Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1908-06-18
CHAPTER sH.-fcontjnuedl

most dreDched to the skin when he
reached the rim OF st. Chloe bay and
saw below him several tiny points OF
Hght. He paused for moment, and
the sound OF voices fell distinctly on
& his ear. II was a steep descent, and
decidedly dangerous on so dark a
y night. But In a. moment Of such su.
4 Drenle suspense peril was not thought
/ Of.
He lost his lantern before he reach.
& ed the bottom and came near break
Ing his neck more than once but he
had no time to worry about himself.
He could have found much easier
path If he had made detour through
the village, but he was too impatient
to brook any delay. The dwellers
along the coast knew by painful ex.
perience what It meant for a vessel to
be caught by the Beetles. and he was
to be on the spot as quickly
as possible IL happy he might be able
7 to render assistance. #
He found himself at length In the
center Of a little crowd OF men, wonl-
EN- and children. All st. Chloe ap-
Feared to have emptied Itself In the
bay No one, however, knew exactly
what had happened. That a vessel had
gone on the Beetles there was no
doubt. For while rockets had been
4 fired, and those earliest on the scene
had hero voices faint and indistinct
but the fog had been SO thick that 1t
had been impossible to see twenty
4 yards away. Fortunately the rain
1 was thinning the fog little
8 He came across the curate at
n length. standing knee deep in water.
Can you make anything out, Gray
toni" he asked, excitedly.
= think they must have taken to
the boats was the answer. Il heard
voices distinctly little while ago,
and we raised a shout here in re-
sponse."
But you have seen nothing?v
Nothing at all Our men are out in
the lifeboat. But | fancy the ships
boats must be keeping out to sea to
avoid the rocks
II the fog will only Mt" Clement
said, regretfully.
i Is lifting little. Hark! that's
our men shouting
The next moment q loud and united
Ahoy rang out across the water
fsom. the. shore.
Hold your lanterns as high as pos.
ssible,' shouted the curate.
A few minutes later another call
came from the sea. It soon became
evident that the lifeboat was return
Ing. and all the lanterns were center
ed sat one point.
1t was q perilous landing place at
the best OF times. The foreshore was
spiked with innumerable rocks. the
passages between were narrow and
treacherous. yard to the right o.
left might mean certain destruction.
Clement waded into the water by
the side Of Grayton and strained hfs
eyes through the murk and spray for
the first sign OF the returning boat.
Fortunately in the matter Of sea there
1 was nothing worse than a ground
swell; but that was bad enough on
such muggy night. 1t needed care
D ful handling to bring a boat safely
{ through
denly the fog drifted away like
magis, the Lizard flashed on Its rocky
eminence. dark specks on the water
proclai lined the existence of boats, ana
q shout from the shore loatei out
over the water like bugie call.
In q moment or two the white brow
OF the 1ifeboat was seen In the dis
tance;; she came up tie narrow chan.
4 mel Ike q fash. and fifty resolute men
Y and women rushed forward to render
81 assist lance to the dozen half.drowned
4 people on board. n s.
Their boat was wrecked, - the
coxswaln xplafned '.and we picked
ss.ein III. Some Of EN- were ciingins to
{ the rocks, others iioating about. I
a Tear we haven IL ss,ss q Il of z,eln. But
y other boats are coming =. =
The next boat claimed attention.
She came safely through, and her pas
sengers were soon hurried away to
Z the yillsge. .s@s
The third boat was caught BY 4 rock
B and overturned, and d moment OF the
widest excitement followed. Clement
4 and GRAFTON threw OF their outer
lothing and plunged into deep water,
7 and Tor what seemed an age they
& fought the hungry sea and rescued
4 one after another from the jaws Of
deaf 81
was long after midnight before
b al the wat cheers left the shore, by
h hict time nearly every house within