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


lied But the light rising once more
tinted the object with itss glow, and q
sudd thrill Of appiness: put new life
into my faced muscles. II was n as
shark BE- i but the life buoy TO which the
fare was attached. s4 y.
With a few strokes / had reached It.
and though the sea tried to tear it from
my grasp 1 chung with the energy Of q
dro wning man. and, though not with
out some difficulty, i slipped it over the
head Of the unconscious girl and got
her arms above 1t. Then breathed "a
fervent Thank God z IL .S s35 d t[ 81
1t all takes some time, to tell, and to
me that struggle with the waves SEEM
ed, and q ID still seems. like an eternity,
but In reality It was as battle aof min,
utes and not many Of them, though /
am inclined to maintain that under
such conditions one would find still
fewer more than enough When l look
edfround again. I saw thessteamer com.
ing up behind me-. and presently she
lay to, q world of5welcome light. Il
had no fear now; and my eyes stung
with something more than sea water
as:l looked up at the great lights and
thought of the brave hearts and the
willing hands which were coming to
my rescue. ~ V ,<-....5~- ss4. s..A
Miss Hurst during all this time he.
NAMED unconscious, but I.had no great
difficulty Ia keeping her head above
water, for with the new hope had come
q new strength, and already looked
upon the whirling mass OF dark sen
around me as monster who had been
robbed Of IFS prey. Z knew she wsassnot
dead. and 4 wanted to know nothing
more just chen. II before she hadsseem.
ed to me charming in every way, she
now became the very breath of my ex-
fstence. and in mad way l felt glad
that this thing had happened and that
II ! withdrew my supporting arm from
her head the beautiful white face
would slip through the buoy down,
down into the black, bottomless depths
Of the: ocean. %<s.=S.~r
Presently boat was lowered from
the Omeo, and with intense eagerness
Watched It, small, dark object, come
dancing over the waves. A man knelt
in the bows waving lantern above his
head. and be it was who presently sang
out, 'Ahoy. there!'' ~: r
"An right" ! shouted. .:
The next sound was the voice Of the
second mate in the stern as be shout.
ed. Easy ALL" 1t was close work. for
it seemed to me that the boat came
dangerously near striking us. but she
was skillfully Unanswered, and after
various futile efforts we were hauled
safely aboard. .
"A close thing" said the mate grimly
as we turned our nose toward the
liner. '
"Very." E.
The men pulled in silence, the boat
splashing and tossing ominously inathe
heavy sea. l still supported Miss
Hurst's head and perceived with Joy
the first sign Of returning conscious
ness, but when she attempted to move
babe her lie still, assuring her that
all danger was over. She made no re-
Spouse, but I thought that her head
nestled in closer against my breast,
and | felt neither the wind nor the
spray. But upon being raised to, the
deck of the Omeo she awoke again,
and. gazing with wondering eyes upon
the kind faces which surrounded her,
she said simply, Don't tell my moth.
err Then one of the lady passengers
led her away, and my Uncle Jim. who
was the first man to reach me as soon
as I touched the deck, came between
me and the crowd Of curious but gener.
ally admiring spectators, and together
we made our way below: Here was
subjected to good rubbing. dosed
with brandy and put between the
sheets, and here shortly after 1 was
visited by the captain. But had moth
ing to tell beyond the fact that.I had
heard screams, saw the struggle and
jumped overheard, AS for the man
who had committed the outrage. had
no conception of what he might BE-
like, but l suggested that Miss Hurst
might be able to give some information
on, that head. a.s1E / -. @rty:S .::s.<,.vs !:
unfortunately she is In state o1
collapse" said the skipper, and ap
pears to know nothing beyond the fac
that the man had black face <.$Ss'.
''Have you any blacks aboard ~ Z.
''None. Can't make it. out at all
Fear her mind is a bit unhinged. ane
no: wonder. Devilish plucky thing
though, Mr.. Gray! / congratulate you
You are q lucky man" .:..Es# r. IS zs
1 smiled to myself. Lucky! Wha1
irony! b And vet it would appear so 4 &
the officer on watch had not heard nj
cry and acted with the utmost prompt
:itude, there would have been an enc
of me and my tronble. Once nigh
have cast. q reflection on the wisdom 81
bis prompt tnde, but latterly my III,
had been filed With thoughts sothe
than those Of self i could imagin,
neither prince nor mill onaire6 elinginl
to this world with = keener zest thai
that which now animated me. ii ss ID.
y "a.