The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-20


The Reform School boys were camping
out at Catalina.
Under the command of their officer
teachers the lads were playing soldiers,
and military regulations ruled the camp.
Flags futtered above the snowy tents
bugles sounded welcome signals, drums
beat for reveille.
The scene was beautiful, the discipline
perfect, the air so pure and sweet that joy
came with the breathing of it.
Every body was busy and happy-every
body except Bobby Rodgers.
Other boys, who liked bullying, found
relief for their feelings and gained self
respect at the same time by fulfilling the
duties of captains capitalIv. Almost
every boy had some kind of responsibility
thrust upon him, and the plan worked to
q charm-except with Bobby Rodgers.
Bobby was at once the pride and the
despair OF the institution. He was a mag
nihcent physical specimen-tall, muscular,
handsome. Nobody could run as fast as
Bobby, lift such weights, swim such dis
tances. The swimming part of it
was, in fact, the beginning of the whole
trouble. Bobby always did despise people
who didn't feel perfectly at home in the
water. He couldn't even laugh at the
sputterings and fiounderings of frightened
boys who were trying to learn 70 swim and
didn't enjoy it.
Bobby wouldn't ordinarily even give a
helping hand to a boy who was afraid of
the sea. He would turn a literal cold
shoulder upon the fellow and swim away,
saying things under his breath that l fear
wouldn't look at all well in print. In the
young athletes opinion any boy who was
afraid Of anything ought to drown. and
the sooner ii happened the better.
1t was different when Marjorie Lansing
fell over the cliff into the deep waters of
little quiet cove. When Marjorie fell over
the cliff Bobby went over after her so fast
that IL almost seemed to him for a sec ono
that he was going to catch the little girl S
skirts before his own feet left the land.
There wasn't any time for the TAXI ng OF
of shoes and coat, which rescuers in book:
always attend to. 1t was simply glance
and plunge this time, and all the think
ing came afterward. Marjorie was a little
stunned by her fall, so that there was no
the struggle to keen ont of reach OF clutch
ing, strangling arms and legs, which
BOBBY knew by repeated experiences wa
one OF the worst nulSances when yol
wanted to rescue drowning people.
The boy threw one strong arm around
the child, holding the head well above
water, and tried to swim through the
breakers to the smooth beach beyond. A
point of rocks iutted out into the sea
and the waves broke there with terrible
force.
I Beyond the rocks was safety, and Bobby
had made the Journey often enough alone
With his burden he could not accomplish
it, though he tried again and again Will
all his strength.
Many pairs of eyes were watching
strained with terror, big with hope
Women were wringing their hands, run
ming up and down, calling for ropes, beg
ging somebody to do something. Their
were men up there too-men who were no
tired, men who had no heavier burden
upon them than the duck jackets and tn
yachting caps they wore so iauntiy.
Would nobody help2 Marjorie's weight
light at first, grew to be tons-seemed lik