Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1908-12-17

jumped across a half-mile of ocean To
the whistling buoy was. of course.
beyond me, and l could only crouch in
the boat with my two shivering COM
panions and stare.
And so, while we were all crouching
and staring, visible link in the phe-
nomena came before us. A human
hand appeared in the aperture in the
buoy, from nowhere that we could see,
and, laying hold of the watch, with
drew!
Not one OF us moved
We must have sat gazing into the
buoy like men dreaming for as long as
you would take to catch your breath
after hard fall; then
Santa Maria!"
The Italians voice rose in almost a
shrek. We stiffened in our seats and
looked to where he was pointing.
Less than 200 yards away mans
head was bobbing upon the surface Of
the ocean.
turned the glass upon it. At first
| could see only the back of ii, for Ii
was moving away from us toward the
Filipino vessel, which now stood half
mile out; but did not all OF us know
whose head it was? The foreign ma
we had left three miles ashore in the
Catalina hotel.
The next moment he turned and
saw his face. He was swimming rap
idly toward the junk
Andrea caught at his oars and tore
them into the waves. The boat moved
from the buoy. ! gripped the sides
and shouted to the Italian to row with
all his might.
He was already doing So But not
in the direction ! had meant. The boat
had turned it's nose shoreward and
was splashing across the waves with a
speed that bent me in the middle with
every pull of the oars.
You cursed fool" | cried springing
for the Italians wrists. IF you don't
turn this boat around I'll"
But he did not hear me. nor feel my
grasp upon him. He was rowing with
the strength of mailman; terror had
put glare in his eyes, had deadened
his senses OF hearing and feeling.
called to Harvey for aid. My friend
sat speechless in the bow, gripping
both sides of the boat for support.
| hardly like TO say what happened
in the next instant, for at first it will
not be credited, on top of the things
already mentioned. But this is mar
rative-not a story made to order
while you wait-and must be kept to
the facts.
While l still had hold Of Andreas
hands, the Italian fell in a heap in the
bottom of the boat, Harvey gave a
curse, and | was left to clutch the
nearest seat and gasp while the little
craft tore over the white-caps with the
speed Of an express train.
What was moving it? ! looked for
ward and saw the head again on the
water. We should be upon ii i'm a Sec
/, 0nd--we should, at this rate, crash
into the junk a second later. What
was the invisible power or attraction
that pulled us thitherward at so ter
rife a speed? Impressions OF old
witch stories few before my mind
of tricks OF sorcery and magic. at
which / had always loved 10 soon.
Then the boat gave jar. and the man
swimming ahead of us was lifted clear
out OF the water.
He was hanging on to thick line
which stretched far ahead into the sea
-Harveys tuna line. with an immense
tuna careering seaward at the other
end of II!
Hang on" yelled-for | could see
the Filipino was more frightened now
than anybody else Hang on for your
life! Work your way toward the
beat"
He had sense enough left to know
that If he let go the boat would strike
him. He was only ten feet out on the
line. The distant tuna had evidently
risen near the surface, thus raising
the line clear of the water near the
boat The Filipino junk was now but
hundred yards ahead although sail
ing away as hard as 1t could, plainly
in "a confusion Of fright
"I,ut the line," shrieked the Filipi.
no. "Then | will let go and you can
pick me up"
Harvey" I cried, for he was in my
way-"cut the line, or well be dashed
TO pieces"
He found his wits barely in time to
save us. One slash of his knife did the
business. The moment after, we had
bumped UP to the junk, and the Fill
pino had let go the line and was swim
ming toward us. He was superb
swimmer, and apparently indefatiga-
BILE. He called in Filipinese TO the
junk to stop. Before we could realize
1t we were hauled aboard of her by
about a dozen Malays. Their captain
saluted as we came over the side.
Our Filipino stamped his foot.
ITO seal" he cried, shaking the wa
ter from his clothes. ITO sea as fast
as you can go. These gentlemen are
very persistent-they do not like to
part with what does not belong to
them. They have decided to stay with
us as far as Honolulu, and perhaps go