Evening star., 1896-10-31

':Ban her out. boys" was the skipper's
It took Harry ,nd me about minute to
tester than we could bah it out.
FRANK" said ], 'the leak Is on the star
board side Of her, and while we're on the
Fort tack 1t Il pushed down into the water.
Bring her about and believe we can keep
her dry" .-.-.~.-J}
He put his helm down, and we came up
my RsRe Ike Ser. E1' Harry" he sold. as the boat
ana sd aT.y NoT S give me na hsnS pan Pert es
alarmed. Alice. There's no danger"
He leaned out over the weather rail as
far rs he could, and felt along the planks.
There's a hole in her. he whispered to
coamings. ITS well out of water while
we're heeled over to port as we are now.
but when we come about"
I'VE can't hold this tack all the time"
said !. We shan't fetch the end of the
island. Wen run clean out to sea-"
"A short hitch or two will work us in to
the land'' he replied; "but as for getting
up to the hotel, we can't do It,"
II wonder II Steve is within hailing dis
tance," said I.
Wen try it." as his answer; and then
all together, we shouted as loudly as we
could.
A moment later Steve's voice came to us
across the waves. The faintness OF the
sound showed that he was further away
than might have been expected. Doubtless
his wrath had lent him strength to pull
Though we were sending our voices against
the wind, we succeeded In making him un-
derstand that We wanted him to come
back: or so We judged by his response.
Bring her about. Harry" said Frank
We'll stand in toward him. l believe Bert
and l can keep her afloat all right"
Our fair passenger wished to lend hand
in the bailing but there was not room
eEol gh for two Of us to work easily. No
sooner were we on the port tack than the
water began to run in as If the boats bot
tom Rad been a sieve.
I'VE can't stand this" said Frank,
"Hard-a-lee!
At that moment the wind seemed to
cease. and all the noises Of the night were
hrshed. Then came a strange and great
sigh from the land. The sigh became a
moan: all the trees of the island were
seroing up a cry to heaven Above them
the white masses from the cloud noun
tains fluttered like birds, and swept out
over the sea.
1.-The squall!" cried Frank. Hold ner n
the wind! Clear away that sheet! Bert. get
the jib off her. Cut the halyards!
1 already had my knife in my hand. I
sprang forward to the mast. severed the
jib halyard with a stroke and seized the
downhaul Frank was busy with the main
sail
1t was too late. The boats head was
swinging away to port. Yhe wind caught
her as she stood almost still: and she
heeled the water in her rushed to leeward.
In a second we were on our beam ENDS.
We all cried out, but heard only the girl s
voice-not even my own.
l saw Frank spring toward her. He held
her by the shoulder as both went over in
tangle Of floating sail. Then, like trick
of the stage. the whole scene changed l
was alone In the midst of the waves, in the
rush of the wind and the spray, with the
keel of the boat under me. How 1t hap
pened to be there 1 did not know! l had
simply leaped up and away from the wreck
to windward.
A clock does we'll enough in your home
or In a church tower, marking minutes and
hours. But that isn't time. 1t goes fast or
1t goes slowly; but it doesn't stop, and so
you don't understand it. When time stops
you begin to know what it is. l thought of
everything in the world and out of il.
thought of my three friends, and vividly
recalled many words and acts, seemingly
trivial. that had made them what they
were to me- They Were under the water
drowning, and l perceived what life was to
each of them and what it was to me, who
would yield it up little later than they
Yet a wave just before my eyes had not
time to break, nor the line of it's white
crest to tremble in the wind
1t was hope that made time begin again.
While l accepted death as if it were a