Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-02-12

pale with agitation; he piled his short
legs rapidly as he hurried across the floor
to utter few breathless words into the
ears of Ralph Thwaites, the smack
owner.
Il hopes you'll all excuse me-" Ralph
said, rising quickly to his feet. I'm
called away sudden. Theirs a ship on
the Forks.''
Instantly the smack owners excite
ment was communicated to the rest of
the company. Thwaites could have been
summoned for one purpose only. An
effort was about to be made to save the
crew of the Inflated vessel.
There was no lifeboat at Port St.
Bede, the nearest station being at Nor
perland, ten miles distant Unfortunate
ly. the absence of the means of help
does not imply absence of its need, for
IN clustering weather the services of a
lifeboat were only too frequently re-
CURED at Port st. Bede. The fisher
men, however, had organized volunteer
crew, captained by Thwaites, and many
lives had Graemes pilot gig yenturous-
ly snatched from the seas NAV. Dick
was only one of dozen-tO their eter-
nal honor, be it said-who often pitted
their lives against wind and wave to sue
cor their tempeSt-Smitten fellows.
There's ship on the Forks!' said
Thwaites.
The words were scarcely out of his
mouth before Rube also rose. 81 mum
go too. he said, quietly.
AN L. cried Bob Yardes, making
for the doorway.
Straightway, the whole assembly fol-
lowed suit. There was a stampede for
the doOr-the women impelled thereto
by mingled dread and curiosity; the men
by laudable desire to help, should their
help unfortunately be required. Dick
seemed to hesitate a moment before he
also tO his foot nd SiHln1 from tho
table.
You need not so today, Dick" muir
INJURED Esther TREMENDOUSLY; surely not
tOday?"
Nay, nay, my lass, don't talk So"
replied Dick with smile. Il may be
o some use down theer. Think a bit.
Theirs men aboord that ship belize as
haze wives and sweetheartS at home,
Wearin' their cen out for 'em. You can
tell what their feelin's is just as L can.
You wouldn't haze me stop here, easy
an comfortable. if [ could do aught for
'em; now, would you, lass?'
Esther made no answer She dared
not trust herself to words; she felt that
her utterance would show the selfishness
she we'll knew was at the bottom of
her reluctance to let her husband go.
Yet how hard it was to forswear her
thoughts!
Come. cheer up. Esther added Dick,
kissing her. We've had t. boat out i
as ugly weather as this before. an you
may be sure / won't stop away fro
you Il minute mOre'n l can help. I'll
just step across home an doff these
fine clothes; must not spoil them
Meanwhilee, the whole population of
the village had gathered on the shore.
Overhead, the murky clouds sped rapid
" by, so low that they appeared to touch
the rugged headlands to north and south
of the little bay. The air was darkened,
as it were dusk. Vast mountains of wa
ter curled and broke over the beach
with thunder-like peals, kissing and
spuming UP to the very feet of the watch
ers. The chill, cutting rain beat in their
faces so fiercely that they could scarce
" discern the quivering ship that was
beating out her heart upon the rocks.
Heavy seas swept her decks, on which
spar left standing; fore and mainmast
had both gone by the board. She was
fast upon the Forks, every succeeding
wave just lifting her clear to dash her
down again upon the jagged mass.
A man had been dispatched on horse
back to apprise the Morperland lfeboat
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 adamantine battering
ram of the Forks was fast spintering
IcI lI1lUCIS W ludlCuN OOu. lie DARK
herself was doomed. No rocket could
reach her; the sole hope lay in the possi-
bility of boat approaching near enough
to throw 4 lifeline aboard. The posi-
bility! We had all but said the impos-
sibility; Yet the attempt was about to
be made.
Already the fishermen had run
Graeme'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 and tossed her back
mockipgly upon the shihgle, her crew
scrambling to land as best they might,
Tom Croft with his arm broken.
Dick arrived just as the catastrophe
occurred; he was now dressed in oilskins.
Esther follow him, a cloak thrown over
her wedding dress, and heavy shawl
supplanting bridal veil and orange klos-
SONS. Dick mechanically stepped for
ward and took Toms place in the boat.
full, for, although some water was
shinned, the gig safely topped the adj
vancing wave and rode in deep water.
Now came the struggle-the unequal
combat between mans puny strength
backed by courage and determination,
and the CONCLUSIVE power of the seas
onslaught. Anxious eyes, half blinded
by the driving scud and salt spray, fol-
lowed the frail craft as her oars plunged
deeply below the swirling SURGE rose and
cropped 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 hoI-
lows.
Not yet, however had she felt the full
brunt of the seas. Open as the bay was
the protection it afforded was apprecia-
BILE so much so, that no sooner had the
gig got clear of its shelter than the
chance became terribly apparent She
no longer met the oncoming waves head
on, but broadside; she pitched and stag
gerev the oars rising and falling spas
medically like the tentacles OF some
hounderlng sea monster.
Shell ne'er max the wreck ex-
CLAIMED Ben Marley, fearfully. "Ne'er
i this world can she do t. Sure as
I'm liyin'' they'll be swamped if they go
forrader.''
He had but spoken the words when a
huge sea struck her. It hurled her back
into the trough, the waters brea king high
overhead and pouring into her. For
some seconds she was invisible. At
length she rose, heavy and inert. She
was floating keel upward.
My Godr' old Ben cried hoarsely,
shes over-shes capsized'
Esther. standing near, heard the dire
exclamation; but it was not necessary