Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-07-03


time the other two punts We're undel
way, and the sails of the skiff were
duttering as her crew prepared tc
beat home for the night. The Never
Give Up was ahead of the fleet, and
held her lead in such fine fashion as
made Billy Topsail's heart swell will
pride.
The wind had gained in force. Il
was sweeping down from the hills il
| gusts. Now it fell to u breeze, and
again it came swiftly with angry
strength Nor could it's advance be
perceived, for the sea was choppy and
the bluffs shielded the inshore waters
"Well 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 the punt about. A gust caught
the sails. The boat heeled before it,
and her sunwale was under water
before Billy could make move to
save her. The wind forced her down,
pressing heavily upon the canvas. Her
ballast shifted and she toppled over
| Boy and dog were thrown into the
seattle 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 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 il 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, f-etful, 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 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"
| Il t., +H 20 1,n
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 We're fairly flaring. 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 lntenuy 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'yw he cried. Get back,
sir"
| 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 1t.
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, sirr' Billy screamed. "Gct
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 backw Billy screamed again.
1t was plain that the dog was not to
te hidden. Billy threw himself on his
back supported himself with his hands
and kicked at 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, still
churning the water with his feet. But
swimming thus, he was no match for
the dog. With his head thrown back
to escape the blows, the Skipper forged
after him. He was struck Ia the jaws
in the throat and again in the jaws
But he Tawed on, taking every blow
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 II
under. Billy could not beat him off
No longer opposed. the dog crept