Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-07-29
ave saw that the ship had lowered

IN the water perceptibly during our
absence and might go TO pieces any
moment The men, however, were
desperately holding on just about as
we had left them. When they saw US
they cheered, and this served to
strengthen our resolution. We an
swered as we'll as we could, while we
hauled the boat down to the waters
edge and jumped in. 1t was more or
less perilous launching dory in such
a sea, but by watching for smooth
instant we succeeded. The current
ran strong against us, and the heavy
northeast wind blew US down the
shore. But we had made allowance
for this in part by launching some dis
tance north Of the wreck. Then, with
faces set and muscles tense, four Of
us bent to the oars, while the other
two were kept busy bailing the leaky
craft.
"The men on the vessel were silent
now, watching our desperate efforts,
while We were tossed like seaweed up
and down onthe roaring waves. Twice
We were borne past them by the treach-
erous undertow and swept a quarter
Of mile down the shore before we
could recover ground, and twice we
stemmed the tide and wind and strug-
gled back again to our course.
Fetch her round this time, COM
manded Jess, 'er all's lost
"Our strength was well-nigh spent
It's no use, cried Steve,
+ Well be swamped II we get o
J lsoadside, said some one else. - 3
"They say fortune favors the brave
and think il may be so, for suddenly
our old dory seemed to careen and al
most capsize aud then, rightihg itself
ID spite of the waves, swept down
straight toward the vessel. The men
on board her, watching rs as their last
hope oflife, began to cheer heartily at
this, and In moment more .onr boat
was In the lee OF the great hulk and
close under her bows. .H' ~
"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. ....a4
p sJess 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 jib.boom, where it would
have 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. 49, .JL4.a.
''Those boys didn't have to be told
twice what 10 do, like some boys I
know" said grandpa, looking mean
inely 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. Phis proved Of great. service
to US in making the second trip after
the other four men who were still left
on the wreck. F..a ID" %,
YWe landed the half-frozen crea-
lures on the beach and charged them
to keep moving that they might not
sink down and freeze in their exhaus-
tion before we returned. Now they
were on terra iirma, they seemed COM
pletely unnerved.
'Rowing back, partly held to our
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 for
my part. For when we were about
half way in / stepped into q coil OF
rope that was lying in the bottom Of
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. / was
thrown from my balance and the next
instant found myself in the icy bill
lows.
'Bens overheard - nab him!
somebody called out.
Robert Jordan, at the risk OF going
over himself and OF upsetting the
whole boatload of us, reached over be-
fore could be swept off and 'nabbed'
me, indeed. as struggled in the icy
water. was pulled in without upset
ting the boat, which was miracle al
most, as she was overloaded, and the
sea was Ikea yeasty tumult Of bill.
lows. They pulled me over the rail,
dripping with brine, with very little
ceremony.
Got ''sousing" that time, didn't
We, Benz asked Steve, glad enough
that it was no worse. Give him the
oar or he will freeze"
.sw