Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-07-29

they cheered, and this served 10
strengthen our resolution. We an
swered as we'll rs 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
q 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
Tor this in part by launching some dis
lance 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 quarter
Of q 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 " we get
lsoadside, said some one else. I'D .
"They say fortune favors the brave,
and think it may be so, for suddenly
| our old dory seemed to careen and al
most capsize aud then, rightihg itself
10 spite Of the waves, swept down
straight toward the vessel. The men
on board her, watching MS 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. .'' IT.
"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.
"Jess 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 ut once,
Jess shouted. ..... l....
''Those boys didn't have to be told
twice what 10 do, like some boys /
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. Phis proved Of great service
to us in making the second trip after
the other four men who we're still left
on the wreck. f.. .-
eve landed the half-frozen crea-
lures on the beach and charged them
to keep moving that they might not
sink down aud freeze in their exhaus-
tion before we returned. Now they
were on terra. firma, they seemed com.
Pletely unnerved.
''Rowing back, partly held to our
course by the rope thatiwe had made
fast ON shore, we soon reached the
wreck the second time. The other
four men were soou 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 a 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.
'Ben's overheard - nab himr
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 l 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 like a yeasty tumult OF bill
lows. They pulled me over the rail,
dripping with brine, with very little
ceremony.
:" Got a ''sousing" that time, didn't
ye, Benz asked Steve, glad enough
that II was no worse. Give him the
oar or he will freeze"
'Were you much scared9" asked
Kent. He had been listening with
breathless interest to ascertain il
| grandpa really got drowned, forgetting
that he was at that moment telling the