The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-20
GALL RIGHTS
(Chapter " continued. J

(Chapter " continued
The calling Of the sea perforce renders
men who follow lit swift OF perception
and prompt of action by that habitual
sense of danger in which they live. Mir.
Rogers had his eye on Miss Marston at
the very instant that she fell. lie was
about to shout to her to come down from
her dangerous position when she tossed
I'D her hands and vanished. He realized
what had happened even whilst the girl
was Estill falling through the air ne
made dash aft, and snatchlng up llfe-
buoy, sent the white circle of it spinning
far over the stern, ct the same time roar
ing out with all the power of his lungs for
the helm to be put hard down, hands TO
spring to the braces and clewlines, and
others to clear away the quarter boat
ready for lowering. The Strathnairn was
surging through the pillows at full
twelve knots an hour; less than ten
minutes of such sailing must carry her
out of sight of the tiny spot human
head would make upon the ridged and
foaming surface, seeing that the mist
circled horizon was not more than mile
and a half away on every hand and
there was an urgency in the shouts of the
chief officer, as with the velocity of
thought all these considerations flashed
through shis mind, that brought the
watch on deck. racing aft as though the
very safety of the ship herself depended
upon their promptness just then.
But smart to admiration as were the
sailors, there was one man in the vessel
who farsoutstripped them insalacrity, and
that was Mr. Charles Rawlings. He was
standing close beside the wheel gratings,
withshis hands buried in his coat pockets,
talking to Miss Marston, when she
iumDed to save the kitten. He saw the
whole sudden affair happen, and shis in.
Simultaneous action was at least proof
positive of the unimpaired state or his
faculties of perception, for all the obscur-
tty of his smemory. Without uttering
single cry, without hesitating for the
space of d single heartbeat, he made a
spring on to the grating, and with
wild, headlong leap, cleared the taffrail
and dived deep into the seething, kissing
froth that was sluicing away in a torrent
from7under the bendssof the great rush
ing fabric. .s5,
Both he and the girl were heavily
clothed, and in such sea as was rum
ming it was impossible, however strong
swimmer the man might be, that the
pair of them would long continue to keep
afioat. The pluckyifellow rose to the sur
face within few. strokes of where Miss
Marston lay, supported by the imitation
of her dress, and striking out vigorously
he was soon alongside Of her, with his
arm round her waist and her streaming
head upon his shoulder. He had not
observed the mate heave the lifebuoy.
but on being upborne upon the crest Of
surge, he perceived the thing lying
upon the water not more than few
fathoms off. Still maintaining his grip
of the girl, he swan towards 1t, and
passed bis disengaged arm through the
stout canvas circle.
ssMarian. - he exclaimed. in vice little
above whisper, bringing his mouth
close to her ear, and giving her for the
first time the name she had told him was
&C Jo1d hi deon ~,
She opened her eyes, which smarted
with the salt in them, and family smiled
at him. He put tae lifeline into her
hands, and with q gentle pressure Of her
cold, wet fingers, he babe her be of good
heart, for that a boat would be coming to
rescue them very shortly. She murmured
some answer, but the construction IN her
throat made her words inarticulate, and
with a deep gasp she let her head sink
back upon his shoulder.
Meanwhile the Strathnairn had rounded
into the wind, with her canvas shaking
5uriously, aand was bowling to the seas IN
@ long. stately, cartsying manner, now
mat she had come head-on to the ru1, Of
the waves. TO the blurred and misty
vision of Rawlings, when the upheaval of
the sncw-crested ridges enable him to
catch sight Of her, she appeared no
more than a mere distant toy, Just merg-
ing into the haze of the horizon, although
in reality she could scarcely have gone
the space of mile before rounding to
and coming to standsiill, SO nimbly had
been performed the manoeuvre of heaving
her to-
In an incredibly short space Of time g.
Guarterboat manned by four stout rowers,
with the second mate seated in the stern
sheets fitting the rudder to its pintles,
was lowered from the davits. The heavy
Lillows bursting into spray against the
tall, black walls Of the ship, made the
job of getting away one which called for
10 small display of skill and seamsnship.
But the little craft was water boone in
safety; and under the impulse Of the
a buoyant, gull-like flight over the liquid
activities, towards where the carefully
noted bearings of the spot indicated the
direction in which they should seek for
the floating couplenon the surface OF that
trackiess, foaming waste. Upon the
poop Of the Strathnairn every. passenger
had assembled at the thrilling cry of
"Man overheard p They lined the rail
in an eager, staring crowd, searching the
sea through telescopes and binoculars for
any signs of the dot-Iike heads of Raw
lings and Miss Marston. Captain Stur-
CESS, posted in the missen shrouds, with
the ships big spy glass glued to his eye,
had them plain enough in view every
time they were upheaved upon the rolling
pillows; he could see that they were cling
Ing to the 1ifeboay which, as q sailor. ne
knew was ample support for their figures
should they be picked up. Meanwhile
tho quarter boat was drawing near, the
officer in charge of her standing erect
with the yoke-lines il his hands, and
peering earnestly about him, till on q
sudden he caught sight of pair OF black
heads upon the white summit of great
breaker, and sank back in his seat, crying