The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-10-28
PART III.


lsaw the light, there was man who had
salmon weir almost directly in front
of his house. A weir, as everyone
knows. is a fence. made OF long poles
bearing a net, that extends far out into
the water and terminates in an inclos-
ure where fish are ensnared.
The man of whom am speaking went
nt one morning TO mend his weir; and
he was at work at the far end of IL when
peculiarly frightful thing happened.
He had tied his boat 10 pole, and was
Nimbing along the side of the salmon
trap'when he lost his hold and fell. His
seet were bare, and one Of them struck
lpon o broken pole under the water.
The wood was sharp as a spear, and il
was shaped like a barbed hook. IL
pierced his foot, and the barb held him
fast.
The tide must have been about breast
high upon him as he clung TO the weir,
APPALLED, as / have described. What
cries he sent toward his own home,
standing before his eyes upon the sunny
slope, imagine il you can. No mortal
heard them. And the tide rose steadily,
no faster and no slower than on other
days, and drowned him.
That story was the horror Of my boy
hood. II came to me with the viyidness
of a picture, on that ledge at night, with
The same death before me as he had
faced. Yet was not so desolate as he
had been for there were those who could
hear my voice though they could not
help me.
We lay along the rock, and discussed
Sne slender chance of rescue-Alice
might be missed, and searching party
might be sent out. On the other hand,
she told us that her absence would prob
ably not be noticed till morning, as she
had gone to her room with the declared
Intention Of remaining there.
A single consideration was enough to
destroy our hope OF assistance on her
account. Her absence would have been
discovered much earlier in the evening,
II at all, and the searching party would
be already embarked upon the bay car
rying so many and SO bright lights that
/ I'VE could not fail TO see them. Yet not
| q single CLEAN could we perceive. Dark
hess was all around us like n wall. We
could not even make out the lighthouse
on the lower end of Ogden's Island,
though on an ordinary night 1t should
have been plainly visible.
The same argument proved 10 us
that Steve had not succeeded in reach
Ing the island. The squall must have
blown him of shore. If he had crossed
the bay and landed on the head of the
cape, it would be morning before he
rould get searching party under way.
4 The situation was utterly hopeless, and
we did not pretend to regard IL in any
sther light.
eff we ouly knew just what time 1t
s." said Shirley, "it would be some
-onsolation. But my watch has
Stopped. and so has Miss Woodward's."
"I have watch" said /. "Its lit
sle gold one belonging to my mother.
She let me take 1t. You know mine is
being repaired. The watch is going,
but l can't see the face of il. Can we
cell the time by feeling OF the hands?"
'I've got matches" said Harry.
s'They'rc in a metal case; they're dry.
Let's all get together and shut off the
wind while / light one. Hold your
watch, Bert"
The first match was instantly ex-
tinguished; the second broke in Har-
RVS nervous fingers; the third flared
up. and by it's light I saw the hands
upon the dial. They were almost to-
gether AZ eleven. Harry saw the watch
as well as did. and he groaned as If he
had been stabbed
"Five minutes of eleven" he cried,
sand the tide turned at eight. It's only
half flood. ! give up. Before this 1
couldn't quite believe that we were lost
IL seemed 10 me that there must be
some mistake. But there is no getting
out of IL now"
"Onc chance only remains. so far as