Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-06-17
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1t was q miracle assisted with the most
brilliant skill Kettle had surveyed the
channel in the lifeboat and mapped ev.
cry rock in his head, and when the test
came he was equal to 1t. 1t would be
hard to come across man Of more
iron nerve.
Backing and going ahead to get
round right angled turns. shaving reefs
50 closely that the wash from them
creamed over her rail. the battered old
tramp steamer faced a million dangers
for every fathom Of her onward way,
but never ouce did she actually touch.
and in the end she shot out into the
clear deep water and gayly hit dia.
monds from the wave tops into the
sunshine.
1t is possible for q man to concen.
trate himself so deeply upon one thing
| that he is deaf to all else in the world.
and until be had worked the Duncans
by Head out into the open Captain
| Kettle was in this condition. He was
| dimly conscious Of voices hailing him,
but be had no leisure to give them
heed. But when the strain was taken
off then there was no more disregard
ing the cries. He turned his head and
saw a half sunk raft which seven men
with clumsy paddles were frantically
laboring toward him along the outer
edge Of the reefs.
Without second thought he rang
OF engines. and the steamer lost her
way and fell of into the trough and
waited for them. From the first he
had a foreboding as to who they were
but the men were obviously castaways
and by all the laws Of the sea and hu'
manity he was bound to rescue them.
Ponderously the raft padded up and
got under the steamers lee. Kettle
came down of the bridge and threw
them the end Of a halyard. and eager.
~ enough they scrambled up the rust.
ed plating and clambered over the
rail. They looked around them with
curiosity. but with an obvious famil
iarity.
81 left my pipe stuck behind that
stanchion." said one. land. by gum.
it's there still"
"Fo'c's'le doors stove in" said an
other. 81 wonder II they've scoffed
my chest"
"You Robinson Crusoes seem to be
making yourselves at home" said ket
tie.
One Of the men knuckled his shock
Of hair. Eve was on her, sir. when
she happened her accident. We got
off in the captains boat. and she got
smashed to bits landing on Great Sal
wage yonder. We've been living there
ever since on rabbits and gulls and
cookies till we built that raft and fer
ried over here. 1t was tough living
but | guess we were better off than
Pc other poor beggars who got swamp
ed in the other boats"
"The other two boats got picked up
"Did they. though? Then ! call 1t
beastly hard luck on us"
Captain Mulready was master.
wasn't he? Did he get drowned when
your boat went ashore?"
The sailor shrugged his shoulders.
"No. sir. Captain Mulready's on the
raft down yonder. He feels all crum-
pied up 10 find the old slips afloat ana
you've got her out. She'd n list on
when we left her that would have
scared Beresford. but she's chucked
that straight again. and who's to be-
lieve it was ever there?"
Kettle gritted his teeth. THANK you,
my lad" he said. IL quite see. Now
get below and find yourself something