Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1903-01-07
GIRLS COURAGE.
IorlElnal.l

u suppose you sat Oh the beach with
girl, lulled by the music of the waves"
"Music of the waves, rot! / heard
that when I'd rather have heard
Sam whistle screeeh in my ear"
"How was that?"
Il admit there was girl In it.
Speaking of gals, do you know they
never have the sense to be frightened
at the proper time. At least, that was
the way with the girl in this case. You
know I've always been stuck on ocean
canoeing. This year / took my canoe
to X, on the coast of Maine. It's risky,
| tell you. knew 1t and took all the
care could. | never went out except
in the best of weather and always took
a compass and barometer. | reached
X. in July and padded outside every
day that was fine and the sea was not
too rough, so that by the last days of
August had my hand well in. would
feel my way, so to speak, watching the
sky and the water, with an occasional
look at my instruments. The people
all thought was foolhardy, but what's
the fun without spice of danger?
"One afternoon when the sea was
especially smooth and the sky serene
| padded farther than usual. There's
a singular feeling in being far from
land in canoe, heaved up and down
ne xyo nnthtt1.y
but sky above you and water all
around. There's such a ghostly loneli-
ness about it, SUCH helplessness. All
fellow can do is to deXterously avoid
the force of the waves with his paddle,
as man might keep patting tigers
eyes with a stick so as to prevent its
devouring him. Kneeling in the canoe,
l was always on a level with the water,
at one time poised on a crest, at anoth-
er far down in the trough. It's sin
gular sensation, different from any 9th
er have ever experienced.
Suddenly glancing at my barometer,
l saw it was sinking. l swept the hor
lion with my eye and landward saw
black cloud rising. In an instant / got
one leg straight forward and made for
shore with all my strength.
Il was still a mile away from the
harbor's mouth when l saw ahead of
me the flashes of a double bladed pad
die. Then | remembered that a lot of
college girls had come to Y. the day
before who had been canoeing in the
interior, and my blood ran cold as it
occurred to me that some one of them
had been crazy enough to come out ON
to the ocean. l have plenty of muscle
and was putting in my best work, so
that | gained on the canoe ahead and
soon saw a girl in a Tam O'Shanter
and blue sweater kneeling and pad
ding for the shore.
"All of a sudden there came a white
space under the rising cloud, and the
whole heaven seemed to shoot toward
the zenith. There was a terrific puff
of wind, and for thirty seconds | had
all | could do to keep my boat atioat.
Then came a lull, and l looked for the
canoe ahead, expecting to see it bottom
up. To my surprise and relief, there
was the girl battling with the water.
She was pretty close to me, for she had
been blown outward, while had part
ly held my own. l hailed her, direct
ing her to slow up and l would run
alongside. When l did so, l found
her as cool as cucumber. Whether
she realized that she and / both were
almost certain to be blown out to sea
I did not know. At any rate. l adj
mircd her pluck.
You must get into my canoe l
said.
"'And leave mine? No, thank you
"'Then can't help YOU
"'Who asked for help?' she said.
Il then pulled up in front of her, and
as my quarter graZed her bow | grab
bed both rails with my hands and rolled
over into her canoe.
Perhaps at this point you're look
ing for some fine talk. Well, here it is:
Lit down in the bottom | said. Lie
down Yourself 1t was a case of life
or death. Lie down or III brain you
with this oar She saw that the time
had come to quit fooling and lay down.
padded away against the wind, max
ing little Roadway, expecting every
wave as it came on to twist the canoe
around and roll us over. Thanks TO
long practice, l evaded them, but it
was discouraging, after safely riding
one, 10 see a bigger one right upon me.
The fool girl kept poking up her head.
and every time | rode wave she'd eX-
claim 'Rrayol Isn't il finep as though
| were performing in circus.
well we got into the harbor at last.
| ran the canoe ashore, and we both
stepped on dry land.
"'What did you mean by going out
there?' l asked, a sudden anger coming
over me after the terrible ordeal, as
though she was to blame for the whole
affair.
"'I'm sorry I forgot to ask your per-
mission she snapped.
Don't you know that we have es-