The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-05-21

councillor, l always thought that one
as bad a law as the county could make.
But that law is, all the same, and there
amt no helping it. It's five pound re,
ward for bringing in dead corpse, an
only 80 bob for bringing in man alive
as you save from drowning.
"Bill-o'-my-soul," says l, raising my
sweep, being that angry with the man
that I'd have knocked him over the
head as soon as would rat, Twill you
row, or shall brain your"
Just at that minute my eyes went
towards the shore; and if there wasn't
Miss Noe, not wringing her hands now,
but plunging into the sea, clothes and
although Il lady with skirts-and
swimming for dear life out to the boat
to help me.
l up with my voice, an l shouts
Come along, Miss Noe! You puts the
men to shamel Blessings on you for
brave grill She was swimming that
splendid!
Well, l rows towards her, and helps
her aboard into the boat, and in she
jumps, all dripping, but taking no more
notice of it, bless you, than if water was
a feather bed to her. And she seizes
the oar Bill-o'-my- wouldn't work,
and she cries out to me, agonized like:
ROW on, Cap'n Cooley, for heavens
sake, row on! Alex is a-drownding!"
Well, wasn't going to carry SUI
percargo, as you may say, to weight the
boat, nor yet passenger for nothing.
So, to Tighten the burden, just ups with
Bill-o'-my-soul and clasps un around
the waist, being older man nor him,
but, heaven be praised, strong one.
He was took by surprise, too much to
struggle. An l heaves un over afore
he knowed where he was, and makes
Jonah of him. He come up suffering,
being the worst swimmer for seafar-
ing man as ever 1 met with. "There,"
says 1, hitting out at him with the blade
O. my sweep. See how you likes it
yourself" says 1. "There's five pounds
a-goin' beggin' for whoever pulls out
your ugly corpse, for nobody amt 60
ing to trouble about you living" And
off we two rows, Miss Noe in her drip
ping clothes, and leaves Bill there, to
sink or swim, accordin' as he was
minded
quarter O. mile out we comes up to
a sailing boat. Wind was nor'east, or
might been a pint nearer east, may
hap, and a sail before the wind could
bear straight down upon where Mr..
Alex was drownding. Miss Noe, she
stood up and calls out to the men:
"Over yonder!" she cries, showing the
way with her hand. "Quick, quick; he's
drownding!"
In a second they sees, and without
one word off they goes, lufing that sud
dent wouldn't "a believed it if / hadn't
seen 1t, and they flies before half a gale
over in the direction of the gentleman.
Well, he was done up for swimming,
through not having another kick left
in him, as you may say; but he was able
to float on his back, and might have
tioated an hour more, mayhap, If so be
as the chill O. the water didn't numb him
and send him to the bottom. They
come up to him, and pulled un in.
could see them a-pulling of him; but
whether it was 30 bob or five pounds
worth, l couldn't rightly make out for
certain.
as it alive or dead?" says the young
lady.
"Well," says I, "he do look rather
limp" says l, "as is natural when you've
been lying so long in the water. But
l think it's alive. Anyhow, we'd better
row back and get your things dried,
miss"
"Oh, no." says she, crying, II can't go
back till know. Cap'n Cooley" says
she, 1--WE must row on and meet them"
Well, didn't quite like it, owing to
the gentleman perhaps having nothin'
on, which Miss Noe hadn't thought of;
still, this being a matter O life and
death, where such things. can't be al
lowed to count, rows on to meet them.
About 100 yards off, stands up and
shouts, so as she shouldn't understand:
is it five-pound job, mate, or 30
bobber?"
And the young gentleman himself
lifts himself up in reply, with one Of the
fshermen's jerseys on, an a sail
wrapped around un, and he shouts at
the top of his voice, waving his hand,
"Alive, alive, Noel"
1 wanted to turn then; but, bless you,
there wasn't no keeping back that
young lady. Afore l knowed where |
was, at the sound Of his voice, she'd
stood up in the boat and Jumped off
the seat, and was swimming for dear
life again to the sailing boat, where her
young gentleman was a-sitting.
He was not dead when she got there.
He'd just had strength O. mind to hold
up till he could shout to her, and then
he falls back, numb like and as white
as death, till they gets him ashore again.