Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1897-10-15

regatta. viii. n was to have 2 race
SIick Freen an, still d. Aaring h
wa ntiC1 20 nt 0sa y, thing tina might re
mind him of the woria Y nao lei
until he returned to 1t, deoided 7
to remain back. -.
Alick did not long en-, ~ 'no pai. y
hermit which he voluntee w " P'ay
He strolled along the shOr. WIN VIZ. ~
fishing pole on his shoulde1 W. e"o
many on anxious glance In She III a,
ton where he had often seen Wv
young ladies', but they did Ipt glsdo %
his sight. No doubt they had gon>
off to look at the regatta.
About three o'clock in tls afternoon
Alick Freeman put on hs bathing
dress and went down to Che beach.
He was a good swimmer, tough until
this summer all his practice had been
in tideless, fresh water lakes or
streams.
He boldly plunged through the rim
Of surf and swan ont for q hundred
yards, rising and falling on the swells
that rolled in and broke Oh the white
single.
"Ill lie on my back aud let the
waves wash me in." Suiting the
action to the thought, Alick threw
himself on his back--he could float
without moving a muscle land, clos
ing his eyes, he was rocked by the
swells, which he imagined were bear
ing him nearer and nearer to the
shore.
Five, ten, fifteen minutes passed,
and, wondering why he was not
thrown among the breakers, rs he ex-
pected, Alick Freeman turned over on
his face and rubbed the water from
his eyes.
Instead Of being near the shore, he
was half mile out, and the tide, on
which he had not counted, was bear
ing him rapidly to sea,
He took in the situation in and in
slant, and, though realizing the danger,
he did not lose his presence of mind.
His safety depended on his GOODNESS.
He struck out for the shore, half
throwing himself from the water by
his powerful strokes, but all in vain.
The tide still dragged him out farther
and farther toward the foaming bar, on
whose white crest tossed the black
buoy.
He took off his wide-brimmed straw
bathing hat and waved 1t in the hope
that some one might see him; then,
anxious to reserve his strength, he
again threw himself on his back and
drifted with the tide in the line OF the
buoy. IF 1 can reach that" he
thought, 81 can cling to the chains
till help comes-if it ever does"
Before entering the line of breakers
that marked the bar, he again waved
his hat, then threw it away
He reached the buoy, but the chains
that kept it anchored were Shiny and
covered with seaweed, yet he SO placed
his body across the chains as to keep
from drifting farther to sea, and there
he hung for what seemed an age.
The sun was setting, and he was
losing all heart, as well as all strength,
when he heard shrill voice above the
thunder of the breakers.
He tried to reply,
The next in slant q boat with single
occupant--a girl-at the oars, shot
past him aud turned toward the buoy.
"Where are you?" she shouted.
"Here! Here"
Alick let 20 his hold, and, with
now strength lie for the boat.
The young heroine caught him and
helped him on board, and the moment
he was safe he tainted.
When he came to he was back on
the shore, and Sam White and Casper
Burns, who ha come up, were chat
ing him with tie aid of gentleman
whom Alick recognized as Julia
Fletcher's father.
Take him up to the house." said
Mr.. Fletcher, 'and then go to Your
cabin for his clothes. Poor fellow, no
had hard tussel for his life"
But the heroine? Well, as the fates
would have it, Mr.. Fletcher, his wife
and his neice, Dora Weldon, had gone
off to see the regatta, and Julia, acting
under within, as the others supposed,
remained at home. She saw the
swimmer in distress, and interpreted
his signals, though she knew not at
the time who he was. She ran to the
inlet, got a boat and boldly started
out with the result already shown.
Next day Alick was himself, and he
sent wcrd to the bank about his ac-
cident, the result being that he and
Casper had an extension OF another
week.
How the time was spent We need
not say. Alick owed it to his fair
preseryer to become her servant, and
so he was with her nearly all the
time, strolling on the sandy roads and
IA l.