Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1903-11-04
THD()r'S LUCKY SWIM

hundred years to the day after the
Battle Of Bunker Hill, was red let.
ter day In the life of Dick Talbot. 8
In the. first place. he was fourteen
years old on that day; and, in the
next place, he had pitched lis club,
she Trinountains, to victory, over
their bitter rivals. the Wonders, in nm
e1astiag 81 to 20 game, of ten in
ninee,
IN the ne1t place
But walk until We get to it.
Afser the game apd the Wonders
had coae home defeated TO Hyde Park
Il heaan to rain hard. The rain began
st ave O'clock, and 1t came down cs
Hit Intended to make clean, all
nisAt Job Of It. AS the boys ran into
old Sky High Gimcrack's old red
barn, out of the wet, Dick said:
"Eay, 9ellers, this is just the kind
Of weatherrin which to go in swim
!. mingr'
No sooner were the words uttered
than the boys began to get out of
their clothes and into their bathing
truaks, which were hanging in the
barn. Then, with wild yells OF
Laughter, they all started for the
wa&sr In the rain. and Dick was tie
firss 10 dive sof the little pier which
ran hen the barn thirty feet out into
the hay. ( One boy after another fol
loved. and soon they were ALL splash
Ing aeolpd, duckIag each other and
playing leapsrog.
About q quarter Of mile from the
pier was: small white schooner
yacht lyinEsat anchor. She had been
there for a week Nobody seemed to
know anything about her, or very lit
tie, which amounted to this: Her
owners, two, mysterious looking men,
Rere seen around the village a good
deal, but for what purpose nobody
seemed to have much Of an idea. They
were evidently enjoying vacation.
"Say, fellows" said Dick; Il am go
ing to swim out to have peep in at
that yacht.
Dick swan out to the mysterious
yacht, and boarded her over the
bows. Nobody seemed to be aboard
Dick went aft and looked into the
cabin. Nobody there. He went down
the companionway and locked around
He was about to go upon deck, when
ne heard somebody weeping in a boat
alongside, and then a mans voice.
saying
Hurry up, Bill! Here take her
Send her down into the cabin out OF
the way. Hoist the anchor, then up
ssil, quick Sop your sniyslling.
young one. Nobody's going to hurt
yer if.yer'u be nice and quiet like"
Then Dick heard steps overhead.
He drew back as the companionway
was darkened and a little girl came
sobbing down into the cabin. He
could hear them2 hauling up the an.
chor and hosting sail while peering
ato the little girls face.
He recognized her as Mr.. Roger
Baldwin's daughter Nelly. Mr.. Bald.
win was the richest man in Dorches'
ter and Nelly was his only child
Hick gasped.
"What is the matter, Nelly?
Then Nelly Baldwin sobbed as If her
little heart would break as she re.
piled:
'.The bad men stole me of the porch
while I was playing with Fido after
dinner"
Dick did not wait to hear any morS.
He said:
'Pn save you. Don't worry" and
ae was on deck like fash.
The yacht was going through the
water at spanking gait, the sails
were up and there was man at the
wheel. Dick shot past him like an ar
row from Robin Hoods bow and took
header over the stern. while the
man at the wheel yelled:
Here! What are you-who-say,
Bill, wing that duck, quick"
BY that time Dick was a little
estern, but not out of range OF the
bullets that whistled around his head,
one or which ploughed furrow along
his scalp like part made by comb
end brush. In two minutes the
yacht Yves far away and Dick was
alone with the blood and rain run
ming down his face and mile of
water between him and land.
With O. "Now for itr Dicks jaws
came together like steel trap. lock-
Ing In his determination to save Mel
II Baldwin from the fate Of poor lit
lie Charlie Ross, who had been stolen
two years before and was never heard
oe aftarward. Stroke after stroke, on
and On, toward that distant pier,
Dick swan through the dark and
rain.
Steadily, splendidly through the
waters he ploughed. until it seemed
ages since he had leaped from that
pier! Nelly might never again be
heard of! The thought was madden
ing! Then the tears ran down with
the blood and rain! another dip. and
bis eyes were clear and he could see
lanterns moving about the pier. He
summoned all his strength and packed
II into one long, tremendous shout.
Some of the lanterns seemed to drop
OF the pier. Those who carried them
Were getting into row boats. 1t SEEM
cd to Dick as If he we're dropping out
Of balloon, as IL he were dying un-
der mountain, and then-a gasp
two white arms in the air-and a
blank!
When he opened his eyes men and
women. soyB and girls seemed to be
about him. In the army he saw Mr..
and Mrs. Baldwin. He gasped his
story into their eager ears, and then
avoy be went into the land Of obli-
Won aSaih.
In isss than FIVE hours that yacht
was captured By a revenue cutter on
,,Nax's Gate 50 MASSACHUSETTS Bay.