Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-08-13

man had bolted his dinner and was
leaning over the starboard rail, look.
ing no more stupid or inert than he
generally did A big coal lighter was
moored alongside the ship, and the
cadet in order to get aboard ship had
to climb from the steam launchs that
brought him off onto the lighter, and
then pull himself up on the fixed iron
gaugway ladder to the gangway.
There was space of about two feet
between the coal lighter and the ship.
Into this space the cadet, missing his
hold when he attempted to clutch the
ladder, fell, feet foremost, with Il
splash. The crew of the steam launch
heard the splash, but did not know
what had caused it. 1t was about
100 to | against the cadets saw
ing his life by his own efforts, for
when he came up his head was due to
bump against the bottom of the lighter,
and it is hard proposition even for a
good swimmer to keep his nerve TN.
der such circumstances. The cadet
didn't keep his nerve, and he surely
would have been II goner had it not
been for the loutish landsman leaning
over the starboard rail. The loutish
landsman proved to be the right man.
He did not even kick off his Govern.
ment brogans before he let himself
fall into the space between the lighter
and the ship at the exact point where
the cadet had gone done. The crew
of the steam launch saw this move
and wondered what it meant. They
did not know the cadet was under.
meath the lighter. In about half
minute the moon faced landsman came
from beneath the lighter, and he had
the cadet along with him. The cadet,
his nerve gone, was very wild, and
clutched the landsman fiercely. The
1andsman freed his right arm from the
grasp of the struggling cadet and gave
him a jolt on the point of the jaw
with his big right fist that the cadet
declares he feels yet. The blow put
the cadet out of the game altogether,
but it saved his life. He would have
pulled his rescuer down with him had
he not been knocked silly, and this
was one of the times when an enlisted
man struck an officer without being
punished for it. The landsman and
the cadet were hauled into the steam
launch by tue crew, and the ships
company proceeded t. hunt up an.
other butt for their humor. The
moon faced landsman wasn't made to
serve in that capacity any longer.
TOwed Six Miles by IA SwOrlfsh.
The steam yacht Chetolah, N. Y. Y.
c., owner A. J. Wise, put in at Sea
Cliff, L. L., recently with swordfish
on board measuring thirteen feet ten
inches long and weighing G25 pounds.
The fish was caught thirty-ive miles
southeast of Block Island. He gave
the party an exciting chase, towing
tho yachts gig and small boat six
miles before he could be killed.
Mr.. Wise and party of friends
went out on the Chetolah from Green
port on swordishing trip. An offer
of a $40 bounty was made to the sailor
first sighting big fish. About the
middle of the afternoon one of the
sailors caught glimpse of the mon.
ster, and the yacht was quickly got
into position from which the skip.
per, J. w. Matthews, who is an ex.
pericnced swordfsherman, could har.
poon him from the bow of the yacht.
AS soon as Mr.. Matthews had made
his mark the party got into the gig
and the small boat, and thrilling
pursuit ensued, which lasted an hour
and half before the fish received its
death blow.
1t took five stout sailors to work the
tackle which hoisted the fish to the
deck of the yacht. A box was hastily
put together and the fish was packed
in ice in order to give the ladies of the
family and their friends chance to
see it.