Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-07-05

the COO over the dory's side, reba.
and throw out again. 1t was the best
fishing he had found in many a day;
and If his good luck continued, he
would be able to load his boat and
row in to the Moonstone long before
any Of his mates.
1t was about FIVE o'clock when he
first heard the whistle of the Aide
baran far to the eastward, at first
merely a low, hoarse rumble rolling
over the surface of the sea
Who-o-o-o-ooo! Who-o-o-o-ooo! Hill
ton had heard that sound so many
times before during his years on the
fishing banks that he ordinarily paid
but little attention to it. But some
how this morning 1t made him feel
uneasy. An unpleasant shiver ran
down his spine as he remembered
one foggy dawn six years back, when
one OF those ocean monsters had
passed so close to the stern of the
schooner that it had splintered her
main boom. Ugh! He shrugged his
shoulders at the thought, and then
devoted his energies to pulling in
another cod.
No one could tell just where the
steamer would cross the fishing
grounds, and he was as safe in one
place as in another. 1t was as we'll
to take the thing philosophically and
keep on about his business. What
likelihood that the high iron prov
miles away, with the spray feather
ing aloft on both Its sides, was
pointed straight at the fifteen scanty
feet now occupied by the broadside
of his dory!
Nearer and nearer, louder and
louder came the shrek of the siren
Who-o-o-o-ooo! Who-o-o-o-ooo! II
the intervals between its discordan,
outbursts, faint hollow pippings from
the horns of the scattered dorymen
with now and then a louder pea
from the bell or crank-horn Of some
anchored schooner, told that the fee
was taking the alarm. All feared the
headlong, irretrievable ruin tina
might be wrought by that merciles!
prov amid the fragile invisible flo
tillas.
The Aldebaran was now fairly upol
the Bank, and rushing across it a
half-speed. Additional lookouts wer,
stationed forward to give quick warn
ing Of any mast or boat they nigh
spy through the thick mist. Shorte
and more frequent rose the wainn,
blasts of the steam-whistle, while tn
dories replied in notes that sounded
low and feeble beside the metalli
roaring Of the huge leviathan.
Harvey Hilton's uneasiness ha'
been increasing as the whistle grew
louder. He stopped fishing sudden I
leaving heavy cod half pulled in
and rose to his feet, vainly strivin
to pierce the mist in the directio
of the approaching peril. He LITE
his horn to his lips and threw all tn
strength Of his lungs into one war;
ing, appealing blast. But just befor
the sound reached the ears of tn
liners lookouts, blast from anorne
! quarter had caused them to sigma
! In such way that the great shil
! sheered straight toward Hilton.
The fisherman heard the rushing o
the water before the stem, and knew
just how it would look, even befor
he could see 1t through the fog
Thrusting the horn into his pocket
he sprang forward and seized tn
anchor-rope, intending to haul hi
dory ahead.
In an instant, however, he dropped
the line, convinced of the futility o
his endeavor. 1t was too late now t.
attempt to shift his position. Agail
he set the horn to his lips and bley
with all his might Perhaps tn
steamer might not touch him, afte
all!
Vain hope! A straight, blacl
knife-sharp edge Of steel cleft tn
mist asunder not a dozen yard
away!
In one aeeting second Hilton say
at its base the snow-white spray
feathers rising from the bubbl
foam; saw the iron plates of tn
swelling hull, dull salmon color beloy
the water line and jet black above it
caught a glimpse of the white face
and blue, staring eyes of Nors
lookout, with his clustering yello,
beard and blue seaman's shirt opel
at the neck, peering down at hin
over the bow twenty feet above; an
| wi a hoo iro ~ ia
the horn still clutched in his righ
hand just as he had snatcted it fron
his lips after his last despairin
blast, he leaped headlong overboar
as far as he could to the right!
While still in the air in the middl
of his leap. he heard the splinterin
crash, as the steel tore through hi
dory. An instant later ne plunge
head foremost into the chill water
feeling that he would never rise alive
Then, before he could collect hi
thoughts, he had the sensation of BIZ
ing rolled and tumbled up and dow
along the side of a rapidly movin
wall that bruised and battered hin
making no more account of him tina
if he were merely piece OF wrec:
age.
Sucked in close to the vessels sid
by the action of the water, thrust on
again by striking against the iro
wall stunned by the roar Of the wave
and bewildered by the rapid motion
t Hilton could at first hardly comprt
3 bend what was happening. He wa
g a plaything in the swirl of the steam
: er-sundered pillows.
a Twice while he was being swer
3 along the steep. straight side, whe
t his head came uppermost and hi
: eyes were for moment clear of III
smarting brine, there came a visio
r of faces looking down upon him, on
e the red, weather-beaten countenanc
y of an officer in yizored cap wit
r gold braid round it, the other tn