The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1898-07-27


that London had seen for fifteen
years, settled down on the West India
Docks and swallowed up Captain
Matt and his son. At last the Cap
tain said:
BILLY, this is worse than fog in
mid-Atlantic. 1t is no use trying to
find the Pearl of India in this. We
could hardly find lighthouse. 1t
isn't safe to be cropping round here,
either. You stay right here for few
minutes till L walk back to that po-
liceman and ask him il he knows
whether Simpsons craft is near here.
If he doesn't we'll give it up. Don't
stir from here or I'll never find you
again"
Billy promised not to move. He
watched his father disappear in the
cold, enveloping mist with sense
of uncomfortableness. If the docks
had seemed wilderness before, they
were more of one now with him left
like an atom lost in the enshrouding
fog.
Just then he heard the ''pluhk" of
something falling into the water. He
started and tried to peer through the
wall of fog. Almost Immediately he
heard shrill cry for help Some
one, boy, he imagined from the
sound of the voice, had dropped off
into the water. 1t was hard to tell
where he was from the sound, but
there was no doubt it was near at
hand. TIE cries were repeated shril-
ly. Billy went little nearer the edge
and looked down into the milky green
water tapping the stone walls good
distance below him.
"Keep hollerin'," shouted Billy,
"till l can find you. Swim toward
me, if you can, and don't lose sight
of the dock"
If it was a boy, of course he could
swim, but Billy knew if he once lost
sight of the walls of the docks he
could have no idea where heought to
head for.
'Here 1 am. Oh, help me out"
came back the frightened voice.
1t sounded nearer, and in a moment
more Billy saw shiny head and
small white face with pair of scared
eyes in it. The boy was padding
around like small puppy.
"Keep right there" shouted Billy.
There was no use trying to look for
rope when he couldn't see more than
a few yards. He did the only thing
he could think of. He stripped off
his outside clothes as fast as he could.
Then he tied his trousers to his coat,
and his coat to his stockings, and let
down this rope of clothes toward the
boy
1t didn't reach him, so he hauled it
up and, pulling off his undershirt,
tied it on, too. Then he lowered it
again, with the shirt end down, think
ing the boy might pull himself up to
the stouter part of the life line, if the
shirt proved too weak to hold. He
gave him directions to this effect.
The boy clutched the end of the
rope. Fortunately, he was light. But
it was a good tug for Billy to pull him
up. By the time the youngsters wet
head showed above the edge his
strength was nearly used up.
"Pull-yourself--up. Pm-played
out" he painted, falling on one knee
and bracing himself with the other
leg. He chung desperately to the line
of clothes. If the boy couldn't help
himself now, Billy was afraid it was
all up with him.
The other boy saw how matters
stood, and squirming and getting his
grip little higher up, he at last pulled
himself over the edge of the dock. He
rolled over to get further way from
the edge, aud then the two sat up
breathless, gasping and not able to
say word. They simply stared at
each other, with their mouths open.
But now that the strain was over, Billy
began to get his breath. The cold,
raw air was making him shiver. They
both looked blue about the mouth,
and were shaking like Mexican hair
less dogs.
you'd better get home. Where
do you live?" asked Billy at last, as
we'll as he could with his teeth chat
tering.
"Down there" shivered the other,
pointing off through the fog toward
the end of the dock. "You come
along aud get dry. Mother'll give us
something warm. Come on.
They had both got to their feet,
Billy was tugging at the knots in his
clothes which the weight of the boy
had frightened. The rescued boy
kindly lent a hand. AS fast as he got
garment loose Billy put it on. Ughl
How cold and wet they felt. He
stamped around to get warm.
He had just got into part of his
clOthes when his father came back.