Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-01-18


Thwaites, and many lives had Gr@me's
pilot gig venturously snatched from the
seas nav. Dick was only ono of n dozen
to their eternal honor, be it said-who
often pitted their lives against wind and
wave to succor their tempest sinitten fcl
lows
"Thccr's a ship on the Hmksp' said
Thwaitcs
The words were scarcely out of his
mouth before Rubo alsJ rose. IL nun go,
loo. " he said quietly
IAN " cried Bob Yardes, making for
the doorway
Straightway the whole assembly fol-
Owed SUIT There was a stampede for tho
door the women impcllod thereto 10y
mingled dread aud curiosity; the men, Ivy
q laudahc desire to help should their hole
unfortunately be required Dick scanned
to hesitate momont before he also 100
to his icct and sidcd from the table.
"Nou need not go today, Dick, % muT-
INJURED Esther tremulously surely nos
today"
May, nay, my lass, don't talk so, TO-
piled Dick, with smile - may be o.
some use down thccr Think BIS
Theirs mon aboard that ship hcliko as
haze wives an swccthcarts ut home Wca1n
their c'cn out for en-. You can tell what
their fcelin IS is, just as can. You wouldn'
haze Inc stop here easy an comfortable II |
could do aught for 'em, now would you,
lassY'
Esther made no answer. She dared
not trust herself to words. She felt that
her uttcrance would show tho sclishncss
she well knew was at the bottom Of her
reluctance to let her husband 60. Yet
how hard it was to forswcar her thoughtsl
Come, cheer up, Esther, added Dick,
kissing her. We've had T. boat out i as
ugly weather rs this before, an you may
be sure l won't stop away fro You a min
ute mOrc'n l can help. l II just step
across home an Gof these flno clothes. l
must not spoil them"
Meanwhile the whole population Of Tie
village had gathered on The Shore Over
head the n0rky clouds sped raj IDLY Dr., so
low that they appeared to touch tho ~.
pod hCadlanGs to north and south Of a..
little bay. Tie air was dari;cncd, as il il
were dusk. Vast mountains Of water
oured and broke over the beach with
thundcrliEc pculs, Kissing and spuming
up to the very feet OF the watchers. Tho
chill cutting rain beat in their faces SO
1lcrccly that they could scarcely discern
the quivoriug ship that was beating out
/ her heart upon the rocks Heavy seas
swept her decks, on which the stump of
the mizlen was the only spar left stand
/ ing. Fore and main mast had both gone
by the board. She was fast upon the
| Forks, every succeeding wave just lifting
/ her clear to cash her down again upon the
jagged mass.
n man had been dispatched on horse
| back to apprisc the Morpcrland lifeboat
/ crew of the disaster, but it was plain that
| before aid could arrive from that quarter
! the vessel would be Il total wreck She
! could not hold together much longer.
! The adamal.inc battoring ram of the
Forks was fast splintcrlng her timbers to
matchwood The bark herself was doomed.
! No rocket could reach her. The sole hope
/ lay in the possibility of boat approach
ing near enough to throw a life line aboard.
| The possibility We had all but said the
! impossibilty. Yet the attempt was about
! to be made
Already the fishermen had run GrBme's
pilot gig down to the waters edge, and
already one luckless essay had been made
/ to launch her An incoming wave had
filled her ana tossed her back mockingly
upon the single, her crow scrambling to
land as best they might, Tom Croft with
his arm broken.
Dick arrived just as the catastrophe oc-
! cured. He was now dressed in oilskins
| Esther followed him, II cloak thrown over
/ hor wedding dress and heavy shawl sup
! planting bridal veil and orange blossoms.
| Dick mechanically stepped forward and
| took Tom ; place in the boat.
The second attempt was more success
| full, fer although some water was shipped
the gig safely topped the advancing wave
and rode IN deep water. Now came the
struggle, the unequal combat between
man puny strength, backed by courage
and determination, and tho convulsive
/ power Of the seas onslaught. Anxious
eyes half blinded by the driving scud and
salt spray, followed the frail craft as her
oars plunged deeply below the swiring
surge, rose ana dropped again. Now she
was seen on the crests of the pillows
which broke around her in clouds of FOAM
and anon she disappeared wholly in their
hollows.
Not yet, however, had she felt the fall
brunt Of the seas. Open as the bay was,
the protection it afforded was apprcciablc,
so much SO that 10 sooner had the Gig
got clear of lis shelter than the change be.
came terribly apparent. She no longer
met the oncOming waves head on, but
broadside. She pitched and staggered, the
the tentaclcs Of some Laundering sea mon
ster.
She'll no'or max the wreck" OK.
claimed Ben Marley fearfully. Nicer
this world can she do t. Sure as m
Twin, they'll &c eWamped if they go for
TaTder "
He had but spoken the words when a
huge sea struck her. 1t hurled her back
into the trough, the waters breaking
high overhead ana pouring into her For
some seconds She was invisible. AT length
she rose, heavy and inert. She was float
ing keel upward
My God" old Ben cried hoarsely,
she's oycr~-shc's capsized!''
Esther standing near, heard the dire
exclamation, but it was not necessary Ia
hear-she had scrn. Yet no cry escaped
her lips. She simply stood there, as be-
fore, with a dcathlike pallor, mute and
motionloss. She was still staring, with
stony gaze, in the direction of the over
turned boat, when her father touched heI
gently on the shoulder.
Come, my lass, he said in hushed
tones. "Thee'll be best at home. Come. D