The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
The Rescue Of Jock
By John II. Whitson
II HAT he sEould meet with an adven.
'Se~~~ee~~>>e>$A~
ture SO out Of the ordinary. Sid HoI

ture so out Of the ordinary, Sid Hol-
ley could not have believed when he
stepped the mast in his little beat and
stood away for the fishing ground off
Saugus Inlet.
There was still some sea running, S
the result of the recent gale; but Sid
was used to the ocean and its ways,
Born in his present home, OF one of the
small islands of the upper New England
coast, the wash" of the waves had been
in his ears since his earliest recollec-
ton.
''Must have been fire in the woods at
Cataract Point" was his thought, as he
took the tiller and drew in the sheet Of
the sail for the long tack that was to
take him beyond the headland. prob
ably tree burning"
There had been q red light in the
southern Sky at daybreak, ard now he
could dimly discern tilmy trace Of
smoke. There were no houses on Cata-
lonely spot, visited only in summer by
camping and fishing parties.
Sid Holly did not think of burning
ship; but when he had beat well out
through the choppy waves that were
running off the headland, he saw big,
square-rigged vessel, rolling heavily,
with smoke rising in thin cloud from
point forward.
Sid Immediately altered his course
and stood away for the unfortunate
ship. As he passed under her stern, he
read the name Java, Boston, Mass
She was down almost to the main
chains, and threatened to go to the bot
tom at any moment, Sid kept we'll Off,
not caring to be near the whirlpool that
would be produced if she should go
down with a sudden lurch.
While studying the smoke, a queer
chatterirg noise caused him to glance
alOft, and he saw a small hairy body
crouched en- the mizzen cross-trees. 1t
was a monkey, locking down at him
with what seemed to be an appealing
expression.
The monkeys pitiful condition
touched Sid's heart.
poor little fellow!" he muttercd
"They forgot you, did they, when they
abandoned the ship?"
Then he called to it:
"Come, Jock! Come, Jock! Come
down, Jock!"
The monkey moved uneasily, glanced
toward the forward deck as if it saw or
heard something there of which it was
afraid, and refused to descend.
Sid shifted the tiller, to pass back
under the stern, and threw over the
boom as the boat came around.
"Come, Jock!" he urged, as he again
drew near.
The monek:T uttered nervous chatters
and moved restlessly on its perch, but
would not come down.
Sid sent the boat on round the Java,
at respectful distance. The fire was
evidently in the forecastle, but it
seemed to be making no progress. The
worst thing was the vessels sinking
condition. Sid studied her closely.
'She may stay afloat half hour, or
even a half day." was his conclusion.
Again he looked at the monkey. Pity
for it, combined with a thought that
there might be something on the vessel
which he could take in his boat to rec4
ompense him for the risk, finally over
came his fears. He put the boat along
side the ships starboard, where he
fastened it by line; then climbed to
the deserted deck. AS the monkey ap-
peared to be On the point of descending
the shrouds, Sid, feeling that what he
did be must do quickly, climbed up to
meet it.
Il was in no wise afrtid of him, but
pleased, rather, and grateful. 1t had
been the pet Of some sailor, he was sure,
perhaps Of the captain. Sid took it
into his arms and looked into its grave
brown eyes.
Suddenly it gave chatter of fear,
leaped from his arms to his shoulder
and seemed on the point OF springing to
the shrouds and racing back to its form
er position.
Wondering what had frightened it,
Sid turned to the deck, What he saw
gave him such q start that be almost
let go his hold. \ big tiger had emerged
from the forward companionway and
and its tail waving snaky threat. An
exclamation Of surprise and alarm came
from Sid Rolly's lips, and the monkey
again chattered in fear. This was an
swered by deep growl from the tigers
cavernous throat, and by an advance to
starbCard which brought it between
Sid and his boat.
The appearance of the tiger on the
deck was so strange and apparently so
ineXplicable that Sid Holly might readi-
ly have been excused for thinking this
the improbable experience of dream.
Later, he knew that the Java had
brought the tiger and several other wild
beasts in cages from an Indian port,
consigned to circus firm in Bridge
port. The storm had blown the Java
out Of her course and to the northward.
He learned, too, that when the boats
were ready to pull away from the
doomed ship some tender-hearted mem
Der Of the crew had slipped the oars of
the cages, with the result that most of-
the released animals, frightened by the
fire, had Immediately leaped into the
sea and had been drowned AS for the
monkey, it had been abandoned simply
because it obstinately remained in the
rigging, perhaps through fright, and
refused to be caught.
Sid Holly's hands shook on the rat
lines and his heart chilled as he saw the
tiger cross the deck in thai threatening
manner; and when he thought of the
vessels Si kinr ST q 10 aDd r1opoed from