The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1907-06-05

barge's side. At i O'Clock 1t was far
higher than it had ever reached before,
and so powerful was its rush that the
huge hull quivered in its grasp. The
water. seen by the lanterns light. was
the scoler Of chocolate, streaked and
marbled with lines and eddies of foam.
Half past /. The captain put his
watch in his pocket and wiped his fore
head.
Il know how it feels when you're
waitin' to be hung" he observed.
"Thirty minutes for the firm to live.
Brad; then
A mighty blow from a wave. trem
Bile and then a roll. The lanterns in
the rigging spun around in circles. The
men on the deck and below fell in
heaps. The Freedom lifted. straight
ened and then began to rock in her
cradle. The cables sagged into loops.
Their silent partner, the tide, had
come to the firms rescue.
Bradley got upon his feet. Haul
taut!" he screamed. Before the order
was given Bearse was back at his en-
CINE. The windlass shrieked.
Captain Titcomb roared through his
speaking trumpet. The towboat shot
forward. then back, her screw thrash
ing the water The little You and
bobbed beside her. She was apulling
too.
And then long, scraping. breath
less interval. A halt, shock. and,
pushing a wall Of sand before her, the
Freedom plunged into deep water.
There was no cheering A subdued
murmur. like sigh, came from the
crowd on her deck. Men drew sooty
arms across wet foreheads and looked
at each other without speaking. She
was off the shoal, but far from being
out of danger yet. She must be got
over into the deep hole behind the
Point. where she could safely ride out
the coming gale And to get her into
this haven there was only the little
tug to depend upon. Could the tiny
craft do 1t in that wind and sea? If
not, then the barge would almost sure
" drag her anchors. would strike
again. and then-well. then all the
work and the triumph so nearly won
would count for nothing.
They brought her up to her anchors
out in the middle Of the channel.
There they waited for the tide to turn.
The silence was heartbreaking. Only
now and then did any one speak. In
clusters by the rail they stared at the
big waves and the foam streaks Gid
ing by. AT last Captain Titcomb snap
| ped his watch case shut and shouted
| through his trumpet. The towboat
| pulled into position. The anchors
were lifted from the bottom. The time
| for the final test had come.
| Then the little tug showed what she
was made of. Coughing, painting like
bulldog straining at a chain. she
pulled at that hawser. and, slowly al
first. but gaining Roadway as she
moved in the dead water of the slack
Of the tide, the Freedom followed hel
through the channel around the edgt
Of the shoal into the cove and safety
! At ten minutes to that morning thu
last big anchor was sent down.
.sTherer shouted Captain Titcomb
''She'll stay where she Is now II |
blows hard enough to fragile out /;
handspike. Boys. the jobs done
Knock OFF,
They answered him with cheer tina
woke the cat from his sleep beneatl
the stove at the lighthouse.
The tug took them to the Point
They perched all over her, needless o
the cold and the flying spray. Tn
men we're wildly excited over the un
expected good luck. They cheered tn
partners again and again and CAV,