The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-08

fore the men. will you? Going to thrash
OF Kill me, are you? Get down there.
The oar descended. and Ransom, to avoid
the blow pushed himself under the water
The oar struck the gliStening SIDE OF the
shark, who, turning half over shot past
the place where. a second before, ms
prey had been.
Under water. Ransom saw the shelving
quarter of the Walkure, and thinking
quickly. swan to it-for temporary
safety. Inserting his fingernails in the
seams of the planking, he pulled himself
to the surface, close to the keel, and
took breath. The shark had made
deto1r and was coming again, but from
some error of judgment on his part, APP
preached from point too far forward
and just as the wicked jaws were within
TWO feet of RanSom'S legs, the swelling
side of the shark glanced on the curve of
the quarter. and he missed again. By
the time he had returned Ransom was on
the keel.
~ en-. said Ackland from the boat,
as he lowered the OaI: L guess you're
as Well off there as anywhere. That
craft won't float more than half an hour.
Stay there and think it over. Lifting the
the head of the girl, with a leering grin
ON his face, he added: Take your last
look at her. I'll tell her all about you when
she RECEIVERS. Ransom, standing ankle
deep on the keel, made no answer, and
Ackland laying the girl down, placed an
throw the boats head around. But the
oar, wet from contact with the girls
clothing, slipped from the socket, and
not meeting with the expected resistance
he reeled. stumbled and fell overheard.
AS he rose TO the surface he shr.eked,
for dorsal fin was coming. Jessie,
JESSIE" he screamed. 'Ransomi Help
mel You've got a knife. Help Hell
The last word was gurgle. His head
sank, and within the concentric ripples
above him arose dark stain. Ransom,
in spite of his own position, was horror
struck.
I wouldn't have hurt him now" he
said to himself, now Jessie is safe. But
if she don't wake up soon, I'm done for
too. Jessie" he reared; Jessie.
Either attracted by the blood or his
voice, a dozen sharks showed their knife
like fins, circling around the boat. He
repeated the call again and again and
at last the girl heard. Raising her head,
she saw Ransom, standing knee deep in
the water, making desperate lungeS with
his knife at the sharks as they darted
past him, and shouting:
"Scull up here, Jessie, if you can.
Quick he called.
She was a sailors child, and could
scull a boat, but, with hardly strength
TO lift an oar, made slow. progress; and
had not Ransom succeeded in sinking
his knife into one of the sharks, and
gaining time for the others tearing their
wounded companion to pieces, she would
have been too late. He was waist deep
when he caught the gunwale and tumbled
into the boat. Then he sank down, near
ly as helpless as the girl in the stern
sheets, who had swooned again, and
trembled ike child, for his wonderful
nerve and strength had deserted him.
He was first TO recover; stepping 10
the stern. he lifted the unconscious girl
in his arms. holding her so tSat the
warmth Of the rising sun would reach
her face, and looked, hungrily, anxious
ly, and in vain for the pretty features
he had known. Seventeen hours or
mortal terror. face to face with death,
in solitude, darkness and cold. had left
an impress of agony and horror on the
face of Jessie Downs that would take
years of tranquil happiness TO eradicate
smiled and pronounced his name. he
knew that reason at least was left her.
And he WIS weak enough and strong
enough, mean enough, coWaroly enough
and brave enough to take aavantag?e
of her helplessness and kiss her again
not once. but a dozen times,
THE Cluremont is coming, Jessie, he
said. as he pointed 10 the schooner, no"
but a couple of miles away ana snow
ing a clean-cut bone-in-her-teeth as she
heeIed over the morning breeze which
was already crisping the set around them
into a darker blue And breakfast will
be ready by the time she gets up to US, .
he added an unromantic, but natural
Ransom said Captain Davis, as he
gave him his pay at the end Of the
voyage, perhaps you don't know mat
Captain Downs owned controlling m
! terest in every vessel in that employ. l
! suppose you'll stay ashore now ana run
! things In that case and IN view or
( the fact''-a twinkle came to his eye
that l didn't put you in irons Tor your
mutinous INSTRUMENTATION expect
/ that you'll present me with a new yawl-
/ boat. You've smashed my boats back
/ bone with your big feet"
Certainly captain. SAID kansom'
! Jessie wants that in the front yard to
! niant flowers in ~