Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-07-09

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 All atom lost in the enshrouding
fog.
Just then he heard the "plunk" 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 neat at
hand. The cries were repeated shril-
ly. Billy went little nearer the edge
and looked down into the milky green
water tapping the stone walls a good
distance below him.
"Keep hollerin'," shouted Billy,
"till I can find you. Swim toward
me, if you can, and don't lose sight
of the dock"
If it was 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 he ought to
head for.
"Here T am. Oh, help me out,
came back the frightened voice.
1t sounded nearer, and in moment
more Billy saw a shiny head and q
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
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. Tm-played
out" he painted, falling Oh one knee
and bracing himself with the other
leg. He clung 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, and then the two sat up
breathless, gasping and not able to
say a 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 and 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 hand As fast as he got
a garment loose Billy put it on. Ugh!
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.
His alarm at seeing his son and heir
apparently just after bath, and one
taken with his clothes on, gave him a
start.
"Billy, you didn't fall off, did you?"
he inquired, huskily.
"No; but he did," said Billy. tug
ging away at his knotted coat and
trousers.
"He pulled me out with his clothes,
said the other boy; "and I tell him to
come down to the President an get
dry"
SIS it far?' said Captain Hanford.
"No. Jes' down there"
"Well, I think we'd better go. Billy.
I'm afraid you'll catch cold."
"All right. But I won't catch cold,"
retorted Billy, who had got into all of
his clothes by this time.
The small boy, looking like a
drowned rat, led the way and Captain
Matt followed, gathering the details
ofthe adventure from Billy. He glowed
with pride at his sons presence of
mind in devising this novel clothes
line and rescuing the boy. But Billy
treated it as If it were the most COM
monplace thing in the world. He was
really thinking more OF getting warmed
up than anything else.
They both wondered q little where