The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-12-11

slant. suspended. Hence, when he wind
caught the sail, its influence was not in
simultaneously counteracted. The mo-
ments of grace flashed past while the
man rallied hts faculties TO neet the
danger; while. too. he possessed himself
anew of his immediate surroundings His
impression of the waves and breakers
had TO be destroyed and reconstructed
graphed on his brain when he looked up
at the people had now sukSlded; new
ones had replaced them-waves of DIFF
ferent form and place. Those breakers
which had been gathering force to dash
against the rocks had delivered their at
tack, had broken and fallen ana were
now gathering for a new rush. The face
of the tickle was a new face. He was
dazea. Time was consumed. also, in
determining upon q course of action II
took time TO transmit directions to the
hand on the oar, time for the hand 10
comprehend to summon its strength and
TO exert it.
These We're sunremely momenJous peri
DDS. Job had betrayed the punt The
puff Of wind had swerved her from her
course. A long. lean breaker. reaching
far out from Black Rock had laid hold
of Der and fixed It's clutch. She was
swept In. Her motion Was like that OF
falling stone-tmpeTceptIbie at first.
gathering speed. accelera ting 10 a rush
The man felt he1new influence in the
beginning. Then he perceived that all
his strength-whicb he now furiously
eNerted-oo+ild uOtttake her TO he placid
water of the harbor a few fathon1s be-
yond. She had been carried out Of her
course. She was caught. She was
doomed. Hence he diverted his strength
TO swerving her bow on to the rock. that
he might save himself. The possibility
of his escape was contained in seven sec
ondsT of time. He dropped the oar ana
leaped forward; then crouched IN the bow
for spring. His eyes swept he face OF
the rock for focthold while the punt
advanced. There was but flash of time
for discovery aRd decision The glance
was swift. sure. eager II tlxed Itself.
at the last. ON narrow ledge. The sum
of all those things which arc important
TO man hung upon the possibility or
reaching that ledge.
Job made the leap when the punt over
hung the abyss but from sinking ground /;
for the wave. as though Of craft, pulled
The boat from his feet as he sprang.
Ii must be said that Black Rock is at
that point near sheer The clIft IS
weather broken and rotten: frost and
wind had left q crumbliug surface, which
latter scales off in most parts. under a
violence no greater than the bent of a
child'S strength. Now, the sudden des-
cent of the punt had disturbed the mans
Leaf. For that reason he missed his hold
with one foot. The toe of his right boot
struck the rock below the ledge. That
foot found no place. Hence he tOttercd.
His full weight was upon the other foot,
which was firm fixed from toe TO in
step Supreme responsibility centered,
momentarily. in the muscles of that leg
But he was topping backward: he would
fail 10 the wave which was then crunch
ing the punt. and he would be cast up
with splinters. He clawed the rock for a
handhold- His right hand caught pro-
lection: this crumbled in his grasp.
Even so. he had brought himself back
10 within hairs weight Of a balance: but
the weight OF the hair was against him.
IL the left hand should fail in its search.
that difference would surely prevail. The
! third finger found a crack with frayed
edge: the nail caught a scale of rOCk-a
loose scale. which trembled under the
strain. Upon that scale-upon its tender.
slender connection with the great body Of
rOck-the issue now depended. Here all
the struggle COMMUNICATIVE mighty ex-
ertion OF the cove. the skill and courage
of the attack upon the waves. the little
punt's staunch repRlse of high seas; all
ended in the strain The finger nail put
upon the scale OF rock. and chat strain
was no greater than a thread might sus-
tain. nor longer than a breath.
The scale held. The finger nail did not
break The man drew his body forward.
The wave rose 70 his boot tops and
washed with expiring strength about his
feet. It left him safe. The punt was a
spintered wreck below.
Some convulsive effort OF the gale. as
it tore into the distance, rent the thick.
low clouds in the west The tatters OF
the rift gloMed crimson and gold: black
was elsewhere The sun. shooting through
Sltoed the cFeStS OF the waves. the sea
/ flashed from expauSc to- expanse. The
breakers threw iridescent spray at the
sky Hills AID rocks took on their sun
set garb OF purple and rcd. Shafts oil
sunlight struck the beilfeS of the catch
I and were radiaDtly reflected The fishes
J Of the gunwa'e load cleaned for a space
! where they fiostsd with the splintcrs 81
+ thc punt that had gore 80 wreck in al
/ honor They shono like FURNISHED silver
I while they sank. fluttcriEs. into thc
I black hidden depths of the tickle Night
! gdyanced with swift feet Heavy clouds
! covered the sun as il sank. Dusk on
/ shronded the Pillar end the Staff The
wind sighed and died. Silence descend
I cd. From the summit OF Black Rock Jot
Luff looked out over the sea TO the edge
/ OF the world. There a streak OF lgrid
4 red separated the sea from tho Sky.
! Il was tragedy Of that coast.
/ Copyright by Mcclure, Phillips & Co