Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1901-05-31

but a glance about to take my bearings
| turned on my side and with power
full overarm stroke for could swim
fairly well in those lays-tore down
the white road of waters Now, as I
contemplate it.$it seems as though; i
willfully courted death. Incumbered as
was with clothes. but then5I had no
thought save that Of reaching the wo.
Ian who had suddenly grown so dear
tome. .>-,-. = = u. ID r. "
I2swam on. never giving thought to
the ship Or whether my cry had been
heard. and presently T NV al object, y
round, dark, ball-like thing, dancing on
the waters before me-. Redoubling my
energies. | quickly reached it and to
my indispensable JOY found that it was
she. l., s< -
Only a mufned greeting passed be.
tween US, for the beaten track Of wa.
ter was quickly giving way to the nat
ural swell OF the ocean. But l seized
her by the arm as IL to support her,
when, to my surprise and delight,
found that she was treading water.
you can swim?' gasped
YES" she answered.
'"Good! Couraee!'
l turned to look after the ship: but.
save for it's lights, it was invisible. and
those could only see as l rose on the
crest Of wave, for, though viewed
from the high decks of a big liner, the
sea that night was nothing terrifying,
twas dreadful chaos Of waters when
one was down in it.
The brave girl by my side never
murmured. and. though it was too dark
for me to see her face. thought that
the light from the white. curling tips
Of the waves caught the glow of her
eyes. and in them seemed to see the
agony she was suffering. Occasional.
~ 1 gasped Word OF encouragement
or asked a question. but the effort of
replying was too great and much too
dangerous, for every now and again a
white monster reared and dashed over
us, twisting us round like its own
spray. 49, ~. ~. =. -. ::
The lights of the ship grew DINNER
and DINNER, and already began to-
fear that 'mycry for help had not been
heard. when suddenly as we rose on
the crest Of wave somewhat bigger
than usual saw glare upon the wa.
ter some distance to the right of us.
For the moment scarcely remember
ed that ships nowadays use buoys with
a fare attached to them and that these
things, thrown into the sea. burn
brightly and act as beacon to those in
the water and to- those on board:
felt overjoyed. for it proved that my
cry had been heard and meant that If
we could only keep af1oat we should
stand an excellent chance of salvation.
She. too, had seen it. and instructive.
" we struck ,,ut in it's direction. Occa-
siOnally as ; rose on the crest of a
wave l could see it burning brightly in
spite of the Water that dashed about it
and all over it. But it was terrible
work attempting to swim in such sea.
and, realizing this. quickly Invested
myself Of every thing but a pair. of
trousers. Foreseeing what was to
come, l prepared for it to the best of
my ability. ~ 1 # >'<<s :7~gs. =. :zss .y
I My companion swan on, but more
feebly every stroke, and presently l
had to support her. or, rather, lent
her aid, for she still went through the
mechanical action Of keeping herself
ahoat. Feeling her grow heavier every
minute, | redoubled my efforts, very
wildly, l fear, for the agony Of the sit
uatfon was holding me with q grip Of
terror. Realizing the futility Of such a
waste OF energy and quickly grasping
the fact that my one policy was TO re- Re.
main afl0at, soon abandoned my ex-
haustive efforts and, with a slower
movement, struggled on, on. But the
hare danced before me like q WILD.
the = e -Wisp, and ever as l. thought Idrew
nearer the thing. curling on the crest
Of q wave, seemed TO my eyes, hair
blinded as they were by the spray, as
far of as ever. =s I*5@ VI, I'll. Ill
y felt my strength going. NY heart
beat oninously. l breathed with the
utmost difficulty The girl, though 1
could not see. though Il dared not look,
appeared to be unconscious. i felt one
Of her hands. It trailed in the water
like dead thing. How fought, how
struggled to keep myself afoat! 4
seemed to hear my brain throb, throb,
as throbs the propeller OF q great
steamship. My forehead was bursting
with apprehension. II knew that i was
surely sinking. The dead weight Of the
Girl had 6nnmnlnfolv = f...,> -,