Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-28

edge of the jutting rock Jumped far out
into the sea. Man and horse dis appeared
for a few seconds. but rose safely. The
man slid from the horses back. and
holding by the sirth with one hand. swan
beside him out to sea in the direction the
swimmer must come on rounding the
sunken rocks.
wild cheer broke from all. Stephen
kept encouraging the men to bring fuel to
the bonfire:
carts. the palings. the roofs. :he corn. tho
dried fish: anything and everything that
will burn. l shall make II all good. But
we must have light
The whole place was a sc ene of activity.
The coast guards were busy rigging up a
whip. which would be necessary to hoist
the men up from The water, if they could
ever get close enough.
When Harold turned away from the
ia zzling blue lights on the pier and saw
the far white line of the cliffs beyond the
bay, his heart sank within him. Even his
great strength and hardihood had been
already taxed in the many days of the
battling with the gale; by the frantic
struggle of the last hour or two. when
the ship ran shoreward at the utmost of
her speed and finally in that grim strug-
gle to draw the life line shoreward. The
cold and then the great heat. and on top
OF IL the chill of the long swim. seemed
to have somehow struck at him. He could
remember what he had not thought Of
for many month-that long waiting in
the wigwam till he had recovered from
the rheumatic fever. Already the fiery
torments of that time were beginning to
shoot again in more than memory. More
over, the constant spray was hurting his
eyes. Several times in the grim struggle
with the fire he had been so close that
the heat and flame had scorched his face.
Now the skin seemed full of intOlerable
pain. though it were tearing open in
mari -
ing. They. too had suffered from the
scorching heat. and once. when a great
mass of flame had rushed through par
tition which the fire within had ea;en
away. he had feared that all was over
with him. However. this had been his
last ordeal by fire. and in the wild strug
gle through the seas with the weight of
the rope dragging him back he had for
gotten all that had been. He forgot the
wound on his head which he had received
when the mast fell. Now. however. out
alone on the dark sea. he could just see
far off the white water which marked the
cliff fronts and on the edge of his hori-
zon the grim. moving white wall where
the waves broke on the headland. His
heart did not fail in all that long swim
across the mouth of the bay. The race
whence he derived had It not in them to
be afraid on sea or land. and though he
Strang;h was beginning to give out. he
never faltered in his hope or his efforts.
The time seemed endless. and the desola-
ton of the sea extreme.
On and on lie to:led. His limbs We're
becoming more cramped with the cold
and the terrible strain of swimming in
such waves. His bones were being rack I'd
with shooting pains: his face burned as
though in torment. and his eyes were full
of gnawing agony. But still the brave
heart bore him UP. and resolutely. sternly
he forced hims If afraSh to the effort be-
II u-},a
there was such a headland standing out
so ark into the sea there ought TO BE-
some shelter in its lee. If then he could
pass it he might find calmer water and
even a landing place beyond. He knew
he must not keep too far to the seward.
fer the current might b ear him further
out SO far tina. he might not have
strength TO win home to the shore.
Here at least was hope. He would try
to round the point at any rate. Nothing
could be done till that was accomplished.
and to that end he set himself sternly to
his task. There was hope that lie was
drawing nearer. Already the current lad
increased in force as though it ran in
On he went. fighting fiercely with all his
might to pass the headland before his
strength should fail.
Now he drew so close that the great
rocks seemed to tower vast above him.
He was not yet close enough to feel as
the overcast sky seemed full of light
above the line of the cliff. There was a
strange roaring. rushing sound around
him. He thought that it WIS not merely
the waves dashing on the rocks. but tina:
partly it came from his own ears: that
his ebbing strength was feeling the fran
tic struggle which he was making. The
end was coming. it might be- he thought
but still he kept valiantly on. set and 81
lent. as is the way with brave men.
n1x- ha fnn IF hn OH a
bright light flashed. He looked a: it
sideways as he fought his way on. and
saw the light rise and fall and flicker as
the flames leaped. High over him lie saw
fantastic figures. which seemed to dance
on the edge of the cliff. They had evil
IDENTIFY noticed him and were making sig
nails of some sort: but what the motions
were he could not see or understand. for
they were but dark silhouettes. edged
with light. seen against the background
of fire. The only thing he could think
was that they meant to encourage him.
and so he urged himself to further effort.
1t might be that help was at hand.
Several times as he turned his head
sideways as he kept on his way he saw
the figures and the light. but not so
clearly: it was as though the light was
lessening in power. When again he
looked he saw a new fire leap out on the
edge Of the cliff. and some figures to tho
right of it. They were signaling in some
rose a little from the water and turning
looked at them.
A thrill shot through him. and a para
Lying thought that he must have gone
mad. With his wet hand he cleared his
eyes. though the touching them panied
him terribly. and for an instant saw
clearly:
There on the edge of the cliff standing
beside some men and waving her arms in
g. wild sweep as though motioning fran
tically: Keep out! keep out.'' was a
woman. Ipstinctively he glanced to his
left and saw a furious waste of white
water. through which sharp rocks rose
like monstrous teeth. On the instant he
saw the danger in front of him. and turn
ing made out seward swimming fran
tically TO clear the dangerous spot before
the current would sweep him upon the
rocks.
But the woman, AS one remembers the
last sight when the lightning has ban
into his brain. A woman with scarlet
riding habit and masses of long red hair
blowing in the gale like flame. Could
there be two such persons in the world?
No! no. 1t was a vision. A vision of the
woman he loved. come to save him in the
direst moment of great peril.
His heart beat with new hope: only the
blackness of the stormy sea was before
him as he Strove frantically on.
Presently when he felt the current
slacken. for he had been swimming across
it and could feel its power, he turned and
looked back. AS he did SO he murmured
aloud:
"A dream; A vision! She came to
warn me.' For as he looked all had dis
appeared Cliff and coastline, dark rocks
and leaping seas. blazing fire and the