The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1902-02-13

| wen fetch the harDOr on the next
tack" Billy muttered to the Skipper,
who was whining in the bow.
He put the steering oar hard alec
to bring the punt about. A gust caught
the sails The boat heeled before it,
and her gunwale was under water
before Billy could make move to
save her. The wind forced her down,
pressing heavily upon tne canvas. Her
ballast shifted and she toppled over.
Boy and dog were thrown into the
sea-the one aft, the other forward
Billy dived deep TO escape entangle-
ment with the rigging of the boat
He had long ago learned the lesson
that presence of mind wins half the
| fight in perilous emergencies. The
coward miserably perishes, where the
brave man survives. With his courage
leaping to meet his predicament, he
struck out for wl1dward and rose to
| the surface.
| He looked about for the punt. She
had been heavily weighted with bal
last and he feared for her. What was
he to do If she had been too heavily
! weighted? Even as he looked she
sank. She had righted under water;
the tip of the mast was the last he
| saw of her.
The sea-cold, fretful, vast-lay all
! about him. The coast was half mile
to windward; the punts, out to sea-
We're laboriously beating toward him,
and could make no greater speed. He
had to choose between the punt and
the rocks.
A whine-with strange note in it
attracted his attention. The big dog
had caught sight of him, and was beat
ing the water in Il frantic effort to
approach quickly. But the dog had
never whined like that before.
Hi. Skipper!" Billy called. STEADY,
by! Steady"
Billy took off his boots as fast as he
could. The dog was coming nearer,
still whining strangely and madly paw
ing the water. Billy was mystified.
What possessed the dog? 1t was as
| il he had been seized with fit of ter
ror. Was he afraid or drowning? His
eyes We're fairly fiaring. Such light
had never been in them before
In the instant he had for speculation
the boy lifted himself high in the
water and looked intently into the
dogs eyes. 1t was terror he saw in
them; there could be 10 doubt about
that, he thought. The dog was afraid
for his life. AT once Billy was filled
with dread. He could not crush the
feeling down. Afraid of the Skipper,
the old, affectionate Skipper-his own
dog, which he had reared from a pup
py 1t was absurd. But he was
afraid, nevertheless-desperately afraid.
Back, b'y"' he cried. Get back,
slrr'
Billy was a strong swimmer. He
had learned to swim where the water
is cold-cold, often, as the icebergs
stranded in the harbor can make it.
The water was bitter cold now, but
lie did not fear it, nor did he doubt that
he could accomplish the long swim
which lay before him. 1t was the un-
accountable failure of the dog which
disturbed hm-his failure in obedience,
which could not be explained. The
dog was now within three yards, and
excited past all reason.
Back, sir" Billy screamed. "Get
back with you."
The dog was not deferred by the
command. He did not so much as hes
itate. Billy raised his hand as il to
strike him-a threatening gesture
which had sent the Skipper home with
his tail between his legs many u time.
But 1t had no effect now.
Get backw Billy screamed again.
1t was plain that the dog was not to
lie hidden. Billy threw himself on his
back, supported himself with hi1 hands
and kicked ut the dog with his feet.
The Skipper was blinded by the splash
ing. He whined and held back. Then
blindly he came again. Billy moved
slowly from him. head foremost, sti,l
churning the water with his feet. But
swimming thus, lie was no match for
the dog. With his head thrown bacl,
to escape the blows, the Skipper forged
after him. He was struck iu the laws,
In the throat and again in the laws.
|
without complaint and gaining inch
by inch. Soon he was so close that the
lad could no longer move his feet
freely. Then the dog CHANGED to catch
one foot with his paw, and forced IL
under. Billy could not beat him Off.
No longer opposed, the dog crept
up-paw over paw, forcing the boys
body lower and lower His object
was clear to Billy. The Skipper, fren-
zled by terror, the boy thought, would
try to save himself by climbing on
his shoulders.
skipper" he cried, you'll drown
me! Get back"
The futillty Of attempting to com
mand obedience from a crazy dog
struck Billy Topsail with force. He
must act otherwise, and that quickly,
II he We're to escape. There seemed
10 be but one thing to do. He took a
long breath and let himself sink
uown--down-as deep as he dared
Down-down-untll he retained breath
suInclent but to strike to the right and
rise again.
Ihe dog-as II was made known later
rose as high as he could force him.
self, and looked about in every direc,
ton, with his mouth open and his ears
rigidiy cooked. He gave two short
| larkg lilxa coho ana 4. I....- .-- a. =,