Arizona republican., 1905-10-01
THE LITTLE VOLUNTEER.

A fierce gale had been beating the
 coast for days and not a living being had ventured out The hotel was but
 a few rods from the shore. and it's
 long. glass s-incIosed piazza overlook
 ed the angry sea. orr to the left was
 the beginning of a long chain of dan
 gerous rocks. Between the two was the famous South Shore beach. To those who liked to watch the sea,
 the glass -inclosed piazza of the hotel offered exceptional attractions All through the long hours of the gale men and women had walked back and
 forth with their glasses, exchanging comments and apprehensions, and oft en allowing the meal hours to pass by unregarded
 They had seen a fishing smack drive in upon the rocks and go to pieces and had breathed more frely when they saw her crew reach shore in safe | ey Later, they had watched a small sailboat drift in and had looked vain | ly for some signs of life
 Every year there were hard storms and violent winds on the shore, but it | was long since there had been such a gale as this.
 | Among the guests was a family from l the interior who had never seen the ONtstll 'Jlit pl tile tIlllAL tiS d Bctlt-r delicate boy of nine or ten, who ap- ] peared to have a fear of the tumbling waters He could never be induced to l go in bathing with the other children. l Generally he remained in the field, whistling to the birds or chasing the l butterflies or grasshOppers. 1 During the gale he wandered from l room to room with a frightened face l When he heard the guests talking of 1 the storm and the probable loss of life l at sea, he trembled.
 l In the third day of the gale a dull 1 looming was heard at sea. All the 1 guests recognized the pitful call for l help, and they hastened to the piazzas | with their glasses. The sturdy fisher men were on the beach with their l boats and apparatus. But they hesi- | tated in the face of the terrible sea. | At last a boat was launched, but a moment later was overturned and driv- 1 en back upon the beach. Again it was 1 launched, with the same result Then | the men stood back and gazed helpless l ly at the raging waves.
 1 The rain had ceased. but the wind | still blew the bIinding spray far up on | the beach. Most of the guests left the | hotel and went down to the group of silent men.
 After a while one of the ladies felt | a slight pull at her dress. Glancing ! down she saw the boy. His face was coIorless, and his eyes were round and | shining. He was trembling violently | "Why, Arthur she said, chidingly
 what made you come down here, if l you are frightened? Run back to the hotel. That's a. dear"
 But the boy only shook his head and | closed his lips tightly.
 Shall I go with you, dear?" | "No. no. I'll stay. But it's awful l and all those folks on the boat. Cant 1 somebody help?"
 One of the fishermen overheard him l Not until the sea goes down." he 1 said, gruffly. "It would be suicide. l am willing to risk my life, but not to | throw it away"
 Five, ten minutes passed, and the l dull booming still continued. only near | CT. At last man sprang to where the 1 boat lay half buried in the sand, as il
 had been driven back by the waves.
 "I can't stand this no longer" he 1 said. Who'll go with me?"
 Then men stood silent; only as the l speakers eyes sought theirs appealing 1 ly, they shook their heas, one by one.
 For Gods sake. mates" he called | hOarsely, wont some of you volunteer 1 It's better to lose our lives out there than to stay here and see 'em drown Q