Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-11-12

:.y K Spun round until at the moment
of impact with the water the head and
shoulders PLUNGED first into the waves.
At that point the depth of the sea
was sixty feet ut the very b. q Of the
rock. - each half tide and especially
IN stormy weather an irresistible cur
rent swept away all sand deposit and
sLe2:cd off projecting masses of stone
go ecicctually that In the course of time
the overhan ing cliff must be under
mined and fall into the sea.
High tide or low, there was always
sufficient water to float battleship,
ana the plac. was Ioted as favorite
nook FOR salmon. at that season pre-
pairing for their annual visit to the
sylvan streams of the mo0rland val
leys.
The lordly salmon Is peculiar in hia
habits. De'i"hting at one period Of the
year to roam through the ocean wilds,
at another he seeks shallow rivers, In
whose murmuring fords he scarce finds
room TO turn his portly frame.
And the law protects him most jeal-
ously.
In the river he Is guarded like king.
and when he clusters at its mouth,
lazily making up his mind to try a
change Of water. as monarch might
visit Homburg for a change Of air, he
can only be caught under certain Sc
we're restrictions.
He must not be netted within so
many yards of the seaward limit of
the estuary. He may not be caught
wholesale. The nets must have max
imum length of 400 feet. They must
not be set between Z p. IN. on Friday
and { Il. III. on Monday.
Viewed in every aspect. the salmon
Is given exceptional chances of longev-
ity. His price IS high as his culinary
reputation. and the obvious sequel to
all these precautions Is that certain
nefarious persons known as poachers
try every artifice to defeat the law
and capture him.
A favorite dodge is to run out a large
quantity Of nets in just such tide
way as the foot of the cliff crowned by
Grange House. None can spy the Op-
erations from the land, while close
watch seaward gives many chances
of escape from enterprising water bail
ifs, who, moreover, can sometimes be
made conveniently drunk.
When Philip hurtled into the placid
sea, his naked body shone white, like
the plumage Of some gigantic bird.
Indeed, a man who was leisurely
pulling a cOble in zigzag course
while two others paid out net 50 that
its sweeping curves might embarrass
any wandering salmon who found him,
self within it's meShes-marked the fall
Ing body in it's instantaneous passage
and thought mt first that some huge sea
fowl had dived after its prey.
But the loud splash startled the three
men. Not so did cormorant or a
white winged solan plunge to secure
an unwary haddocS.
i liz llcl Sti r,i'NhSu ebSAA
backs; tine oarSinan stood up. The dis.
turbance was so near, so unexpected,
that it alarmed them. They looked
aloft. thinking that rock had fallen
They looked 10 :he small eddy caused
by Philips disappearance to see If any
Sign would I've given explanatory Of an
.n,,Sral ccr,rpucp
Were I'hi,ip thrown from such q
hei:ht when III full possession of his
.eases in ali likelihood such breath as
was In his lungs ut the moment OF his
tall would have been expelled by the
.iue he reached the water.
He must have resisted the rush OF
air, uttered involuntary cries. strug
gled wildly with his limbs.
But as 1t chanced Mason's rough
handling In carrying him to the bal
cony made active the vital forces that
were restoring him to consciousness.
He was on the very threshold Of re
newed life when he fell, and the
downward flight helped rather than re
tarded the process. Indeed, the rush oil
air was grateful. He drank in the Wig
orous draft aud inflated his lungs read
ily. His sensations were those OF 7
man immersed In warm bath, and
the shock OF his concussion with the
surface OF the sea In nowise retarded
the recuperative effect Of the dive.
or course he was fortunate after fall
ing from such a height in striking the
water with his right shoulder. No por
ton OF the human body Is 20 fitted tc
bear a heavy blow as the shoulders
and upper part of the back. Had ht
dropped vertically on his head or his
feet he might have sustained serious
injury. AS IL was, after tremendous
dive and a curve Of many yards be
meath the sea he bobbed up inside the
salmon net within u few feet OF the
boat
Instantly the fishermen saw that II
was man. an absolutely naked man
who had thus dropped from the sky.
They were amazed, very frightened
indeed. but they readily hauled at the
| dragging net and brought Philip near
er the boat. Even at this final stage OF
his adventure he incurred terrible
risk.
Unable to help himself in the leas
| degree AMI swallowing salt water rap
ld.y now, he ro;ied away ineriiy as The
| net rose under tho energetic efforts OF
his rescuers. There was grave danger
that he should drop back into tn,
depths, and then he must sink Ike
| stone.
Wearing their heavy sea boots, none
II the fishermen, though each was al
expert swimmer, dared to jump Int
the water. But the Oarsman, being ,
person Of resource and reasoning rap
idly that not the most enthusiastic
salmon bailiff in England would pur
sue him in such manner, grabbed
boathook and caught Philip with 1t be
meath the arm.
He only used the slight force needfu
to support him until another coult
grasp him.
Then they lifted the half drowned
man on board, turned him on his fac
to permit the water to flow out OF hi
lungs and, instantly reversing him, be
gan to raise his elbows and press then
against his sides alternately.
Soon he breathed again, but he re
mained unconscious, and restored cir
culation, caused blood to flow freel!
from the back of his head.
| OF course the men were vOicing thei
surprise throughout this unparallele'
Experience.