Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-12-28

night, when the Christmas trees in the
churches had been unladen, that the
home corners saw an ominous flash across
the southern sky, and the trail OF the
rockets acted like a cry of fire on the
men.
The dull silence In the Nantucket lanes
resounded with the frantic yell. "Wrecs
on the south shorer' Every ableboded
man was on foot in an instant Tim
Henderson and all of No. were there,
too, but not the old hand engine.
1t is not over three miles to the south
shore from the village OF Nantucket.
When the men had reached the scene.
the life savers had sent a line over the
mast of the brigantine Henrietta Rog-
ers, less than half mile away. But
the vessel was acting ugly and was loath
to stand st!S She pounded on the shoal
and tugged at the line over which ran
the trolley of the breeches buoy
Three were already saved, but everv
moment it seemed ms If the line would
break. AS the mountainous seas heaved
and broke over the cliffs the line and
its burden were buried out of sight.
Then the line, released from its tension,
snapped into the air like a lash, and
yet somehow the breeches buoy held to
its trolley, and its human freight staid,
too, slowly feeling its way to the bank
The captain Of the vessel was the last
to come. The men had cheered them all
as they were picked up, half drowned,
and carried into the station by willing
hands. 1t was ready to cheer now as
the last man was slowly coming shore
ward.
But the words died on their lips, I'M
uttered. The line had caught! When re-
leased from the clutch Of the waves.
dark object was tossed into the air Each
moment it seemed as if the captain would
be thrown into the sea. That moment
would be his last. for nothing, not even
a lifeboat, could live in that sea.
1t was not time to stop and consider.
The life saving captain was about to
speak to bis men, to command them to go
TO almost certain death, when form
shot out of the darkness and grabbed the
life line. The men on shore swore, not
softly" but above the roaring of the
storm they were heard, and it seemed as
if they called him fool. No one knew
who it was, for he was scarcely in view
long enough, even il he could have been
recognized. Each time the line few into
the air the men on shore held their
breath.
Once man and line parted and dsap-
peared. low groan mingled with the
storm. Then the line flew up again, and
the man was again slowly creeping to-
ward the buoy.
There was no timekeeper for that race
with death. 1t seemed as if hours had
passed when the buoy again yielded to
the pull from the shore, and the two men
were brought to safety.
When they picked up Tim Henderson,
already unconscious, they carried him to
the station as tenderly as a mother gath
ers her child to her arms. They had for
gotten to cheer at first. That came later.
when the waiting crowd saw the fisher
man stepping forth into the open air.
Tim walked back to town. He resent
ed any demonstration. He went home.
Persis Hayward waited all day for him,
but she did not understand him yet. II
she thought it was for her that he risked
his life, she was mistaken. She learned
about that afterward.
Christmas night the wind had changed
to northeast, and the rain had turned in
to sleet and snow. But the weather did
not count with Persis She had the
street to herself as she half walked and
half blew down Newtown way. Late
she had Tim to herself too.
1t has never been really known what
happened, but it has leaked out that Tin