The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1905-06-23

thoughts, he had the sensation OF DE-
| ing rolled and tumbled up and down
along the side of rapidly moving
wall that bruised and battered him,
making no more account of him than
if he were merely a piece or wreck
age.
Sucked in close to the vessels side
by the action of the water, thrust out
again by striking against the iron
wall stunned by the roar of the waves
and bewildered ~ the rapid motion,
Hilton could at first hardly compre-
bend what was happening. He was
plaything in the swirl OF the steam
er-sundered pillows.
Twice while he was being swept
along the steep, straight side, when
his head came uppermost and his
eyes were for moment clear OF the
smarting brine, there came a vision
of faces looking down upon him, one
the red, weather-beaten countenance
of an officer in vizored cap with
gold braid round it, the other the
startled visage of man in a gray
soft hat.
Then Hilton was whirled suddenly
feet uppermost, until ne feared blind
ly that he was never to breathe again.
Presently he found himself as sud-
denly out of water to his shoulders,
his back to the ships side.
The Aldebaran was nearly six hun
dred feet long, and at her present
speed it took between twenty and
thirty seconds for her entire length
to pass any given point So for that
period of time Hilton was whirled
and hammered along her side. For
tunately his head did not once strike
the hard steel, or he would have
been stunned into an insensibility
that could have had but one result.
After the shock of the first sur
prise had passed away, the hope
came to him that perhaps he might
escape, after all. Then a horrible
dread laid hold upon him. The
steamers screw! He did not know
how many revolutions it was making
second, but he did know that If it
touched his body, as he was swept out
past the stern, the slightest flick OF
it's curved blades OF tempered steel
would slice him in two as If he were
potato!
Could he pass it in safety, all
might yet be well. If not! He was
now almost under the liners quarter.
time with his face toward the stern.
Fifty feet away he could see the tur-
moil made by the revolving blades.
He heard the dull leverberation Of
the beaten water. He saw the LIQUID
bosses rising above the surface, and
Again he was whirled upright, this
calculated how far beneath must be
the blades, the sweep of which was
causing that commotion.
Painting with terror, he was borne
in toward the fatal spot, and gazing
into the depths with fascinated eyes
imagined that ne saw the flashes Of
light. as the knives swept round and
round.
He closed his eyes, fancying that
| already he felt the slicing steel.
Then he found himself dancing up
and down like a cork in the air filed
pillows. He opened his eyes again.
Twenty feet overhead a round
black stern was disappearing in the
mist. The rushing died away as the
ship sped on. Again the wailing blast
Of her siren set the air vibrating.
More and more remote it sounded.
Hilton padded feebly, surprised to
find his arms and legs uninJureo.
But what hope Of life was there for
him now, alone in the fog in the
steamers wake! Would it not be
better for him to give up and sink at
once than prolong his misery by
making a vain struggle? No! he
would keep af1oat as long as he
could.
Then an idea came to him. TightlS
clutched in his right hand was the
horn that he had blown just before
plunging overheard from his dory.
Somehow he had unconsciously re-
tanned his grip on it despite the ter
rible handling he had received. Was
it possible that any one might be
within hearing?
Lifting it to his lips. which were
just above the surface, he blew 1t
family again and again. A blast not
far to the left answered him. 1t was
the man whose horn had been heard
by the steamers lookout just before
Hilton was run down. Again the
swimmer blew and again the other
replied. Hilton shouted family, and
was rewarded by hearing the hasty
dip of oars.
Two minutes later the PROV of a
dory appeared through the fog. and
IN a short space the sinking fisher
man was pulled. swooning, aboard
the boat of one of his mates.-
Youths Companion.