Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-03-19

that we could do we were drifting rap
idly toward Drunken Gut.
Suddenly tholepin broke. Before
another could be put in the place we
were afoul Of the standing rigging Of a
sunken vessel, the .lory almost on her
broadside, and we in imminent danger
Of being washed overheard. But cling
ing instinctively to the uppermost gun
vale. we succeeded in righting the dory
and working her clear of the wreck.
Again we were adrift indeed, for we
had lost an oar, and now had but one.
Our destruction now was apparently
but question Of moments. for we es-
capped the reefs and boiling surf upon
one side, we were almost certain to be
dashed against the iron sides of Nlanana
upon the other.
Twas in the bow, peering ahead, when
the hull Of a vessel suddenly doomed up
almost directly before us, and appar
emily at anchor. While the captain en-
deavored to keep the dory headed for
her, bent one end of my coil of line to
the painter ring. Then grasping a
blight in my hand as the dory grazcd
the schooner's sides, | made a spring
for the rail and climbed on board Then
caught my line round elect, checked
the drift Of the dory and brought her
alongside.
We soon found that the schooner was
deserted. Her crew had sought safety
on shore. We thought ourselves en-
ceedingly fortunate that their vessel
had been in our way.
But we had been upon the deck
scarcely 20 minutes when the captain
startled us with the announcement that
the vessel was rapidly filling. 1t was
evident that she had dragged from the
harbor, and first striking upon the reef,
had swung to her present position.
While the captain searched for spare
oar, grasped the line by which had
fastened tine dory and was Mortified to
find it slack No dory was there-thc
rope which had held her trailed away
astern and was lost in the darkness.
Our last hope seemed to have departed.
But no-as peered through the
gloom caught sight of boat attached
to a long warp that trailed over the taft
rail of the schooner. II was q seine
boat. We quickly drew it up and got
into IL.
Our drift in the dory had carried us
considerably to the leeward of Smutty
Nose, so that in our present position the
force of the sea was much broken. As
we crouched beneath the gunwale Of
our new refuge, momentarily expecting
to see the abandoned schooner go down.
a light from Smutty Nose gradually
shone out over the waters.
We saw that fire had been kindled
upon the island. Down at the waters
edge people were moving about among
the rocks. In little while boat
seemed to leave the shore and drift slow.
ly toward us.
As her erratic movements seemed to
indicate that she had no one aboard, but
was drifting at the will of the wind, !
attached no special significance to her
appearance, though | glanced toward
her occasionally. Yet nearer she came,
sometimes directly toward us.
At times heave of the sea would
throw her far to one side, then she
would seem to linger a moment, to
start off anew in our direction. Half
tazed from exhaustion, | watched her
with tagging interest until she was t
close at hand Then saw the captain
reach out and grasp her by the gun I
vale and hold her fast alongside.
lie shouted for us to get into her. No
'ooner had we all obeyed than she
started swiftly for the shore. Then | d
perceived that long warp led from her /
to Smutty Nose and that the people a
mere were pulling us toward them.
Owing to the direction of the current
he boat could not be dragged back to n
The point from which she started. and h
re struck the outer edge of the wide a
'eef of rocks. It was nearly low tide, t
nd, though the sea did not break upon
he reef, every wave that rolled through a
he narrow passage boiled up over it !
n a swelling food. submerging the b
'ocks many feet, to subside again. leav- r
ng them entirely bare. n
To run this gauntlet was our next II
rial. Waiting until a sea retired, we il
tarted over the slippery. weed-grown l.
ocks and ran as fast as we could until II
ID incoming wave overlook us. Then Il
We flung ourselves fiat upon the reef "
While the flood boiled up over us. clutch. n
ng the rockwell with both hands and is
l'nging to resist the terrible undertow d
backward. q
When the refux left the reef bare
gain we rose and ran once more. -Four
lines the food passed over us. Then. ;.
reathless, bruised and half dead, ~
cit grasp upon my collar and was o.
ragged up out of the grip of the sea u ~
afe at last.-Youth's Companion. =
Pensive Pencillngs. II
When young business man gets h,
is first check book he usually has W
to get one with pictures in E
. After he has been in business for sr
while he lefrns that nobody ever looks as