Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1897-08-19
ooh, Clint, the ropes gonel"

drifting awayl Can't you catch hold
of something's"
And the little girl almost held her
breath while Clinton leaned as far over
as he dared and tried to clutch at the
rudder chains.
But just then the lifeboat sank down
between two waves, and when it came
up again there was a space of several
feet between it and the May Queen, for
the anchor had caught hold of the bot
tom at last, and the first of the food
tide swept the smaller boat swiftly
away.
The children at once began to shout
for help at the top of their voices, but
as the steamboat had now begun to
blow off steam, and as most of the pas
sengers were on the forward deck,
watching a vessel that had just been
sighted, they were neither heard nor
seen.
Cant you row back, Clint?" asked
Daisy; then, as the boat rose high on
wave, only to sink into the green depths
again, she added: "Oh, no, don't try;
but see if we can't get to the land!"
Clinton, meanwhile, was Juggling at
the cars, which were several sizes too
large for him; besides, he had only
rowed once or twice in his life before.
So when he found that the wind had
changed, and was now blowing shore
ward, he decided that it was best to
take Daisys advice.
"See if you can steer against my
rowing" he suggested, when he had
finally succeeded in pushing one of the
huge oars into its place. Just keep
the rudder turned that way-so. 1t
didn't look to be very far 10 the mouth
OF the river when the man pointed il
out, and, if we can only get into the
tide there, it'll carry us right up to
Sunside. used to watch it come rush
iEg in last summer"
Thus, with the help of wind and tide
and the one oar, the lifeboat was
brought nearer and nearer to the strip
of beach, until, finally, the children
could hear the booming of the breakers.
What is that?" inquired Daisy, as
the dull roar grew ever louder.
Clinton told her, and both awoke TO
the fact that they would be much safer
drifting far out at set, for if the boat
could not be kept in her present course,
in spite of the wind, until she had drift
ed past Sandy Point and around into
the quiet waters of the river, she would
certainly be carried into the topping
surf and capsized.
Clinton, all exhausted as he was,
worked away with his heavy oar harder
than ever; but, nevertheless, the space
between the lifeboat and the water line
of breakers narrowed terribly fast
while the distance to Sandy Point
seemed to stretch out like elastic.
Which would be covered first?
"Oh, let me help, Clint!9cred Daisy,
as she noticed that her Brother dared
not stop even to wipe away the great
drops of perspiration that were trick
ling down his face.
mo, you can't do any more than you
are doing by keeping tight hold of the
rudder."
Daisy, however, determined to do ali
sLe could, began to give out encourag-
ing reports of their progress toward the
point, resolving not to notice how close
they also were to the shore.
"Only little bit more, Clint, and
then you can rest all the way to Sun
side, can't you?"
Her brother nodded, with his lips
closed. He felt that all his breath
must be saved for the little bit"
What Il he should not be able to hold
out? How long would it be before
some great curling wave
"Wc've passed it," suddenly an
nounced Daisy.
And, after few more strokes for
good measure, Clinton drew in his oar,
and, as the incoming tide swept the life
boat safely into the peaceful river, he
stretched himself out on the seat, quite
limp from the exciting contest, n
which he had been the victor.
Daisy arranged coil of rope under
his head for a pillow and famed him
with his hat, so that, in the course of
ten minutes, he felt able to sit up and
gently propel the boat little faster,
until he brought it, and the news of the
May Queens mishap, up to the steam
boat wharf at Sunside.
They heard the next morning that
the disabled steamer had been towed
back to the city before nightfall, and
Daisy is now of the opinion that she
would rather read about adventures
than have them.
81 hope people won't think we ran
away with that boat on purpose" she
remarked to her grandma; because we
didn't 1t just ran away with u.s.