The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1908-06-19

pushing his II wa tef-soaked bundle
ahead. Suddenly his hand struck a
soft. gelatinous mass; then, another
and an6thers Ugh! a school OF sum
jellies. How his fingers stung and
;snlarted! To his great relief he soon
was clear of them.
Behind came low rushing. A
lanl-breeze had begun. Ezra felt q
thrill of anxiety. If the wind were
very strong, it might raise a sea that
would drown the rote and efface his
only means of determining direction.
He swan desperately, throwing him
self half out of water.
Hough! What was that to his right?
A momentary fear sent shiver over
him. Sharks, strayed north from
warmer seas, had been known inside
Burntcoat. Only last week one had
torn his mackerel-nets. A loud splash
sent the water over him. Then a
wheezy grunt. Morton almost laughed
in relief Only a porpoise, a 'ipuf-
fng pig!"
The breeze was stiffening. Little
wavelets washed against his neck.
Louder grew their dashing. At last
it entirely drowned the rumble on
the beach.
Cold despair lay at Ezra's heart.
He could almost see the little cham
Der, with. his wife and the doctor
bending over the bed. He could
imagine Stitham going outside to lis
ten impatiently for the motor4boat.
And all the while Bennie's clutch on
life was weakening.
Morton listened in vain. Wind and
sea were too loud. Then he remem-
bered. .iaat, as boy he had often put
his ear under water, while a COM
rade hundreds Of feet away struck
two stones together, and he had heard
them clearly. Perhaps he might be
able thus to detect the rolling fiints.
Dipping his left ear under and press
ing his fingers into his right he lis
tened. Far ahead he heard It dis
tinctly, faint submarine thunder.
Suddenly the packet on his head
slipped from under the loosened
string. He clutched wildly, but it
was gone somewhere into the pitchy
waves.
Ezra was SO badly frightened that
his strength almost left him. AS well
not gain the island at all as without
the precious tube. Round and round
he padded, heart-sick, straining the
water through his fingers. He must
find the package, Bennie's life, before
some billow flung it out of his reach.
Before, behind, to right, to left he
clawed. At last his fingers tapped
it, bobbing in the dark.
Joy at it's recovery almost blinded
Ezra to his own peril. He dared not
trust it again on his head. Finally
he placed it between his teeth. To
be sure. it held his mouth uncomfOrt-
ably open, so that the water washed
in. But no matter, SO long as it was
safe.
On he pushed in the gloom, occa-
sionally thrusting his ear under to
listen for the pebbles. He was grad
ually firing out. His strong muscles
could not drive him forever against
the swirling tide. Turning on his
back, he foated for a moment. But
he could not long afford so costly a
luxury. The current was sweeping
him back. He must purchase
every idle moment by increased eff
forts.
Morton had now been in the water
fully an hour. His mouth choked
with brine. He could hear only the
voices of the deep, wave answering
to wave. He could feel only the
cold splashing flood that gave him
unwilling way. Upon him, too, was
the horror Of the pit-like gloom, yield
ing, clinging, SCOT above, ink below.
Although he had seen nothing since
the sea snuffed out his lantern, his
eyes, dazed with absolute blackness,
began to picture strange visions.
Worst of all, his ears, dulled by
constant submersions, were losing
power to detect the roll of the Single
If he missed Burntcoat, he would
lose both his own life and Bennie's.
What If he should be suddenly strick-
en- deaf! What If cramp should
seize him!
Rain-drops fell. At first, few, big.
slow; then in smart shower. After
| it, capfuls of wind. The land-breeze
was driving back the fog. Far be-
hind he caught the Cove lights twink
ling. But ahead all was still dark.
Bennie's danger was the stay that
kept Morton up. He must save his
own life for the boys sake. His
strong teeth clenched the package
tightly. Surely he must he near the
island now.
Lights danced before him. Stars,
spurts of flame, sheets of pale fire
he knew that all were illusions. He
swan stubbornly on. Did Burntcoat
or the open sea lie before? He did
( not know.