Live Oak daily Democrat. (Live Oak, Fla.) 190?-190?, 1906-09-05

two OF YE GET IN HERE" Hz SHOUTED.
70 gaze out to sea. Now and then from
the darkness, borne on the wind. came
anxious bits OF speculation or inquiry.
Into Demands face flashed startled In
telligence. and he whIrled to the two
men.
do you mean that nObody's gone to
help?" he demanded.
There's nOthin' but death out there
for helpers" was the quick answer.
mo man would risk life quicker than
we, but it's foolish to throw 1t away.
Good Lord, man! What are you doin'f
for Bernard had swung his scooter
back to the shore ice with a quick, al
most vicious thrust and was hosting
the sail
"Where'd the distress signals seemT'
he demanded as he caught the r.
with a swift double hitch about a
cleat and grasped the scooter grip to
push OF. "Runnin' out there with
nothin' to go by would be like huntin'
Could ye guess by the soundT'
"She struck somewhere In the east
shore rapids, an If anybody had time
to get or they must "a drifted down
toward the long rocks. The water d
be more open there than here. But
don't ye try It. Barney" warningly.
Its sure death, an there's that house,
an NOrah goin' to be here in a few
days. Think O. her, man."
Il do" sharply. "Norah d be the
first one to say for me to go. II she
was wrecked of somewhere to sea
wouldn't / want any man In reach to
risk his life to save her-even to lose ii
II there was need? The people out
yOnder have somebody waitin' for
EN-"
"Mebbe there amt any," shouted
one Of the men as the scooter slipped
away into the darkness.
"Mebbe there is" came back grimly.
I'm goin' to see"
Twenty yards from shore the scooter
dropped into open water, then plOwed
its way across a broad space of broken
ice and slush, after which, with the
aid Of a few vigorous prods OF the iron
pointed scooter pole, its pumpkin seed
shaped hull rose gracefully upon an
other fee field and sped on with scarce
ly any checking of its speed. In the
water its shallow bottom skinned the
surface like a bird, the great width
alone keeping it from capSizing. On
the ice the tiny runners made ii sled,
or, rather, an ice yacht, which under
favorable circumstances the broad sail
swept on at almost terrific speed.
But going out Bernard had to tack
against the wind. which made progress
slow and tempted him TO many risks
for the sake Of speed. Once, while
crossing an open space. a swirling
blast lifted his boat clear and threw
him into the water, but his hand was
gripped upon the rope with fingers Of
steel, and, though he was dragged
through the water and across twenty
yards Of ice beyond. he held on and
finally drew himself on board and
righted the scooter without stopping,
but his hand was torn and his body
bruised. and before he had gone an
other hundred yards his wet clothing
had frozen into an almost infexible
armor.
In the darkness, with the wind and
the rain in his face, il was impossible
to hit the right point even aver a IA
miliar course. and, though the long
rocks were scarcely a mile from shore,
if was an hour before his scooter
dropped into the head of the rapids q
half mile above them.
He did not hesitate, for time was OF
more value than safety. Down the
boiling current his craft tossed and
dipped at race horse speed and then
slid out upon the rough broken Ice
near the loI= rocks. But he tackled