The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-01-21
WIN MES III MPH
:BY THE AUTHOR OF FAIRY COLD.

BY THE AUTHOR oFs"FAIRY COLD.
Her senses have returned llow-clearlg,
vividly. She cnn remember, and think,
and plan, and decide. Her excited br,in,H
her bounding pulses, her rejoicing soul,
would carry her through worse dangers
thau the past ones ten times over. She
can recall the position OF the rocks, and
the scraps of sandy, weed-grown banks
left bare by the tide, rs She remembered
them eight years ago. She can slip down
this great rock, wade over that bank,
mount Tint jagged shelving piece there,
which leads to the followed rccesses In
TINT pr jecting gublc of rock above high
water mark. She must climb VI there
by the fringing growth of sea-wecd-up
there, where tho survivors Of the Clttto0r
lie.
Is there no sight, no sound, to tell II
they are there--if anything is to reward
her search7 She cannot shout or signal
them; she cannot Go anything bn. patient
ly grope, and feel, and stumble, and climb
inch by inch over the painful way, hold
ing by rocks. clingtng to sea-wecd, reacll-
ing over deep pools, STOPPING and holding
her breath under each torrent. of foamiDg
water from each crash of the breakers. A
little way further she proceeds, tho thick
whfta froth covering her black drenchcd
clothes. her long, dripping, clingins
%trcsses like snow, and thenthe little figure
looking scarcely human, save for the
great dark, longing, passionate eyes look
Ing out of the white face, and the black
shining lair streaming from tho waves
clings to the oily, swaying sca-weeds, and
tries to chamber up.
But her swollen. bleeding hands will
not hold the slippery fringcs tightly-thcy
break away again and again from her
hands; the cold Is benumbing her, the
waves are deafening and binding her;
and at length, with a piercing scream of
agoniZed impotence, pain, and despair,
she falls PROSTATE on the rocks below,
gazing mp VI the hidden rccesses beyond
her sight and reach. She gnzcs up, pom.
dering in her dizzy bcmilderment, cold
n weakness, whether she must die there
after all-gazes up. and sees, l~ookingdown
upon her. over he lodges OF rock and sea-
weed, Stephen T~redcnnick's face.
He sees her, dishelieving what he sees:
he stares, pushing back his set hair from
his haggard face with n trelnor OF fear
that the delirium Of cold, hunger, aud eX-
haustion Is stealing over his senses. He
sees her rise to her feet, and point to the
rope around her waist, md tho gentle,
womanly lips seem to utter words, though
he can hear no voice. And then other
faces look down upon her, and the dark,
cayernousr rocks of 1'regarthcn Head re-
echo with wild shouts-hoarse, gasping
hurrahs, and frantic screams of gladpcss,
relief, hope. and welcome.
They fling themselves down, scramble
down, tumble down in any manner-eight
gannt, wounded. pallid, half-naked men,
with their captain, Stephen T~redennick-
and they almost overwhelm. in their wild
gratitude, delight, and admiration, the
poor, little, trembling, womauly form
that the sea has wcll-nigh overwhelmed
already.
"a woman! A womanl Come with a
rope! Oh, may the Lord bless her brave
hearth A little lass come with the rope to
saye us, captain! How did ye get to rs?
Give us a touch Of your hand: Cut and
bleeding! Cut sore aud deep, your bonny
little hands! Lord bless you! Who are
your Are you a spirit or u womang'
Death staring them in the face had not
wrung q tear from their eyes. or broken
the brave spirits III those sinewy, weather
beaten frames; but before the sight of q
woman's heroic daring and deyotcdness,
risking her weak life for theirs, they
sobbed and %groaned, kissing her bleeding
hands, w1inging the weight of moisture
from her dripping clothes, blessing her,
and begging for her name, for their wives
and mothers prayers to the end of Their