The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1900-04-12


and the chance Of getting them of,
he only shook his head and looked up
sagaciously to windward, without say
| ing a word He had just lowered his
| glass, when the unhappy woman he
| had assisted to save came running
wildly up, her hair floating behind
her, her face ashy pale, and all the
intenseness of fearful inquiry in its
expression. Breathless and agitated,
she could not at first say word,
but looked frenziedly ba TX and for
ward along the horizon, the rapidity
| of her gaze preventing her from
catching the object she was in search
of. AT last she gained utterance and
cried:
"Oh, sir, where are hey? Where
are they? Show me! Oh show mel"
and she clasped her hands before
him.
Look over there. about mile and
a half off shore, and you'll see the
masts. 1 doubt whether you can
make out what's on them, though" ;"
She shaded her eyes with her hand
and ran her glance more se.y!y IN the
direction pointed out, and at length
screamed:
Eyes, yes; that's our ship! There
she is, and people on the mast oh,
who are they? For mercy's sake, tell
me, sir-is he there?"
| Don't know, ma am, indeed. Can't
we'll see yet who's there. Besides, I
don't know the person you speak Of"
"Oh. look, sir Take the glass, or
! give it to me. He's TALL sunburnt,
with blue jacket, Oh, you can't mis-
take him."
The doctor raised his glass again.
while the poor woman continued to
watch with agonized impatience.
"Oh, look, look. and tell me what
you see!"
"Why. ma am, as well as / can see,
there are four men holding on, and
there is boy, l think, on the other
mast; but of this l can't be altogether
certain, for the sea washes over him.
and it's only now and then | catch a
glimpse of him. BY George, there's
one of the men OF. Hal" he contin-
ued, looking through his glass, II
caught him that moment on the top
of a wave. He is close to the other
mast. No doubt he will make for it,
if he has strength enough, now that
he has been swept off the mainmast;
but he will hardly have so good a
berth there, as the tops are below wa
| Hn'c ly
again; and the boys off, too. They'll
not hold out much longer, any Of
them!"
"Oh, don't say sol" cried the wom-
an. "What are the men on the mast
like? Look, sir, and tell me, l be-
seech you! What color is their
dress?'
They're. not down yet. though"
continued the doctor, without needing
her, and still looking. There they
were both together on wave that
time-a strong fellow that, to stand
against such sea-by Jove, he has
hold of the boy: and, as I'm liv-
| ing man, it was to save him he quit
ted the mainmast; and there he Is
now swimming back to It! Now that
there's more light, can see that he's
a stout fellow, and the biggest Of
them ALL"
That's he! That's he! l knew it,"
she exclaimed. bursting into tears.
"My generous. noble Henry! Who will
save him? Who will go to him? Oh,
sir, Is there no boat here? I'll go
myself with one!" and the distracted
woman caught the arm of the doctor.
"Why, ma'am, they're gone off al
! rcray to launch one. but I've my
dc abts if they'll beat through the surf.
However, they'll try for all they are
worth; you can depend on that. Those
men do not know what fear is when
human lives are at stake"
The life-saving crew now pushed
the boat from the shore. The blades
of the oars caught the water and the
backs of the crew give a mighty
swing in unison. and the boat glides
from the shore with a receding wave
and is now drawn into deep trough
and confronted by towering wave
which threatens to break over the
boat and submerge it.
"All together. cries the captain;
and the men once more reach forward.
drop their oars in the water and ply
their strength in long. steady pull.
The bow of the boat is at the base
Of an approaching wave; the oars
are pulled little farther through
the water and the boat begins to rise
on the wave. Her bow points skyward.
Higher and higher she goes, and so
nearly perpendicular is she now that it
seems as if the men must fall for
ward into the water. Higher and high
er; the bow has reached and passed
the top of the wave and still the bow
points upward. The men are holding
to their oars, not having pulled the
stroke all the way through the wa
ter yet. The center of the boat has
reached the crest Of the wave; the
bow suddenly dips and the gallant
craft glides down the other side OF
the wave and is lost to sight, until