St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-05-03

q ALL SiS Sol1O van SlCuC, d wa
, wrapped about his head. The fire ha.
: touched him. His hair and beart
were gone, his eyes smarted will
| pain, and his left arm hung useless b,
his side; but he was DIS collect as be
: fore. He patted out the flakes of fire
, upon his clothes, then stopped, broke
both shoe-laces and kicked his shoes
from him. As he ose again he saw
Shocky Larson, clad only in under
shirt and trousers, clinging to a stan.
chion.
"Get out of here, son." said Var
Clede. "We've got to swim for it."
The boy did not answer, and Var
Clede saw that he was crazed by
fright. The panic had taken hold Of
him. Van Clede shook him by the
shoulder and the boy flattened him.
self against the rail and shrieked. He
was a pitiful thing, without mind
without forethought; and when Van
Clede dragged him from the stanchion
he rushed back to it and again
clasped it. Through it all the boys
teeth chartered and his lips moved,
and he said over and over to himself.
as if it were a lesson that he had
learned by rote:
Il can't swim! I can't swim! ]
can't swim!"
And all the time the flames grew
hotter where they stood, and cries
rose from the St. Clair, and on the
shore lights moved back and forth,
and all the waters of the reef were
alive with splashing and the sound OF
voices.
Van Clede tore Shocky from the
rail, lifted him by main force and
threw him over the side, and leaped
after him. AS he came to the surface,
the boy seized him and they went
down together. With his good hand
Van Clede struck him twice in the
face. The blows did not stun. al.
though they were meant to stun, but
the boy loosened his hold and went
down. When again his head came
free of water, Van Clede's teeth were
set in his shirt collar, and with Van
Clede swimming on his back, they
were making slow Roadway from the
side of the St. Clair.
The GOODNESS of the water, the
steady pull upon his shirt brought the
boy to his senses. He told it after.
ward-how one instant all was a blur
of fright, filled with red flashes and
voices which stopped the beating OF
his heart and choked his throat with
terror; then, suddenly, it was as if
something cracked in his head and he
saw clearly as in a picture, the black
side of the St. Clair, and he heard
and recognized above the turmoil the
voice of Capt. Willis, on the forward
deck, as he and the first officer held
back the maddened men and helped
the women with the life-preservers.
And Shocky Larson, in a voice which
was not like the voice of Shocky Lar.
son at all, but like the voice of some
better man, said, gasping, to Van
Clede:
"You don't need to be afraid of me
now, Van Clede."
Van Clede loosened the collar from
his teeth, still supporting the boys
body on his own.
II wasn't afraid at you, son." he
said. "Put your hand on my shoulder.
It's better So"
Then, swimming as best they could,
they struck out for the red light on
the dock.
About them they could hear noises
in the water which told them that
others, like themselves, were strug-
Cling. The ofshore waves running on
the reef, like sea-urchins at play,
their faces and choked them.
The way was long. 1t was as if for
hours they had been struggling in the
water. Van Clede's strokes grew
shorter and weaker, his face was
white even in the darkness, and his
eyes stared in their sockets.
II guess we amt got much chance,
son." he said, choking, to the boy.
Then to Shocky Larson, that same
boy who, IS minutes be-
fore, had chung shrieking to the rail,
there came a thought grander than
any he had ever had before.
His weight dragged Van Clede down
until the waves went over their heads.
they could eve reach the
shore. The red light grew no nearer;
but Van Clede alone might make it
both.
And something rose in Shocky Lar
son which was like a thing outside of
and he let go of Van Clede's
shoulder, and the water closed over
him; but Van Clede, turning side
wise, seized him again.
Then, not 20 feet away in the dark
ness, a voice called to them and a
hand was stretched out. 1t was Bron.
camp boss, who had crossed ,
the shore to the island on a lit
lie raft of railroad ties. :
After that the st. Clair, burning like ]
box of matches, burned herself out s
IN the reef, and the wind died down, I
md the day grew white behind the !
5ree-tops. j
But all through the dreadful night
here were three men who were q I
of strength to others: and one
# these was Van Clede, lying without !
l~octor's aid in a shanty at B%ronson's l
amp. There were three men who, all 1
light, risked their lives again and {
gain upon the reef and the island '
others. One of these was Capt I
Willis, of the st. Clair, with a water.
oaked wound upon bis forehead; one
f them was the camp boss with hands s
orn and puffed with water, and one q
Shocky Larson, who had come f
nto his manhood. r
He would never be a Dragging boy b
Cain. Int 1av hv 6av he would urnwi f