The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-09-12
Row on!
His manner was peculiar. thought

Grow oGp'
His manner was peculiar I thought
he was nervous. "Do you fear a
Storm I asked without turning my
head. Just then pretty large wave
thumped against the bow. tits getting
rough" added at always does after
the sun goes down." he said. ''Row
on" l looked up at the sky, out of
which the light was fast fading Then
stopped rowing for moment. We
were almost out Of sight of land. 1t
only looked like black streak through
the twilight The waves had grown
considerably, and l knew that they,
together with the tide, would soon car
ry us beyond sight of land. Then If
there should be no room, and If a
storm should come up-I found myself
getting anxious.
1--WE must go back" said decidedly
and was just going to pick UP my oars
and turn about when l felt q heavy
weight plump down upon me and crush
me to the bottom of the boat. One
oar was lifted clear out of the rowlock
and dropped into the water. In mo-
ment Browns hands were at my
throat, and he was choking me and
butting my head against the boards. I
could not speak, and my senses were
| fast leaving me. remember his face
being close to mine and his heavy
breathing sounding loud and labored.
Then the sharp raised rib Of the boat
seemed to crunch into my head, and
lost consciousness.
| The first thing 1 became aware of
was faint rumbling which came from
the distance, and as l gradually recov-
cred saw flashes of lightning spread
over the sky A storm was coming
fast. The boat was rocking violently,
and Brown was bending over me bath
ing my face with water. l reached
out my hand and grasped him.
Don't" he said simply and made me
let go.
tried to get up, but he pushed me
back. "Lie still. The sea is rough"
The storm came on faster and faster.
Flash after flash of lightning lighted up
the heaving ocean; the thunder grum-
bled, rolled and crashed; the waves
rose to frightful heights and rushed
down upon the little boat with their
tops curling and falling. The boat
would rise on the crest Of wave and
then take a sickening dive down until
it seemed to me that we must surely
reach the bottom Then the going up
was so sudden and the motion SO differ
ent that l held my breath. We were
wet to the skin, for the boat often
plunged right through the top of
wave. We both hung to the seat of the
half sinking boat and waited.
The storm was short. The thunder
became fainter and fainter, and the
lightning ceased its zigzag form and
gave out soft, broad glares far off on
the horizon. The air changed, and it
became cold. do not know what time
of night it was, but it must have been
somewhere near morning when a big
wave dashed us against pile of rocks
and completely shattered the boat We
were flung out and lodged in a large
crevice between two towering rocks
With what strength we had we climb
ed up the ragged surface of the rocks
till we were out of reach of the pound
ing waves, and there, in a cleft, we
shivered till morning.
1t was not long before the sun put in
sickly appearance through the riffs Of
the scudding clouds and revealed a
long stretch Of heaving, muddy bill
lows, some of which still frothed and
foamed. There was a stiff, cold wind
blowing in from the east, and it made
us numb. We waited till the light got
strong, and then we climbed the Jag
ged rocks and found we were on a jut-
ting point of the mainland in little
bay. Far away caught the CLEAN
from the dome of Bostons statehouse.
and knew that the waves and tide
had carried US almost back to Boston.
1t did not take us long to reach a
house, where we were cared for until
we were ready to return to the city.
l had made up my mind to tell nv
adventure to the good people who
cared for US, but changed it. And
when | started to go Brown crushed
something into my hand. He started
to say something, but stopped, and,
turning abruptly, left me. l looked at
what he had given me. 1t was my
Confederate bill-Exchange.