The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1902-04-05

| the bluffs shielded the inshore waters
wen fetch the harbor ON the next
tack" Billy muttered to the Skipper
who was whining in the bow.
He put the steering oar hard alec
to bring he punt about. A gust caught
| the sailsA The boat heeled before It
and her llgunwale was under water
| before Billy could make move to
save her. The wind forced her down,
pressing he hvily upon rae canvas. Her
ballast shi ted and she toppled over.
Boy and log were thrown into the
seattle ons 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 windward 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,
Were laboriously beating toward him,
and could make no greater speed. He
had to choose between the punt and
the rocks.
A whine-with d strange note In it
attracted his attention. The big dog
had caught sight of him, and was beat
ing the water in a 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
if he had been seized with a fit of ter
ror. Was he afraid or drowning? His
eyes were fairly f1aring. 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 lntently into the
dogs eyes. 1t was terror he saw in
them; there could be no doubt about
that, he thought. The dog was afraid
for his life. At once Billy was filed
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 pup
py! 1t was absurd. But he was
afraid, nevertheless-desperately afraid.
Back, b'yr' he cried. Get back,
sirr'
Billy was a strong swimmer. He
had learned to swim where the water
is cold-cold, often, as the icebeTgs
The water was bitter cold now, but
he 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 him-his failure in obedience,
which could not be explained The
dog was now within three yards, and
excited past all reason.
Back, sirp' Billy screamed. SECT
back with your
The dog was not deferred by the
command. He did not so much as hes
itate. Billy raised his hand as if to
strike him--a threatening gesture
which had sent the Skipper home with
his tail between his legs many a time
But it had no effect now.
Get back!" Billy screamed again.
1t was plain that the dog was not to
he hidden. Billy threw himself on his
back, supported himself with hiJ hands
and kicked at the dog with his feet
The Skipper was blinded by the splash
ing. He whined and held back. Then
blildly he came again. Billy moved
slowly from him, head foremost, still
churning the water with his feet. But
swimming thus. be was no match fol
the dog. With his head thrown bach
to escape the blows, the Skipper forged
after him. He was struck III the jaws
in the throat and again in the jaws
But he rawed on, taking every blow
without complaint and gaining incl
by inch. Soon he was SO close that the
lad could no longer move his feet
freely. Then the dog CHANGED to catci
one foot with his paw, and forced il
under. Billy could not beat him off
No longer opposed, the dog creep
up-paw over paw. forcing the boys
body lower and lower. His objecf
was clear to Billy. The Skipper. fren
| zied by terror, the boy thought, would
try to save himself by climbing OF
his shoulders.
Skipper he cried, you'll drown
mel Get back.'
The futility of attempting to com
| mand obedience from crazy do.
struck Billy Topsail with force. III,
must act otherwise, and that quickly
| If he were to escape. There seemed
to be but, one thing to do. He took {
long breath and let himself sink
down-down-as deep as he dared
Down-down-until he retained breatl
sufficient but to strike to the right an(
rise again.
The dog-as it was made known late
rose as high as he could force him
self. and looked about in every direc
ton. with his mouth open and his ear,
rigidly cooked. He gave two shor
! banks, like sobs. and long. mournfu
whine. Then. as If acting upon sudder
thought, he dived.
For moment nothing was to b.
seen Of either boy or dog There wa.
I ,,ofhinor huf q cboppv 500 in that nlaee