, 1896-03-12

ly 20 minutes when the captain started
us with the announcement thai the v,s,
sci was rapidly filling. 1t was evident
that size had dragged from the harhur.
and first striking upon the reef had
swung TO her present position.
While the captain searched for a spare
oar, | gr.:ped the line by which l had
fastened the dory and was Mortified to
find it slack. No dory was there-the
rope which had held her trailed away
astern and was lost in the darkness.
Our last hope seemed to have departed.
But no - rs l peered through the
gloom l caught sight of a boat attached
to a long warp that trailed over the taft
rail of the schooner. Ii was a seine
boat. We quickly drew it up and got
into it.
Our drift in the dory had carried us
considerably to the leeward Of Smutty
Nose, 50 that i'll Our present position the
force of the sea WAS much broken, As
we crouched beneath the gunwalo Of our
new refuge, ~momentarily expecting to
see the abandoned schooner go down, a
light from Smutty Nose gradually shune
out over the waters.
We saw that a fire had been kindled
upon the island. Down at the waters
edge people We're moving about among
the rocks. In II little while Il boat secm-
ed to leave the shore and drift slowly
toward Us.
As her erratic movements seemed to
Indicate that She had no one aboard, but
wa drifting at the will If the wind, |
attached 10 special significance to her
appearance, though | glanced toward her
occasionally. Yet nearer she came, some
times directly toward lis.
At times Il heuve of tho sea would
throw her far to one side; Their she
would seem to linger a moment. to
start off anew i'll our direction. Half
daZed from exhaustion, | watched her
with tagging interest until she was
close at hand. Then / saw the captain
reach out and grasp her by the gunwalc
and hold her fast alongside.
He shouted for Us to get into her. No
sooner had we all Obeyed than she start
ed swiftly for the shore. Then | per
ceived that "a long warp led from her
to Sinutty Nose and that the people
there We're pulling us toward them.
Owing to the direction of the current
the boat could not be dragged back to
the point from which she started, and
we struck the outer edge of the wide
reef of rocks. 1t was nearly low tide,
and though the sea did not break upon
the reef every wave that rolled through
the narrow passage boiled M over it in
Il swelling food, submerging TIE rocks
many feet, to subside again, leaving
them entirely bare.
To run this gauntlet was orr next
trial. Waiting until a sea retired, we
started over the slippery, weed grown
rocks and ran as fast as we could until
an incoming wave overlook us. Then
we flung ourselves flat upon the reef,
while the food boiled up over us, clutch
ing the rockweod with both hands and
clinging to resist the terrible undortOw
backward.
When the reflux left tho reef bare
again, we rose and ran onco more. -Four
times the food passed over MS. Then,
b~reaihless. bruised and half dead, / felt
a grasp upon my collar, and l was drag
ged up cut Of tho grip Of the sea. safe
at last. -Georgc H. Hosea in Youths
Companion.
Do you lack faith ard love health?
Leu us establish your faith and re-
store your health with De Wits
S a-saparilla. Chas. n. Settelc.