Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-10-25
Heard In the Fog


south coast Of England, as the spot
where l was to 'lay off, for a month
and r~ecuperate. The three or four men
who had boats to hire soon had them
all out. I had planned to fish that
day, and as l took my boat out l
passed at least q dozen others.
There was something of a sea on,
and only II boat followed me out.
Its occupants were a man and a wo-
man. The nan had charge of the sail,
and l soon had cause to wonder that
he had been permitted to take a sail
boat out. 1t was clear that he knew
precious little about the management
of such a craft, and after awhile 1
brought my boat up into the wind and
waited for him to come up that l
might give him a warning.
When he came along he was within
an ace of cutting me down, and cried
out to him that but for the woman in
the craft / should like to see it bottom
side up and he hanging on for dear
life. He gave me some impudeuce in
reply, and the woman stood up and
held her arms out to me pleadingly.
1t at first seemed to be a case calling
for interference, but on second thought
l changed my mind. The woman,
whom l took to be the mans wife, had
not demanded my aid except by signs.
The man had thus far escaped disas-
ter and might carry the boat back.
He was sailing straight out into the
channel, but he might turn at any mo-
ment. To interfere was certain to
bring IN a row, and l even might be
landed in Jail ove it.
l resumed my course, bearing away
from them, but as l watched the other
craft she suddenly vanished from sight
like the snap of your finger. A fog
rolling in had hidden her.
The other boat was half a mile away
when she was blottcd out. The tide
was setting in, and l knew that she
would drift back toward me as soon
as the breeze fell. 1t was perhaps a
quarter of an hour before l heard
voices and. ten minutes later before |
could make out words. They came
from the other boat, which was drifting
slowly In. The man was cursing and
threatening and the woman begging
and praying.
Il will leave you, I will go away, If
you will spare my life" pleaded the
woman.
"You promised once before and then
lied to me-" came the voice of the man.
But 1t will be murder, murder, MUIR
der! Oh, Richard, you don't mean to
kill me!'
"But DO. You have been in my
way for years. Curse youl Why did l
ever run across your face? You have
stood between me and happiness long
enough"
"But I'll go this time. 1 promise you
before God I'll go. Richard, I have
been a good wife to you, but If you
have come to hate me I'll CO."
Hate your he growled, like a savage
animal. "Why, l hate you to the death
I'd have murdered you a dozen times
over in the last two years If I'd had 6
fair show. You are going to die now
"Oh, my God, don't do it, Richard
Don't kill me"
1 knew their boat was close to mt
now, and I gently raised my anchor
so as to drift in company with 1t.
might have cried out, but l did not
Had l struck my hand on the rail Of
the boat they must have heard me.
was silent, but why 1 cannot tell.
heard the man move. l heard him tug
ging and breathing hard rs he picked
the woman up in his arms.
She whimpered and gasped and tried
to scream, but he gave her a films
over the gunwale of the boat. Sht
tainted away, but did not go under tn,
surface. With the boat hook 1 reached
as far out as / could on the port side
and presently l had her and was pull
Ing her in. The two craft were moi
ten feet apart, and yet no human
sight could pierce the fog between.
l held the woman's head out of the
water for ten minutes. Then l some
how knew that the other boat hat
drifted ahead Of me, and with the ut
most care 1 hauled the unconscious wo
man into the boat and laid her Oh
the bottom. 1 waited seven or eight
minutes, and 1 then out with the long
oar and by compass guided the boat tc
reach the shore at Bridport, to the west
of Weymouth.
Before we struck the beach l had
forced some brandy down her throat
and she had regained consciousness
| but I did not explain matters to hel
until we were on the sands and the
fog had rolled away. She had begged
for her life like a weak woman, and
expected to find her %hysterical. Sh'
heard me through without interruption
and then her eyes snapped, and sh,
set her jaws. / got a farmer to drive
us over to Weymouth, and during th
Journey she did not speak five words
Her husbands boat had not made har
Dor yet. The fog had disappeared
but the breeze was very weak.
We went to the house where the boa
had been hired and waited. When tn
boat drew near the woman hid herself
Her husband came ashore with pal
face and bloodshot eyes. The boa