The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1901-08-30

y
engaged in the diving contest.
The plan was for the three bows to
stand together on the long beam and
dive at the same time. Three dives
were to he made, the boy remaining
longest under water two times out
of three to be declared winner.
If each boy won dive, the contest
was to be continued until one of
them won two out of three.
To keep the beam from tipping
when the boys, with ALI, who gave the
signals, stood ready to dive, four or
five of us stood on the other end and
held it down.
Two dives had been made, Parker
being winner in one and Rummel in
the other, and very much excited, we
stood waiting for the signal from ALT,
who stood at the other end of the
beam. The divers were poised for the
leap, and we silently waited.
"One," said ALI, slowly and distinct
| ly, "two, tn"
"Holt on dere-holt on dere." ex-
claimed familiar voice, in a warning
tone.
And turning quickly we saw Coleby
in the doorway at the front of the
mill.
And, grasping her by the neck, he
held up dead goose.
1t was the goose that ALT had put
in the fiisherman's coop-the very one
he had struck a few moments before
with the stone. It had fallen out of
sight behind bowlder when hit, and
we did not notice that it did not swim
away with the others.
"Vat you call dis?' Numbered the
enraged man, "vat you call dis? I'll
show you how to kill my geese
And he rushed at us with the fury
of mailman.
AT the very first sight of Coleby, Alf
had wound his leg around the rope at
the end of the beam and slid down
to the fisherman's boat.
Coleby did not see him, but came
at the rest of us, brandishing the
goose as if he meant to destroy us
with it.
As he swung it around his head, we
jumped from the beam and scattered
in all directions. But we had forgot
ten. The beam, being left unbalanced,
upreared and plunged the three boys
with itself into the water.
There it stood, leaning up against
the mill, its lower end deep down on
the bottom of the stream.
The splashing of the boys In the
water, our outcries as we ran here
and there to keep out of harms way.
and above all, Coleby's cry of "Tll
show you how to kill my geese!" made
an uproar that was highly amusing.
Suddenly there came cry of ''Help!
help!" We stopped. Coleby stopped,
too, and the goose hung down on
the floor.
Help! help!" came the cry from the
boys in the water.
We ran to the end of the mill
where the beam had lain. Rummcl
was diving down by it. Parker and
Sawyer were swimming around, call
ing for help, shouting 'Alf's drown
ing!" both too frightened to do any
thing.
There by the beam, sticking up out
of the water, was the stern of the lit
tie boat, and by it Alf's hands were
beating the water. Now he sank, now
he rose, but his head did not rise
above the water.
In an instant we saw it all. When
the beam went down, Alf's leg was
still wrapped around the rope, and it
had carried him, boat and all down
with it, and there he was, drowning
before our very eyes.
"Quick-a knife!" I shouted, throw
ing off my clothes. An open pocket
knife was thrust into my hands.
Holding it between my teeth, I
plunged into the water.
Alf's leg was bound. I would cut
the rope and save his life. But my
mouth filed with water; I strangled
and nearly lost my senses. 1 dived,
seized the rope to cut it, but was SD
unnerved that dropped the knife.
1t was all up. ALT would drown. AL
ready I saw him stretched out, pale
and lifeless, his hair wet, his lips
blue.
No, no; not so bad as that. While
we quick-witted boys had exhausted
our plans for rescue, the slow old
blacksmith was just beginning to act.
Slowly he took in the situation as
he leaned against the upper end of
the beam. Then he put his big hands
against it and began to push. He
pushed it out as far as he could reach,
but that was not far enough. With
all his massive strength, he pushed
it again beyond the reach of his hands.
1t stood upright for moment, then
fell forward with great splash. IT
sank, it rose, and with it rose the lit
tie boat, half full of water, but in it
was-Alf, stranglihg, half conscious,
but saved.
One week from that day, five of us
boys went over to see Colby. There
were Ed Sawyer, Sam Parker, Tom
Rummel, ALT Waters and [.
Aft carried stuffed goose. It was
the goose he had put in the fisher
mans coop, and had finally killed.
She looked as natural as if she were
picking grass on the common, save
that her eyes had stare somewhat
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