Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1899-04-14

i and George whispered 10 Nan as NC
| frightened the sheet: IT think we can
run even the Phoebe pretty close If
we take the second leg in two long
tacks instead of four short ones. Every
tack counts, you know. 1t may take
only second to get around, but in a
| race like this seconds mean every
thing"
"Good!" said Nan; "but-they--don't
give it away. The Phoebe's are watch
ing u.s.
All were ready again. AS Capt Red
fern in his bucksllin jacket with a
rope around his waist and the old
double barreled signaling-gun in hand,
walked observantly up the line before
the moment for his second shot, he
smiled at Nan.
'You look snug there, Nan"
"Oh, I'm quite at home, thank you:
captain"
The girl lay in her usual place well
forward in the cockpit, while George,
friend and a boy stood ready to push
off the boat
Then the gun banged, the men
pushed, and the yachts started. Let
CO." shouted George to his helpers, but
still ran alongthimself an instant more
before jumping aboard; and right
there his feet slipped, his hands slipped,
and he fell prone on the ice. The boat
leaped from his grasp like wild thing
glad to be free, while shout of hor-
ror broke from the spectators.
George, springing to his feet, dashed
after the Nancy before he realized that
he might as well chase the lightning.
And Nan? When she saw that the
boat was carrying her off alone, she
was for one brief second downright
dismayed. Then her craftsmanship
came to the rescue and she crawled
back, hurrying to reach the helm and
bring the boat up into the wind; but
as she grasped the tiller she saw that
to turn would be impossible, for she
was in the middle of line of boats.
the farthest not 30 feet away. She
must wait for more room; and she
soon got it, for the Nancy was run
ming away from the ruck.
Seeing that her boat was following
close on the Elk and the Phoebe. am
bition sprang to life in Nan. Why not
race? It was true she had never held
the tiller for an hour altogether before
! in her life, but she knew the sport
by hundred runs with George. Her
yacht obeyed her highest touch, and
her spunk rose. She would not de-
sert the Nancy. And oh, goodness!
what joy it would give George if she
won the race for Minnetonka!
! Suddenly, and with some fear. she
perceived the first fir-tree apparently
straight in front and only a few rods
away. Then she saw the Phoebe swing
gracefully around it, the Elk following
closely. In another instant Nan, too
had turned the dreaded mark close
upon the skates of the leaders. All her
fear was gone. Even so she tackled up
to the second tree and swept down the
third leg, while the spectators breath
lessly watched the red heck of Mans
dress. Sometimes they were sure she
would run down the Elk, as the great
boat shot nightly over the ice in her
efforts to catch the flying Phoebe.
AS Nan approached the goal-post she
had to fight her own thoughts Of drop
ping out of the race. Both arms ached
terribly, one from holding on, the other
omgrasping the tiller, and her fingers
were numb. A hoarse shout: Stop
from Capt. Redfern reached her ears
with the cheers of the crowd as she
swirled by, but she was sure she had
heard George calling: "splendid, Nan,
splendid" and this gave her new vigor.
"We'll keep at it, Nancy" she said
aloud to her boat. "We're entered and
we'll stay in and do the best we can.
And-why, goodness! I'd forgotten it
we may win!"
For even as she spoke, Georges plan
had flashed upon her memory-to take
two tacks instead of four on the second
leg of the course. So far she had simply
followed the leaders. Now she meant
to strike out for herself. She was the
more fired to this resolution by observ-
ing that she was steadily overtaking
the Elk. She could follow the leaders
tracks no more. The boats came whiz-
ling by the tree; the first two pointed
up on their second tack, but she rushed
straight on.
Poor George. watching in an agony of
sympathy for his sister, now dug the
nails into the palm of his hand. Surely
Nan must have tainted, although he had
never known her to faint; or she was
tired out and had lost her grip. And
she had no idea that the boat was car
rying her headlong on terrible course.
There was dangerous crack only a
mile beyond her, near Big island.
No, she was turning. He caught his
breath in the revulsion of feeling.
What pride he felt as he realized that
she had caught his idea and was trying
to work it out! "Hurrah. hurrah, Mani"
He quite astonished the crowd by his
sudden, solitary cheering.
Meanwhile Nan was fixing her mind
on the all-important calculation of
when to make her next tack. She could
see the other boats. now on their third
short tack, approaching the point where
she wished to turn, but she felt sure
that she should reach it first; besides,
she had the right of way. So, regard
less of a possible collision, she tore on,
not varying hairs breadth.
1t was close shave, for she passed
under the very nose of the Phoebe,
whose captain could hardly believe his
eyes as he saw the insignificant, un-
thought-of Nancy cross his bow, and
| WAS it nnssihle with only q girl