The Jennings daily record., 1902-03-28


Then, suddenly, while it was sliding
back to the yawning trough that fol-
lowed, the boat shook from stem to
stern and stopped so instantly that the
iron-ribbed side of the bow was stove
in, and the girl thrown forward upon
her face.
There was an instant of silence
about her. during which Caroline
heard the lc gulf tidal wave that had
passed, go laundering onward to its
further work of destruction. Control
ling her terror, she lifted her head to
look abolt her when, with a start she
saw that her boat was caught In
group of channel posts, and. left by
the height of the wave that had passed,
now hung between them, quite out OF
the water. To change her position
meant to be thrown out Of the boat
While she contemplated her peril she
saw through the curtain OF rain and
darkness, being borne down toward
her, a great, gray object. 1t rocked
and Swayed in the swelling rolls like
ship, but she could make out in it the
outlines of the floating Smith house. 1t
came fast, and swept by almost
within touch. With mad impulse
to reach it the girl flung herself from
the boat She fell into the water but
clutched a projecting timber and cir
cled her arms about it. There she
clung in the gathering darkness, near
ly submerged at times, and again
raised almost from the water by the
swinging of the house. But such
thing could not be for long, and, in
deed, it was not, for suddenly she felt
a grasp of iron about her waist and.
yielding to a stronger will, she loos-'
ened her hold.
Above her she saw the face of Henry
Mitchell, and then felt herself in his
arms. The marvellous skill learned
in stemming the ice foes of the Lower
Yukon had enabled him to withstand
the first stress of storm, and, carried
forward by the resistless force of
things. he had neared the floating
house, had seen Caroline's leap into
the water, and had been able to so far
guide his boat as to reach her. There.
with the tempest rolling below and
around them, and with the shadow OF
death darkening above them, the man
forgot life itself, and, claspinS the
clingfng form of the girl to his bocom
pressed her wet face to his and kissed
| her until the love in her eyes bade him
| cease. Then, with the strength and
energy of giant, he bent to his work
| of guiding the boat to shore. The
| drift of the stream told him that they
| were being driven across the current
and If his efforts prevailed they would
| gain the inner bay-a harbor with lts
| headland of shells. Rapidly but pain
| fully they neared the safer waters OF
the inner bay.
Now, as they sped toward the shell
| headland there came once more to
| their ears from mid-stream the SOUND
of the crashing and falling of beams
and timbers: and well knowing that
the friend whom they had sought to
save was no more. great heartpurst
of grief coursed between them, the
eyes of each sought the others, and in
that moment of sorrow their souls
were linked together. The headland
of shells loolned beyond them.
The skill that had kept them ahead
of the wind now kept them atop OF
great wave and the grounding OF the
boat far in upon the beach brought
them to safety There by the side Of
the white boat they told to each other
the vows that were soon to again make
the bay-country furnish its dancers.
and the little village of Cypress Bayou
to record in its annals another event.
|