The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-06-17

sailing, Edith gave the order TO tack
Port your helm n little, Rossw she
called, presently; and little later
"Wre're going TO catch them on the
third tack" she announced, glecfully
land we can easily upset them if they
don't heave our roots aboardw
But soon there came one OF those
March squalls which made the issue
doubtful. The wind did not change,
but suddenly low clouds came flying
out Of the northwest. The water ahead
Of us grew black and tumbled, and in
time our sail was cracking in a spring
nOrthwestcr.
1t did not seem at all certain now
what we should be able TO do In that
rough water The Mallard was a stout,
well built boat, but at that moment
she sadly needed ballast. The pound
ing at her bow would soon have
knocked lighter boat to pieces. The
gusty wind blew the tops off the curl.
ing rollers and the spray fell like rain
upon us. Doris and could see nothing
at twenty yards. Edith still stood
clinging to the mast, and with n hand
shielding her eyes from the wind.
Were catching them now" she
called to us after little. They're
having n hard time-thcy'yc broken
paddle, think. oh, goodness! They're
overheard, all Of themp
/ gave the tillcr to Doris and got 10
my feet Greatly to my surprise,
saw how near we had been TO overtak.
ing the canoe.
Not fifty yards ahead. and almost di-
rectly to windward ! saw three black
heads roll up, three pairs Of arms
thrown over Il birch bark bottom. ]
stood for some seconds wondering
just how we could manage to pick up
the three, and what could have be-
come OF the fourth. We were close
upon them when / saw, almost under
our bow, but out OF reach, a blue grass
shirt and moccasined foot thrust out
of an oncoming wave.
"Starboard, quick! Let go the sheetw
/ shouted TO Doris. ana instantly, in
that chopping sea, my sister obeyed.
We vecred upon the crest OF wave
were thrown up by the wind and
bounced over but somehow lighted
bottom side down. was tumblcd back
ward under the sail, and Edith was
pitched into the bow, with her face
and one arm outside the gunwalc. The
maneuvrc was successful and Edith's
fall q lucky one, for rs | scrambled
forward, | heard her shouting for help
ANA found her clinging TO the skirt OF
the drowned or drowning woman.
In a moment, although shipping tubs
Of water, we had hauled aboard the
limp aud llfcloss body Of girl Of four
teen or fifteen. For the instant we
could only lay the body across seat,
while | took n pair Of oars and Edith
bailcd for dear life. We managed to
work the Mallard alongside the drift
ing canoe. the birch bark bottom OF
which, rs | could plainly see, had been
| stove in at the bow.
Little Hawk-for IL was hc--and his
women saw that our acts were friend.
| ly, and they used excellent caution in
| getting aboard although we were half
| swampcd when the last one. his fat
wife rolled over our gunwale. They
were as much at home Ms muskrats
In the water, and | knew the young
girl must have gone down, as excel
| lent swimmers sometimes do. strang-
led in backward and sudden plunge.
Little Hawk seized the bailing buck
ct and quickly showed himself an eN-
pert with IL. l managed TO get into
the stern and exchange places with
Doris, where with half q sail out.
let the Mallard go before the wind.
The drama inside our little boat was
now n strange and exciting one. Doris
and Edith, upon the stern seat, held tn,
body of the girl across their laps and
busted themselves. as well us they
could. in trying to bring her 10 life
The Shappeway father threw out wa
ter in bucketfuls. while his women. II
the bow. sat bumped over. wailing In
gubriously, with faces buried in theil
arms. for they believed that theii
young relative was dead.
The wind howled. the cops OF wave
broke over us. and spume and spra!
pelted and drenched us. We shippe,
water about as fast as Hawk coul,
bail il. and the food washed from stcrr
TO bow and back again as we mounte,
a wave or tumbled over IL.
But we scudded before the gale lik
! n loon and within ifteen minutes frou
the time we had picked up the girl W
bumped into the sands OF the mai
] shore opposite our house.
AS yet the girl had shown no sign
. Of lie. and helped Doris and Edit
to carry her. going at n half run u
e the house path. The Indians followe
more leisurcly. the squaws still wal
: ing. Their cries came 20 our ears 1
d weird cadences above the boom OF th
J, lake and the roar OF wind i'm the tree,
b Once inside the house we set {
S work energetically. following the wei
a known methods OF posing the body
L working the arms and administerln
J. hartshOrn at the nostrils. When th
!, Indians came in the women cease
d their outcries. but stood looking upo
orr operations in gloomy disapprova
e Presently. however. when Dori
again administered hartshorn and ticl
G led the throat with n cranes wing. ID
Z girls brenst bas we'd and she gave