The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-09
A Modern Gelert.

! want every jealous and efficient officer
who reads this narrative to know that he
has wasted his time ! this is Action, fool
ish, improbable fiction. nothing more.
Two years ago. in August, l was walking
peacefully along the espianade of certain
town on the southern coast CT England. 1t
was evening and the hand was playing on
the esplana5e, which was consequently
crowded, willie the little pier, at other
times the chef attraction of the place Y as
almost deserted. Suddenly, high above tle
strains Of Tommy Atkins" there scnote
on our startled ears a woman's sores n;
then another. and another, and then the
deep cry of a strong man in morta- agony:
Help. help, helpi" This sound came
from the seaward end OF the pier, and the
crowd, heaving. swayins. the men S" eer-
ing, the women scre aiming out their sym
pathy. made with one &C Old for the tlrn-
stiles. Luckily for me. l had BEN stand
ing at that end OF the espanade and
reached and cleared the stiles beso-e the
crush began. l heard the mob struggl n
and sTnacaing the iTonwork as / ian up
the pier The gatekecTer had left his post.
and was hurrying as fast a. his bulk pzr
mitted in the direction of tie cries.
''Who is it, l shouted. as l overlook
him.
'Man and woman, SIR he gaspei; only
two on the pier tonight-got covered
perambulator with EN- 'ad to OPEN the
gate
Then it's the child that's fallen over"
/ cried. and few the faster. Rushing round
the little house at the end of the pier |
came upon the hap.czs pair. The man was
standing en- the seat and had thrown one
leg over the rail; the woman was ciinSing
wildly TO his other limb and screaming in
q manner horrible to Hear. However. he
was rot hysterical. fer as l came up she
turned TO me: Hold him back. sir" she
cried. he cant swim Oh. John. thu dog II
save her If she can he saved
rs il the chld?" / painted.
"Oh. yes sir walled the mother still
clinging to her husbands leg; our little
girl has fallen over into the sea" The
crowd was seething ali round US NOW. a-d
twenty voices yelled. What is it2''
"a little girl has fallen over l shout
ed. &c back, some CT you and get boat
and help me hold this mamie can't swim.
Come back. sir. come back" and help-d
the woman to pull the poor. frantic wretch
over the rail again
THE dogs gone after her john the
woman cried once more. You know
that Nero will save her if she can be
saved. Ard yen can't swiTn-you k.ow you
can't swim
30 E9DT6 can l. LasteDel 10 Cp=EINt,
for the woman looked at me: but per-
haps somecne-' l had no reed to say
more. A young fellow b. hind me sh d,
Let me through" ard forced his way 10
the front bearing a life-bslt in his hands.
Without even fastening on the belt he
jumped on TO the seat and threw himself
headlong over the rail. Now. if l had
seen that belt should have done as lie
did. though l cannot swim. and though l
!.
life. ard after all we older fellows must
be content TO take ths second place; youth
will be served. There were many younger
than l ar iGng that crowd. and they did not
jump. Besides. had the frantic father TO
protect from his own rashness. The cleo
tric lights at tie end of the pier had been
switched on: the cold. unsympathetic
beams shols down upon the troubled water,
and we could clearly sac. for the pier was
a high one. the life belt on the waves. ard
close beside it the dark, wet head OF the
foolhardy young man. Then the boat
that was always moored TO the steps of
the landing-stage swung round the corner
OF the pier, and remember that it was l
and l alone that had recalled the exist
ence OF that boat TO the memory of the
thoughtiess crowd. 4 hundred eager voices
hailed her crew, do you see anything?
where is hec-help. help help Then
our straining eyes. a dark head rose up
some twenty yards from where the life
belt fioated. A breathless pause and then,
TITS 3 dogi" cried the pier-keeper, who
was standing in the bows of the boat. !
Give way, lads. there's something in his
mouth"
The woman gave a rapturous cry: ooh, |
John. what did l tell you? Nero has saved
her-Nero has saved her,''
fsTdraa abeers for Morn I
ed, and they were given with will. The
boat. the man with the belt, and the brave |
dog were together now. We saw the men |
stop rowing and haul man and beast into 1
Bafety. and we eheered again and went on /
cheering But suddenly there came a |
shock Of doubbt. Why were they still /
rowing round and round? Good heavens. |
the man had jumped back into the water. |
and tie dog had followed him. What did 1
It mean? rs she safe?" We shouted, and |
then the fathers voice. Let me go. Let /
me go, l must-I Will
But we held him back by force, and cried |
again. rs she safe? For Gods sake, tell |
us-have you found her?"
The pierkeeper called back: at was her |
frock that the dog brought up; but never |
fear, he's dived again-he'Il fetch her up"
Another dreadful pause, and then again the |
dog came up, close TO the boat this time,
thing in his mouth. But we did not cheer;
we waited bresthless. and all the time the
woman's voice went en- He'll have her.
John; Nero will save her. Oh. kind gem
tleman, he'll save her, won't he?'
The young man had been hauled into the
boat, exhausted. but the dog had dived
once more: then the girl was still in the
water. Hes found her cap" called the
pierkeeper. Men had run of in all direc-
tons for ropes and drags, and still the |
boat rowed slowly round and round and |
still the dog diyed and rose and Owed |
again, and still the people waited on the |
pier. But all hope had left us now The !
poor child must be drowned; search as
they might, they could only find a corpse |
The woman was sobbing bitterly; the man.
seated by her side. was plunged in the |
apathy OF despair. and paid no heed to our 1
attempts at consolation. A tall, stout man. |
with a beard. came hurrying up, and |
forced his way through the crowd 10 where |
the wretehed parents sat He had note |
book in his hand. He stepped up to the |
father and laid his hand on his shoulder.
This is a bad business my poor fellow"
he said, in rough but not unkindly voice. |
Tell US all about it." The woman had |
raised her head and was staring at him.
Are you a policeman she asked.
quickly.
policeman? No no. my good soul, I'm
a newspaper man. Come, my man; tell US
how 1t happened" His bluff manner SEEM
ed to have good effect. The poor man
raised his head, and in broken accents told
his pitiful story. He was a basket seller.
II appeared travelling with a van from
place to place. He had come to the out
skirts of the town at dusk. and leaving his
Nv he, had .ftt, III,