Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-10-26
rr1sPTER Iv.-(Continued.)

~ nm black, as our own light died
Io'-,s' and passed us within a cables
ave- What lift of the night there was
I5 51..d 10 her decks again; but icy were
'H' 5o.a,tad for as one or two aboard
u. rra9t cry, l saw the white and
""i3lr distorted face of a man who
orrng to the main shrouds-ano ne alone
r.as the guardian of the wanderer.
That vision of the man l had left we'll
81 baDaful and strong not three days
a;,co was terrible to me. brave man
5a1 zone to his death, but to what
- I',h e that agonized face and distorted
O .,.-' ha+o,,eDed aught And l had prom
=, aid him. and was drifting there
-T.. schooner, raising no hand to give
him help.
.S,,i,-er," cried, this time We'll risk
u,.--nr - boat off I'm going aboard that
s.,s.I now. if | drown before l return"
MIA, +nrned to the men and said: You
car, -b- Yacht pass just now, and you
COW. that man aboard her-he's my friend,
and I'm going to fetch him..
IS she good fellows gave way and our
bo,- rode easily before the wind, l no
+ir.d for the first time that the clouds
rrora scattering; and we had not made
a,.-rar cables length when a great cloud
aL,r. rs showed silver at its edges, and
o,scroIv white in it's center, through
rbir5 the moon shone Amen it dissolv-
od and the transformation GA the surface
Of 4ra water was a transformation from
tho dark of storm to the chrome light Of
summer moon. The deserted yacht
was beating up to Us. and we stood right
in her track.
Get q grapnel forward, and look out
+berp," cried the man in command.
As if 70 help US, the wind fell away as
+bp schooner came up, and she began to
shake her sails. Suddenly there was the
sourd as OF fierce contest. of the bursting
Of wood, and the spread of fame; and in
that instant the decks of the yacht were
ripped up, and sheets of fire rose from
them to the rigging above.
Give way" roared Dan again, for the
men sat moti0nless with terror. Are you
going 10 let him burn?"
The words awed them. They shot the
long boat forward; and l stood in her
stern to observe, if l could, what passed
on the burning decks. And l saw sight
the like to which l pray that may never
see again. Martin Hall stood at the main
shrouds, motionless volumes of flame
around him, his figure clear to be viewed
by that awful beacon.
Why doesn't he jump it?" l called
aloud But Martin Hall never moved
his gaunt figure was mOtionless-the
flames beat upon it, it did not stir; and
we drew near enough anon and knew the
worst.
He's dashed thcre-and he's dead"
said Dan. Easy for a parcel of stark
FOOLS Would you run alongside herr"
There they lay, for any nearer ap-
prOach would have been perilous and even
in that place where we were, twenty feet
on the windward side, the heat was nigh
unbearabIe. SO near were we that l look
ed close as it might be into the dead face
of Martin Hall, and saw that the fiends
who had dashed him there had done their
work too well. But hoped in my heart
that he had been dead when the end Of
the ship had begun to come, and that it
We're no reproach to me that he had per-
lshed; for to save his body from that
holocaust was work no man might do.
% uIu we WdLCn the mounting IRE, anu
the last tack of the yacht La France.
Saucily she raised her head to a new
breeze. shook her great sail of flame in
the night and scattered red light about
Aer Then she dipped her burning jib
as if in salute and there was darkness.
As we neared our own ship Roderick
took my hand, giving it great grip. Then
We came aboard, where Mary waited for
US with white face, and the others stood
silent; but we said nothing to them, going
Oe.ow. There locked myself in my own
eaom, and though fatigue lay heavy on
NE, l took Martin Halls papers from my
locker and lighted the lamp to read them
through
But not without awe, for they were a
message from the dead,