The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1908-06-19
CHAPTER nl.-(continued).


He was quite out Of breath and al
most drenched to the skin when he
reached tho rim Of st. Chloe bay and
saw below him several tiny points OF
light. He paused for q moment, and
the sound Of voices fell distinctly on
his ear. It was 4 steep descent, and
decidedly dangerous on 30 dark a
night. But In a moment OF such III.
preme suspense peril was not thought
Of.
He lost his lantern before he reach
Cd 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 a much easier
path il he had made a detour through
the village. but he was toe impatient
to brook any delay. The dwellers
along the coast knew by painful ex-
perience what 1t meant for q vessel to
be caught by the Beetles, and he wal
anxious to be On the spot as quickly
IS possible il haply he might be able
to render assistance.
He found himself at length in the
center Of a little crowd OF men, wom-
en and children. All st. Chloe ap-
peared 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 a while rockets had been
fired, and those earliest on the scene
had heard voices faint and indistinct,
but the fog had been SO thick that it
had been impossible to see twenty
yards away. Fortunately the rain
was thinning the fog a little.
He came across the curate at
length, standing knee deep in water.
Can you make anything out, Gray.
tom" he asked, excitedly.
Il think they must have taken to
the boats" was the answer. Il heard
voices distinctly a little while ago.
and W raised q shout here In re-
op0nse."
But you have seen nothing?"
Nothing at all. Our men are out in
the lifeboat. But l fancy the ships
boats must be keeping out to sea to
avoid the rocks"
IF the fog will only lift," Clement
said, regretfully.
TT is lifting a little. Hark! that's
our men shouting"
The next moment . loud and united
"Ahoy!" rang out across the water
from the shore.
Hold your lanterns rs high as pos
sible," 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
Cd at n point.
1t was a perilous landing place at
the best of times. The foreshore was
spiked with innumerable rocks, the
passages between were narrow and
treacherous. A yard to the right sr
left might mean certain destruction.
Clement waded into the water W
the side of Grayton and strained hNs
eyes through tho murk and spray for
the first sign OF the returning boat.
Fortunately in the matter of sea there
was nothing worse than a ground
swell; but that was bad enough ON
such a muggy night. It needed care
full handling to bring q boat safely
through.
Suddenly the fog drifted away like
magis, the Lizard flashed on its rocky
ominence, dark specks on the water
proclaimed the existence Of boats, and
q shout from the shore 1foated out
over the water like q bugle call.
In ! moment or two the white prov
Of the lifeboat was seen in the dir
lance: she came up the narrow chan.
mel IKE Z Hash. and fifty resolute meA
and women rushed forward to render
assistance to the dozen half-drowned
people on board.
Their boat was wrecked" the
coxswain explained, ''and we picked
'ern up. Some of 'em were clinging to
the rocks, others floating about. I
fear We haven't got all OF 'em. But
other boats are coming"
The next boat claimed attention.
She came safely through, and her pas
sengers were soon hurried away to
the village.
The third boat was caught By rock
and overturned. and q moment Of the
widest excitement followed. Clement
n Grayton threw OF their outer
clothing and plunged into deep water.
and for what seemed an are they
fought the hungry sea and rescued
one after another from the Jaws OF
death.
Il was long after midnight before
al the Watchers left the shore. by
which time nearly every house within
: radius ofaa couple Of miles was shell.
] fering one 81 more OF the -ssene
and crew Of the Inflated ship. But
how many had persisted NO n knew,
CHAPTER w.
A Generous Impulse.
OF those immersed by the oapsizing
~ the boat Marion West was the last
~ - rescued. and % most Of the
hopses IN st. Chloe were now full,
c1sment insisted that she should be
@nI1ran IN IA Maw12n Chase. Ha far