The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1902-04-10

AuAe hy hands fsom Ne ran ana
dropped into the water. TIN al along
the sids Of the s. Clair Il was Ike
. nill-pend where frogs leap from .
leg Into . pool. But there wsss few
oiss e women; these. With white
fasss, and vide eyes. were gathered
II . Mtls group on the forward deck
out from the rushing flames, - BY
. niraeie. came Van Clsds. . soet
waDpsd about his hesd The Ars had
tee1Aed him. His hair and beard
were gone. his eyes smarted with
- - his left arm hung usslsss By
HE side: but he was - collect - BE-
fore. He pstted out the fakes Of Are
upon his elotheS then stopped. broke
both shos-laees and kicked III shoes
from him. A he rose again he saw
shoeky Larson, clad only In under
shirt and trousers. elinging to stan
shion.
Get out Of here. son." said Van
Cleds. "We've got to swim for It,"
The boy did not answer. and Van
Clede saw shat he was crazed by
fright. The panic had taken hold Of
him. Van Clede shook him by the
shoulder and the boy Aattened him.
self against the rail and shrieked. He
was . pitiful thing. without mind,
without forethought: and when Van
Clede dragged him from the stanchion
he rushed back to It and again
elasped It. Through It all the boys
teeth chartered and his lips moved,
and he said over and over to himself,
a. II II were lesson that he had
learned by rote:
II can't swim! can't swiml
can't swim!"
Van Clede tore Shocky from the
rail, lifted him by main force and
threw him over the side. and leaped
after him. Al he came to the surface,
the boy seized him and they went
down together. With his good hand
Van Clede struck him twice in the
face. Ths blows did not stun. al
though they were meant to stun, but
the boy loosened his hold and went
down. When again his head came
free Of water. Van Clede's teeth were
set in his shirt collar, and with Van
Clede swimming on his back. they
were making slow headway from the
side Of the st. Clair.
The coldness of tho wnter, tho
steady pull upon his shirt brought tho
boy to his senses. He told it after
ward-how ono Instant all was blur
Of fright, filled with rcd flashes and
voices which stopped the beating of
his heart and choked his throat with
terror; then. suddenly, IL was as II
something cracked in his head and he
saw clearly as in picture, tho black
side OF the st. Clair, and he heard
and recognized above the turmoil the
voice Of Capt. Willis, on the forward
deck, as he and the first officer held
back the maddened men and helped
the women with the life-preservera.
And Shocky Larson. in a voice which
was not like the voice of Shocky Lar
son at all. but like the voice of some
better man. said. gasping. TO Van
Clede:
"You don't need TO be afraid of me
now. Van Oede."
Van Clede loosened the collar from
his teeth, still supporting the boys
body ON his own.
II wasn't afraid Of you, son." he
said. put your hand on my shoulder.
It's better So"
Then. swimming as best they could,
they struck cut for the red light on
the dock.
About them they could hear noises
in the water which told them that
others, like themselves, were strug-
Cling. The offshore waves running ON
the reef, like sea-urchins at play,
slapped their faces and choked them.
The way was long. 1t was as if for
hours they had been struggling in tho
water. Van Clede's strokes grew
shorter and weaker. his face was
white even in the darkness, and his
eyes stared in their sockets.
II guess we amt got much chance,
son." he said. choking, to the boy.
Then to Shocky Larson, that same
frightened boy who, Is minutes be-
fore, had clung shrieking to the rail,
there came thought grander than
any he had ever had before.
His weight dragged Van Clede down
until the waves went over their heads.
Together they could never reach the
shore. The red light grew no nearer;
but Van Clede alone might make it.
One-not both.
And something rose in Shocky Lar
son which was like a thing outside Of
himself, and he let go Of Van Clede's
shoulder, and the water closed over
him; but Van Clede, turning side
wise, seized him again.
Then, not 20 feet away in the dark
ness, voice called to them and a
hand was stretched out. 1t was Bron-
sons camp boss, who had crossed
from the shore to the island on lit
tie raft of railroad ties.
After that the ST Clair burning like