Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-09-06

And She Kept Her Helpless Father
Afioat Until Rescued.

On pleasant morning in summer
ZONE fifteen years ago little schoon
erslipped her mornings at Laupahoe-
hoe, Hawaii, and started on her voy-
age to Honolulu. So small was the
little craft that her only crew was one
slender girl, the daughter OF the cap
tain. She had been sailing with her
father since she was so small that he
hid to place box for her to stand on
wlsn lie wished her TO hold the wheel
while he handled the sails II by chance
any change Of course was necessary.
Kalili was about fifteen, tall, slen-
der girl, whose brown cheek was round
and ruddy with the rich blood which
lcnped through her veins, for Kalili,
having been reared In the open air,
most Of the time on the broad ocean,
was strong and healthy, and well able
to do the work required Of her on the
schooner. Which they left Laupahoe-
hoe the sun shone brilliantly, but old
Kalamanu shook his head and looked
gravcly toward a bank Of black clouds
which were piled up high above the
top Of lofty Mauna Loa. Kalili cared
little for her fathers misgivings. She
was anxious to get away, for the next
day was Il holiday, and she wished to
reach Honolulu in time to enjoy her.
self with her companions.
While she stood holding the wheel
and keeping the little craft on IL
course, she was dreaming Of the luau
to which she had been hidden and
thinking Of the bright leis which she
would weave in her dusky hair and
hang around her dimpled shoulders
Her holoku would be as pretty as any
there, and she knew that at least one
pair OF eyes would see that leis and
dress were both worn by beautiful
girl Dreaming thus, she did not
notice the change which was coming
over the sky-did not see the white
caps, which showed that the wind was
raising swiftly and would soon sweep
across the wide charael with resistless
force.
The pleasant islands Of the southern
sea are not always serene and placid.
Sometimes the kona comes bowling
and shrieking down the dark canyons
and through the narrow gorges, smit-
Ing everything before 1t to the ground.
When 1t comes God help the hapless
craft which Is In Its road. God only
can help, for the blows which the wind
and waves deal upon the tossing,
writhing vessel are heavy enough to
drive II bodily beneath the waters
Kalamanu had neither holoku nor leis
to dream OF, 80 he had seen the kons
coming and had been preparing to
meet 1t to the best Of his ability. He
had given the girl his orders in quick,
sharp tones, and she had mechanically
obeyed them, but without realizing
what the change Of course meant Sud-
denly she was awakened, and roughly,
from her dreams. A wall OF white
water rose high above the side Of the
vessel and dashed down upon the deck,
drenching the girl to the skin.
With the shock she came back TO the
present, and, looking around, saw that
what but Q short time before was a
smooth, placid stretch Of blue water
was now foaming, raging SEQ, dash
ing Its waves high above the low rail
Of the schooner. The wind whistled
and howled around her ears. She
could scarcely hear her father as he
shouted his orders to her from few
feet distant Filled with terror, she
kept the vessel on Its course, but only
by the cxertion OF her whole strength.
Louder and louder roared the wind,
and higher yet climbed the waves.
The sun still shone brightly above her
head, seeming to make the scene more
frightful than 1t would have appeared
beneath cloudy sky. A lsona may
blow for days and 1t may pass in an
hour. Their only hope was that this
one had arisen so suddenly that II
would subside as quickly.
Kalamanu watched the black cloud
which had first given him warning
Of coming trouble, and saw, to his
Joy, that II was passing away. Evil.
IDENTIFY the kona would not last many
hours, but could the little vessel,
built for sailing on . summer sea,
stand that terrible wrenching and
twisting even for that short time9
She was new and reasonably strong,
but the blows she bad suffered might
well have destroyed q stronger vessel.
He could only hope for the best and
hold on to the rail until the wind fell.
He had done all that was possible to
save his vessel. God must do the rest.
The wind was surely sinking, the
waves did not rise 10 high above his
head. The worst was over and he
turned bis head to speak To the girl,
who still chung to the wheel.
Then came crash. An immense
wave had broken over the stern, Allied
the little hold and the little schooner
was sinking under their feet
Kalili was as much at home on water
ss on land, like all Hawaiisns, and a.
soon as she caught her breath she rose
In the water and looked about for
something to aid her In her fight with
the sea, and for her father, for whose
safety she had no fear. But she saw
him slowly sinking beneath the angry
waves. He had been injured by q blow
from something as the water dashed
across the deck, carrying whatever
loose articles still remained on the
deck.
Swimming swiftly To bis side, Kalili
caught hold Of him and raised his head
above the water. He was not insen-
sible, and In Q few moments was able
10 support himself on the water, but
he had been injured so severely that
he was unable to swim.
They were at least twenty-five miles
from land, alone on the tossing sea,
without even o broken oar to assist
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