lOOhtu like hOlHlilE
human.
Her hair was filled with salt crystals
and matted and knotted so that before
they could do much for her they were
Obliged to cut it of. But she was
alive and more than that, she had
saved her fathers life also. When the
steamer reached Honolulu both were
in way To recovery kalili was the
heroine of the day.
From the place where the schooner
sank to where the steamer picked the
castaways up was twenty miles in a
direct line. OF course the gIrl had not
kept direct line, and had covered
much more distance than that
When Kalili recovered her strength
her father was able to be up, and in
few weeks both were as strong as if
they had not passed through that ter
rible battle with the waves.
Kalili still lives, but she has never
been on the sea since that disastrous
voyage. She has lost her nerve. and
now breads the water worse than a
person who never learned to swim.
But she is still pointed out to strangers
rs the girl who SWAN twenty miles
and carried her insensible father the
greater part of the distance.-San
Francisco Call.
Irfsh