Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-09-10

y y NORWEGIAN
= 3. = = = = =
discovered her q mighty wave rolled
up over the stern and broke in midair,
overwhelming the yacht with flood Of
water that crushed and made wreck |
of her before their eyes.
For two seconds they gazed SPELL
bound upon the scene, and then, with.
out n word of warning or intention,
Craddock's companion leaped upward
and outward and plunged head down.
ward to the water, fifty feet below.
Craddock did not move. He stood US
if petrified, clinging with both hands
to the rock from which the wind SEEM
ed determined to hurl him, and he gazed
with every faculty concentrated In his
eyes upon the awful scene of wreckage
and destruction. The yacht careened
over, half filled with water, and, sure
ly laundering, was thrown by the vio-
lence of the wave that struck her out
of line with the Devils Nose, and al
most before there was time to realize
the awful thing that had happened she
had passed beyond his view to lee
ward. He was dimly conscious that the
pinnacle and wheel and all the after
rigging Of the yacht had been torn
loose and swept away in the vortex
and with them had disappeared the
figures of the woman and Of the two
men who were dashed to the wheel.
Then almost directly beneath the
spot where he stood, on the crest of a
wave and breasting 1t with the power
of giant, he saw his friend. Beyond
him, in the trough of the sea, another
figure appeared. Then both were lost
to view.
There was no sign of excitement In
Craddock's face or manner. He turned
with elaboration, passed around the
jutting rock into the cavern, found the
ships lantern still burning there, made
his way rapidly down and out through
the cleft Into the open air, thence hur-
riedly to the waters edge, and in a
| moment more he was in the dingey,
sculling rapidly past the sloop toward
| the open sea.
When he had reached q certain point
beyond which it would have been folly
to have ventured, by artfully working
his our he held the little craft almost
stationary, while he, standing upright,
shading his eyes with his disengaged
hand, gazed eagerly to windward. He
seemed also to listen. Presently high
above the roar of the wind and waters
tine strange, weird bar of a yodel song
in minor key came to him. A moment
later he saw the form of his friend
swimming toward him with powerful
strokes, and clinging to his back, with
her arms around his neck, was the
cork jacketed woman of the wreck.
=,
White and wan and drenched, yet
conscious, with something infinitely pa
thetic in her wonder and amazement,
they assisted her along the sloop's deck
to the little cabin. 1t was Craddock
who entered with her, and from
locker he selected clothing of his own,
which he laid out upon the berth. I'm
til then there had been no word spoken.
Madame" he said, pausing beneath
the hatch, "do you understand Eng
lishY
She replied with an inclination of her
head, and he nddod, sgrhis 10 the vnly
dry clothing can offer you. There Is
brandy on the table. If there is more
that can do, you have but to call
through the hatch" He turned to leave
her, but she detained him by gesture.
"Tell me-" she demanded, with nerv-
GUS intensity, "who is the man who
took me from the sea?"
"He is Norwegian, madam, by
name Thorgensen."
"Well named" she murmured, "a
Norwegian Thor. Tell him that he has
saved the life of a daughter Of the king
of Denmark"
When Craddock returned to the deck,
he found his friend stretched at full
length at the bow, lying upon his back,
with his eyes fixed upon the coursing
clouds, and there was an indescribable
smile upon his face. He seemed to
have forgotten that he was bedraggled
and wet and that his tawny hair and
beard We're matted and unkempt, and
as Craddock paused beside him he
turned his big blue eyes upon his
friend and said:
''Who is she, CraddockY"
"she told me-" said Craddock calmly,
in reply, ito tell you that you had
saved the life Of daughter of the king
of Denmark"
The Norwegian did not Immediately
respond. There was dreamy, far
away look in his eyes, and presently he
murmured:
1.-THE daughter Of king-I am glad
of that. The daughter Of a king-yes,
am glad of that"
He ceased speaking, rose slowly to
his feet and, standing before his friend
said in that same half dreamy tone:
"Shall tell you how it happened,
Grad? 1t seemed when stood up there
NW 1HESasSzIE5ssSsssMW