Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-10-18
Heard In the Fog

l mad chosen Weymouth, on the
south coast Of England, as the spot
where l was to "lay off, for a month
and recuperate. 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
passed at least q dozen others.
There was something Of a sea on,
and only one boat followed me out.
Its occupants were a man and a wo-
man. The man had charge of the sail,
and l soon had cause to wonder that
be 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 l
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 l cried
out to him that but for the woman in
the craft 1 should like to see it bottom
side up and he hanging on for dear
life. He gave me some impudence in
reply, and the woman stood up and
held her arms out to me pleadingly.
It at first seemed to be a case calling
for interference, but on second thought
l changed my mind. The woman,
whom I 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 on a row, and 1 even might be
landed in Jail over it.
1 resumed my course, bearing away
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 blotted out. The tide
was setting in, and I knew that she
would drift back toward me as soon
as the breeze fell. 1t was perhaps q
Quarter Of an hour before I heard
Voices and ten minutes later before I
could make out words. They came
from the other boat, which was drifting
slowly in. The man was cursing and
I. threatening and the woman begging
and praying.
II will leave you, 1 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 it will be murder, murder, MUIR
der! Oh, Richard, you don't mean to
kill mel"
. "But 1 do. You have been in my
way for years. Curse you! Why did 1
ever run across your face? You have
stood between me and happiness long
enough"
"But I'll go this time. Ipromise you
before God I'll 90. Richard, I have
been a good wife to you, but If you
have come to hate M I'll 60"
"Hate you" he growled, like a savage
animal. "Why, 1 hate you to the death.
I'd have murdered you a dozen times
over in the last two years if I'd had a
fair show. You are going to die now"
ooh, m God, don't do 1t, Richard!
: Don't kill met"
I knew their boat was close to me
now, and 1 gently raised my anchor
so as to drift In company with 1t.
IS might have cried out, but 1 did not
: Had I 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. 1 heard him tug
ging and breathing hard as he picked
the woman up in his arms.
! She whimpered and gasped and tried
to scream, but he gave her a fling
over the gunwale Of the boat. She
tainted away, but did not go under the
surface. With the boat hook l reached
y as far out as I could or the port side
and presently 1 had her and was pull.
ing her in. The two craft were not
ten feet apart, and yet no human
: sight could pierce the fog between.
I held the woman's head out Of the
water for ten minutes. Then 1 some
how knew that the other boat had
3 drifted ahead Of me-, and with the ut
= most care l hauled the unconscious Wo
q man into the boat and laid her or
the bottom. 1 waited seven or eight
~ mll1uICS, LII L IuCh OuI WILL ShS AOAS
h oar and by compass guided the boat te
& reach the shore at Bridport, to the west
q Of Weymouth.
e Before we struck the beach l hat
forced some brandy down her throat
81 and she had regained consciousness
but 1 did not explain matters to he
a 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. I got a farmer to drive
us over to Weymouth, and during tn
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 a the woman hid herself