Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-01-30

| He rose, beckoned to Ralph and then
opened the outer door. He had to use
considerable strength to do this, and
gust Of wind and small avalanche Of
snow roared in and sent the lighter
articles flying from the table. Elsie
gave a little scream, cnd Mrs. Snow
exclaimed: "For the lands sake. shut
that door this minute! Everything III
be soppin' wet"
So Ralph did give it up, although
rather against his will. There was
nothing of importance to be done, but
he felt little like deserter neverthe-
less.
"Perez won't git home neither" OBJ
served Captain Err. "He's showed In
too"
Captain Perez had that afternoon
gone down to the Mayo homestead to
take tea with Miss Davis.
"Git home! should think notv' said
Mrs. Snow decidedly. "PGshy's got too
much sense to let him try It."
In the morning there was little
change In the weather. The snow had
turned to a sleet, half rain, that stuck
to everything and coated it with ice.
The wind was blowing as hard as
ever. Captain Err and Ralph. stand
ing Just outside the kitchen door and
In the lee of the barn, paused to watch
the storm for minute before they
went down to the beach.
"Think you want to 60 over. do
you?" asked the captain.
II certainly do, If can get there"
"Oh, we can git there all right. I've
rowed dory good many times when
twas as bad as this. This amt no
picnic day, though, that's fact" he
added as they crossed the yard and
aught the full force Of the wind.
Lucky you put on them ileskins."
Ralph was arrayed in Captain Jerry's
dirty weather rig" and although. as
Captain Err said, the garments fitted
him like shirt on handspike." they
were very acceptable.
Their dory hit the beach almost exact
ly Mt the right spot, a feat which the pas
senger considered miracle, but which
the captain seemed to take as a mat
ter Of course. They beached and an
chored the dory, and, bending almost
double as they faced. the wind. plowed
through the sand to the back door OF
k,,o ,t,t;n,, U,bora xyos nnmparo tivalv
little snow here on the outer beach
the gale had swept it nearly all away.
Mr.. Langley met them as they
tramped into the hail. The old gentle
man was glad to see his assistant. for
he had begun to fear that the latter
might have tried to row over during
the evening and met with disaster. AS
they sat round the stove in his room he
said: 1--WE don't need any wrecks in
side the beach. We shall have enough
outside, I'm afraid. I hear there Is
one schooner in trouble now
"That soY" asked Captain Fri.
Where is she?"
ION the Hogs Back shoal. they
think. One Of the life saving crew
told McL0ighlin that they saw her
last night. when the gale first began,
trying to make an otfing. and that
wreckage was coming ashore this
morning. Captain Davis was oOinr to
try to reach her with the boat, be-
lieve."
81 should like to be at the life saw
ing station when they land" said
Ralph. 1T would be a new experience
for me. I've seen the crew drill often
enough, but l have never seen them
actually ut work.
what d'you say II we so down to
the station?" asked the captain. That
Is, II Mr.. Langley here can spare you.'
"Oh, / can spare him." said the su-
perintendent. '"rhere Is nothing Of i'm
portance to be done here just now.
But it will be terrible walk down the
beach this morning"
wind III be at our backs, and we're
rugged for it too. What d'you say, Mr..
HaZeltine!"
Ralph was only too glad Of the op-
portunity to see, at least, the finish
Of q rescuing expedition, and he said
so. So they got into the oilskins again.
pulled their sou'westers down over
their ears and started OH the tramp
to the life saving station.
The electrician is not likely to forget
that walk. The wind was, as the cap
tain said, ut their backs, but II whis-
tied in from the sea with terrific
strength and carried the sleet with it.
1t deluged them with water and plas-
tered them with dying seawced and
Ice. The wet sand came in showers
like hail and beat against their shou!-
ders until they felt the sting even
through their clothes.
They walked as near the water line
as they dared, because the sand was
harder there. Captain Iii went
ahead, hands in his pockets end head
down. Ralph followed. sometimes
watching his companion. but oftene'
gazing ut the sea. At intervals there
would be lull. as II the storm giant
had paused for breath, ami t..cy cJuid
see for half mile over the crazy Wa
ter, then the next gust would ii.i the
curtain down again and Will OF
rain and sleot would shut them in.
Conversation meant only series Of
shrieks. and they gave it up.