The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1903-01-01

Shufl!I after the passage of the low.
ll"iirc l waS altogether unDrcparcd,
after my third stroke. to hear anothcr
ho:ll approaching through the fow from
III" opposite direction. | backed wafer
vigorously. just iii time TO ESCAPE be-
lh% ran down by Il tug that was max
ing the water fly as she dashed wcs, :
ward.
l caught the splash OF Il rope, and
waited. Soon came the huge bulk OF
an empty barge. rising high above the
water. 1T passed so near that backed
another stroke to be out Of the way of
the one which | felt sure was follow
ing 1t. Soon heard another tow-rope
whipping the surface and Il second
barge the size of the first swept by.
listened for several seconds, but hear
ing no further sound, bent to nv
oars again, feeling sure that there
were no more bargcs.
| had gone perhaps thirty feet when
something struck the bottom OF my
SkiiI. y large cable rose suuarcly
beneath the boat. Swapping It into
tho air. AS my boat dropped back
it fell stern first and capsizcd. throw
ing me out. When | went under I
lost my grip Of the oars. and on coming
10 the surface again l moved my hands
franiically about in the hope OF find
ing them.
TWO O" thrcr inches above the water
my fingers encountered something
round ard wet, and closed about it like
Il wise. II WAS the cable which had
cap>iHrd ne. y third barge had been
towing after tn" other two, and lis
haWS"r had proved the cause OF The
disaster.
lli%hcr and higher il rosc. li:,jn-
III" above water until was only waist
deep. Th" waves ripplrd against my
body rs | was Dragged along. caught
Il last glimpse OF my oars and water
logged boat drifting away in the ioy
Ihrn they were swallowed MP and |
WlS lrir clinGing 80 the SOdtrn rope
| did not dare let 30 of it to attcmDt
10 regain my Skir'. Indeed. so con.
iGSru WaS | that the idea did not enter
NY head until the chance waS @oNr
The haWScr began 10 sink AGAIN.
Lower and lower it fell until wus
went, and d"rnrr still. | had no choice
hut 10 let 80, unless | wished to br
dragged under. | released my hold
and WAS LETT STRUGGLING in the waves,
padding 10 keep anoat.
Should | abandon the cable and
strike out for shore? | was not 4
strong swimmer. and the land was Il
1ict Va ~. 4 =,
that log would be suicide. nS | should
soon lose all sense OF direction and
circle aimlcssly about until | sank.
My only salvation was to keep near
tine rope, so that | nigh, grasp it when
it rose Once let me lose that. and I
should drown or be run down by
some passing boat
Up came the hawSrr again with q
snap. catching me violently across the
chest. Rcgaining my hold with diff.
Guilty, | was lifted up. up, until only
my legs dragged In the water. Then
down | sank again. till The rope passed
below my reach in Il line Of phosphor-
| csccnt bubbles. This could not last
forever. If, after the cable had sunk
| the DargcS should make Il turn and pull
| 1t from beneath me. so that [ could not
! regain my hold when it rose. NY posi-
ton would be serious indeed. Every
time let go those twisted strands my
| life hung in the balance
I saw that the only thing for ne tc
| do was to make my way at once to ono
| Of the DargcS before my strength be
came exhausted. The boat behind WIZ:
| or course the easier 20 reach, for Sht
approached NE Il little every time
LET go the rope.
Splash to the right. Splash TO tn.
iclt! The hawScr was rising again
Vhcc more it lifted me into the air
helofc IL sank | had worked myscl
som" rect toward the barge After i
W;'S gone | padded in The same dircc
''"h' AGAIN and again did this.
An 'aS'rrly wind was rising and th
water was growing roughcr. The TO.
still clung to the surface. Far ,,p an,
down the sound the whistles blew con
iinually. some faint and distant othcr
louder ana nearer. My fingers wcr
numb from clutching the coars
strands.
At last I knew that I was drowin,
near the barge. The cable no lonrc
sank beneath my reach. l could hon
the rush of water before the Drov
And now the rope was above the SUI
face altogether. High in the air ahov
me blunt stem loomcd through th
mist. II was the barge at last. wit
the cable rising at sharp angle an
disappearing over its bow.
Wearird by my efforts felt that
could never climb that stcep sion
without help. | shouted. but my vote
could not be heard above the rushin
foam. Dcspairing at last OF attractin
the attention Of anyone on board.
saw that my only chance was to rs
cend the hawser. 7 was fairly stron
In the arms, and had it not been for m
} previous struggles the feat would hay
been an easy one. In my present stat,
1t seemed a tremendous task; but
had no choice in the matter. NV ;if
lmng on my power to lift myself han
over hand. If let go. the barge woul
: rue over me like marine car @