The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1907-03-13

/ salled down TO take up the SLACK on the
cable. The lumber on the deck had
been RATED to Orham and they had
| begun to get out that I'm the hold The
Ruth CHM was moving slowly through
the sand. and every day showed more
and more gain. The partners were In
high spirits.
When the Lizzie. with the workers
aboard, reached Ruth CHM the next
morning, Ira Sparrow. in the You and
|. was there already, and the "chug,
chug," of his naphtha engine was heard
as he came rushing to meet them.
BRAD! Cap'n Ezw he hailed, as soon
as they were in shouting distance.
''She's shifted like time in the night
I swan, b'lieve we can git her of
this tider'
This was such unexpected good news,
for they had figured on another week
at least, that the partners could scarce
ly believe it,
"Are you sureT shouted Bradley,
leaning over the Lizzie's bow.
Pretty nigh sure. Look for your
self"
They shot up to the wreck, to find
the cable, that had been left tight and
rigid, hanging loose. An inexperienced
eye could see that the lumber schooner
had changed her position. Her bow
was now almost in a line with the
edge of the shoal and, even in the slack
water of the last of the ebb, she was
rocking appreciably in the cradle her
hull had made in the sand beneath it.
Great scissors to grind!' shouted
Captain Titcomb. She'll do it as sure
as I'm a foot high. Tumble aboard
there, boys-livelyp
They clambered up the side and fell
to work like sharks around a dead
whale. Bradley got up steam in the
donkey engine. As soon as possible
they started the windlass and hauled
the cable taut.
"She feels it, boy; she feels itw
cried the captain. "Give it to her,
every pound she'll stand. Now. then"
he added, while we're waitn' for the
tide TO turn we might s we'll roust
out a little more Of the cargo No use
to lay back and let Providence do it
all. The Lord helps them that helps
themselves. as the darby said when he
found the hen house door unlocked.
HatcheS Off. men. Dive into it therew
They rugged the blocks and tackle
and began swinging bundles of ma
hogany strips from the hold over the
side. The tide turned. and the water
on the shoal grew deeper. The Ruth
CHM rocked in her sand cradle. Every
little while they hove taut on the
cable in order to take up every inch
of slack
II was eXhilarating. exciting work,
this fight with old ocean, and Bradley
and the captain gloried In the sheer
Joy of it. They were winning and win
ming not only a goodly sum Of money,
but the first big prize that would dem
onstrate their ability to carry through
larger and more important contracts.
The forenoon passed.
"Cap'n En- suddenly beloved Ira
from the You and l. "She's movin'!
Come up on your cable"
The captain jumped TO the windlass
and Bradley TO his engine. The cable
frightened and slowly. inch by inch,
wound back over the wndlaSs barrel
From beneath the Ruth CHM came a
sliding. grating sound. the most vel
come sound i'm the world to the wreck
ers. RcarSe. picking up a heavy coil
of rope from the deck. tossed il to Ira.
That's the stuff. Alvin" roared the
captain aprrovinGly make it fast in
the bows. Now. Ira, put your power
ON to that line"
The You and ! lcaped ont into deep F.
wafer and. with her naphtha engine /.
furiouSly. pulled doggedly at F..
the now tow line The grating under ,
the keel Of the lumber schooner grew /
louder; she quivcred from stem to /
stern: the cable crcpt nboard faster .
and faster
Then there came shake, a roll that |
caused Pclcc Myrici 10 lose his foot. |
ing and tumble into the scuppers. and. |
with a triumphant wallow. the Ruth |
CHM slid off the Shoal And from her
deck and from that Of the You and |
went up a yell that scared the gulls
fishing away over on the Razorback.
They drew her into the channel. well
out Of danger and anchored her firm
ly. bow and stern.
There" said the captain trium
phantly She'll stay there till we can
get n tug from Vineyard Haven. Well
SS4|Z///1 nj ~