Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-01-02

and headed the raIJ Tor the inlet.
There were no clouds in the sky
but the sun was almost obscured il
golden haze, They noted an I'm
usual number of birds flying past
seemingly coming in from the ocean
There was not breath of air stir
ring.
II believe a storm is brewing, y
said Sidney.
"It is not in sight yet" replied hi.
companion, as he speared ineffect.
ually at passing fish. 81 am going
to come out here tomorrow and
catch some of these fellows. 1 won
der what we can use for bait?"
"The brook is full of minlows,' u
said Sidney. 81 noticed a dip net
| among the things in the storeroom.
Grubs, worms, or almost anything
will do for bait"
eve might try mosquitoes" said
Mr.. Kent. "Somo of them are large
enough"
They approached the gateway con-
Meeting the ocean with the bay,
This they found to be a passage
not more than 100 yards in width,
the cliffs rising perpendicularly or
beetling over the water. Outside was
a bar. over which the !ong swell of
the ocean rolled in curling breakers,
as they reached the upheave of the
shore. Inside was deeper water,
where the waves regained a part of
their strength as they glided smooth
~ into the gateway.
Lets see if we can get outside
said Mr.. Kent. "If we can pass those
breakers we can paddle out mile or
so and perhaps size up, this island.
Let's try it. You can swim, l sup
poser"
Yes, l can swim, and guess we
will have to before we can pass
those breakers" said Sidney, as he
watched the great surges sweep over
the bar. 1--WE will try it if you wish
to take the risk"
Il am not afraid. said Mr.. Kent,
stoutly.
"All right. We will leave our guns
and shoes ashore" suggested Sidney.
"Our shirts and trousers are no more
inculnbrance than bathing suit"
They stripped and padded the raft
boldly out to the bar. The nearer
they approached the higher did the
combers appear. A mass of green
water would rise from the sea; it's
upper edge frayed with a line. of
light; the top-heavy mass would
poise for an instant and then fall
in graceful curve, breaking into
spouting masses of foam. The roar
OF these falling tons of water was in
their ears, but they pushed steadily
on. A giant wave dashed it's strength
out in watery roar SO near them
that the spindrift was in their eyes
and the salt on their lips.
"Now is the chance!" shouted Sid
ney. Hard! Row hard!"
They pushed on their crude pad
dies with all their strength. One
hundred yards away the sea was an
undulating plain of smooth rollers.
Could they reach it? The next wave
rose before them. The forward end
of the raft tilted back until it was
nearly upright. Five feet in their
rear the swell broke and churned the
water in fury.
"Hurrah!" shouted Sidney "Once
more and we are all right" AS he
spoke a mountain of water welled
up from the ocean. Sidney gave it
one glance. lie knew the moods of
the sea too well to make any mistake
about that wave. Fifty feet away
it reared its crest. Dark blue and
blending green above it rose until
it lowered above their heads.
"Dive into it," cried Sidney, as the
edge of the comber broke into daz-
cling white.
Mr.. Kent hesitated for moment,
but Sidney dived straight into the
breaker. For few seconds, which
seemed minutes, his ears We're filed
with the crash of waters. The under
tow pulled him down as if he were
straw. 1t seemed as if the>weight
of tons was holding his down; but,
with lusty stroke he came to the
surface. He shook the water out
of his eyes and looked for Mr.. Kent.
He was not in sight!
Sidney raised himself out of the
water as high as possible and
searched the foam-fecked water. The
succeeding wave swept over him.
Like all good swimmers, he kept his
eyes open when under water. To the
right he saw the dark outlines of
some dark object, and struck out for
it.
AS Sidney came to the surface the
second time, he saw Mr.. Kent only
few yards away. He was conscious
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