Rural Retreat times. [volume] (Rural Retreat, Va.) 1892-1918, 1902-12-12

the rope, so that might grasp it when
should drown or be run down by
some passing boat.
| Up came the hawser again with a
snap, catching me violently across the
chest. Regaining my hold with diff,
Guilty. I was lifted up, up, until only
my legs dragged in the water. Then
down L sank again, till the rope passed
below my reach in a line Of phosphor.
escent bubbles. This could not last
forever. If, after the cable had sunk,
the barges should make turn and pull
1t from beneath me, so that 1 could moi
regain my hold when it rose, my posi-
ton would be serious indeed Every
time I let go those twisted strands my
life hung in the balance
| l saw that the only thing for me to
do was to make my way at once to one
of the barges before my strength be
came exhausted. The boat behind was
| or course the easier to reach, for she
approached me a little every time ]
let go the rope.
Splash to the right! Splash to the
| left! The hawser was rising again
| Once more it lifted me into the air.
Before 1t sank I had worked myself
some feet toward the barge. After il
was gone l padded in the same direc
ton. Again and again did this
An easterly wind was rising and the
| water was growing rougher. The fog
still chung to the surface. Far up and
! down the sound the whistles blew con.
tinually, some faint and distant, Others
! louder and nearer. My fingers were
numb from clutching the coarse
| strands.
AT last I knew that was drawing
near the barge. The cable no longer
sank beneath my reach. I could hear
the rush of water before the Prov
And now the rope was above the sur
face altogether. High in the air above
me blunt stem doomed through the
mist. 1t was the barge at last, with
the cable rising at a sharp angle and
disappearing over it's bow.
Wearied by my efforts felt that /
could never climb that steep slope
without help. l shouted, but my voice
could not be heard above the rushing
foam. Despairing at last of attracting
the attention of anyone on board, I
saw that my only chance was to as
cend the hawser. I was fairly strong
| in the arms. and had it not been for nv
previous struggles the feat would have
been an easy one. In my present state
it seemed a tremendous task; but l
had no choice in the matter. My life
hung on my power to lift myself hand
over hand. If let go, the barge would
ride over me like a marine car of
Juggernaut, drowning me at once ]
began the ascent.
The rope frightened, lifting me so that
my toes barely touched the water.
Again it grew loose, and I was SUBJ
merged to the waist. 1 was now fairly
in the spume in front of the boat
Inch by inch / drew nearer. Once
more the hawser frightened, and hung
suspended over the surge boiling be-
fore the PROV. 1t slackened, and I
was thrown against the STEM
st This continual motion was my worst
trouble. ! Had the rope been perfectly
still could have climbed much more
easily; but it was dead lift, and
every inch cost me untold agony Over
and over again 1 gave up all hope of
being saved. Then I would resolutely
put out Of my mind the thought of the
entire distance, and focus my whole
attention on tha honHhn1d inn mo n 10 oil
before me. When by a heart breaking
effort l had gained that I fixed my
aim on the next, and so on. Thus little
by little progressed crawling upward
with snail-like slowness.
At last / was almost up to the
''chocks' through which the hawser
ran; but my strength was utterly ex.
hausted, and knew that could never
Chamber ON board. With one supreme
effort raised myself so that my head
came for an instant above the bull
warks, and looked into the eyes of a
deck-hand who was not more than
three feet away.
The CONSERVATION and terror on the
mans face would have been ludicrous
under any Otner circumstances. For
a moment we remained staring at each
other. l was too weak to speak, and
he was too frightened. Then I began
to slip back, still clinging desperately
to the hawser.
The end of boathook reached eau
tiously out over the bow and moved
down toward me. 1t caught the back
of my shirt and I did not mind that it
pierced through and drew blood. In.
deed. l did not know it, for at that in
slant my fingers relaxed their hold, and
/ lost consciousness. l afterward
learned that my preserver would have
been unable to get me on board but for
the opportune assistance of another
bargeman.
/ spent the greater part of the next
day in bunk on board the barge at
coal dock in Hoboken. But the follow
ing morning found me little the worse
for my adventure, and 1 went back
to Connecticut that forenoon for the
remainder of my vacation.-Youth's
Companion.