The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1903-03-05
breath as a mountain of solid green
water advanced toward him from the

OtOotn as mountain OF SOIu SNcco
water advanced toward him from the !
ocean.
But the sometimes relentless sea
is sometimes strangely mercifuL
The big green wave lifted the ex-
hausted boy tenderly, passed under
him, breaking just beyond. and swept
roaring to the shore.
Three good breaths restored Tim
othy's senses and revived his cour-
age; he had not been near enough
to drowning to lose his strength.
There were still more waves to be
passed before the boy was beyond
the surf. But there were no more
double-headers, and some of the
waves did not break till they neared
the shore. Timothy swan on, soon
finding himself beyond the rollers
and among vast waves that rose and
fell, but did not break.
Then he heard cry: "Help!
Help" 1t was strident voice, but
weak, as of one too frightened to fill
/ his lungs for a good, honest shout.
AS Timothy raised himself in the
water and turned his eyes in the di-
( rection whence the sound seemed to
/ come, he saw the boat he had
watched from the shore, and recog.
nized in the persons clinging to her
sides Will Peters and the three boys
who had so persistently hicknamed
him Timorous Timmy.
The boat was right side up, but
full of water; the mast, stepped
through the bow thwart and without
stays, had been unshipped, and with
the sail was dragging astern. The
wind was light, but the boat was
driving slowly shoreward, and the
boys clinging to her were not max
ing the slightest effort to keep her
off, although they could not but
know that if they attempted to
reach shore through the heavy surf
the destruction of the boat was GER
tain and their death by drowning
inevitable.
"Hallo." shouted Timothy. Keep
her off! Keep her off till the surf
goes down."
As he called, n vagrant wave broke
to seaward of the prevailing surf
line. Timothy diyed. rising close to
the overturned boat and seeing three
boys wildly clutching for more Sc
cure hold on the wrcckagc.
Within arms length of the boat,
but having altogether lost his hold,
Will Peters was thrashing about,
, arms and legs out of the water half
the time and head under all the time
He was not swimmer.
Timothy with his left hand reached
for the gunwale of the boat, and with
his right seized viii, who put both
, arms around Timothy's neck, almost
= instantly to release his hold and at
: tempt to climb into the boat, which
promptly turned bottom upward.
, Hold on" shouted Timothy
"You can't keep your feet dry here
> Hang on to the side and help tow hel
!, out!"
5 Under Timothy's direction the
2 boat was righted and her bow turned
away from the shore. Two boy:
, could not swim, and they simply hung
/ on; two could swim little, and they
, gave Timothy such aid as they coult
1 in working the boat farther from the
I surf line. Then they bailed her ou'
, with tin pan tied to a thwart tc
e guard against loss under just sucl
$ circumstances, climbed over the side
4 pulled the mast and sail aboard an'
r got out the oars for a pull to Long
t wharf. where the boat had been hire'
e and where the boys had left thei
n clothes. Nobody suggested an at
r tempt to raise the sail
: As they dipped the oars for th
= first stroke another boat drew along
{ side. manned by four fishermen.
e Don't you fellows know cnougl
d to keep your boat out of The surf
/. Want any help?" asked one OF tn
fishermen.
r 1--WE do" said Timothy taking i
/, upon himself to answer both ques
/ tions; "but we didn't at ten o'clocI
e this morning. We've been in tn
n water long enough to get prett
cold. One of ysu get in here an
r give a hand down to Long wharf
s let me get into your boat and pu
e me ashore at the Arcadia wharf"
l. "lll pay you for your trouble,
l. said VIII. speaking for the first tim
e since he had called for help.
J. The suggested changes were 500
e made, and in due time the sailin
L party reached Long wharf.
The boys went ashore. dressed
It settled with the fisherman and tn
It boat owner, and rode their bicycle
d to the bath house, where they e,
i pected to see Timothy, but did no
s, They spent some time looking fo
g him and then regretfully took til
n bicycle path for home.
Timothy had left the fisherman
lie boat at the Arcadia wharf, gone t
u the bath house and dressed. Lackin
g the So cents necessary to pay ca
Is fare, he then took the bicycle pat
10 for n 16-mile walk to his home. Fou