The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-08-06

gled back again to our course.
Fetch her round this time, com
manded Jess, 'er alps lost.
"Our strength was well-nigh spent.
" It's no use, cried Steve.
"'We'll be swamped if we get
broadside, said some one else.
"'They say fortune favors the brave,
and l think it may be so, for suddenly
our old dory seemed to careen and al
most capsize and then, righting itself
in spite of the waves, swept down
straight toward the vessel. The men
on board her, watching us as their last
hope of life, began to cheer heartily at
this, and in moment more our boat
was in the lee of the great hulk and
close under her bows.
"The sailors began to Chamber down
from the rigging, watching the seas
| and holding on all the time lest they
should be swept away while reaching
the boat.
Cess shouted his orders to them as
they came in sight, leaning over the
rail. By his directions they found
and brought coil of rope, one end OF
which they with some difficulty made
fast to the iib-boom, where it would
have a good height above the water.
" Now, four of you crawl out and
lower yourselves on the rope. Boat
won't hold more than four at once, )
Jess shouted.
CHOSE boys didn't have to be told
twice what to do, like some boys l
know" said grandpa, looking mean
ingly at Kent
"But, grandpa, do tell how you got
back to the shore"
"Well, the men carried the coil OF
rope over into the boat, leaving the
end fast to the jib-boom, and we rowed
away, allowing the coil to unroll as we
went. This proved of great service
to us in making the second trip after
the other four men who were still left
on the wreck.
"We landed the half-frGzen crea'
lures on the beach and charged them
to keep moving that they might not
sink down aud freeze in their exhaus,
ton before we returned. Now they
were on terra tirma, they seemed com
pletely unnerved.
Rowing back, partly held to oul
course by the rope that we had made
fast on shore, we soon reached the
wreck the second time. The Other
four men were soon in the dory, and
with little cheer at our success We
set out again for the shore.
''But cheered little too soon fol
my part. For when we were about
half way in I stepped into coil OF
rope that was lying in the bottom O.
the dory and that had somehow be-
come twisted with the line by which
we were helping to guide her, which
the sailors had brought aboard. wal
thrown from my balance and the mex
instant found myself in the icy bill
lows.
'Ben's overheard - nab him!
somebody called out.
"Robert Jordan, at the risk of goins
over himself and of upsetting thu
whole boatload of us, reached over be
fore could be swept off and 'nabbed
me, indeed, as l struggled in the ic,
water. l was pulled in without upset
ting the boat, which was miracle al
most, as she was overloaded, and the
sea was like yeasty tumult of bill
lows. They pulled me over the rail
dripping with brine, with very littl
ceremony.
Got "sousing" that time, didn'
We, Ben?' asked Steve, glad enough
that it was no worse. Give him thu
oar or he will Freeze ,"
"Were you much scared?" asked
Kent. He had been listening will
= breathless interest to ascertain i
grandpa really got drowned, forgetting
that he was at that moment telling tn
story.
"Not so much as your grandma wa
an hour or two later, when | told he
about it, sitting by hot fire in dr.,
clothes, slipping hot ginger tea," al
swered grandpa.
"And what did you do with til
shipwrecked men, grandpa?"
SAN organization for the relief Q
sea, called the Humane society, tool
charge Of them and gave them ne'
clothes. They were then sent HON
by land. They lost everything the
had, though, on the brig
"And what became of the brig? Di
she really go to pieces?'
l "Well, l guess she did? And W
were none too soon making up on
minds to attempt to rescue, either. ]
wasn't Is minutes after we left he
before the ship settled against tn
sands and parted in the middle. The
the sea soon did the rest. The mast
, toppled over, and the rigging to whic
t the men had been clinging went drag
ging over into the sea-"
ooh, let's put the medal away an
keep it then, grandpa, " says Kent, quit