The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-05

and bright close at ndllQ. IL WAS llt1
pinnacle pillar, screwed to a portion
of the deck which came away from the
charthouse and was rent from the up
per framework by contact with the reef.
He seized this unlocked for support
with his disengaged hand. For one
feet instant he had confused vision OF
the destruction of the ship. Both the
\ fore and aft portions were burst asund-
/ er by the. force o. compressed air.
/ Wreckage and human forms were toss
ing about foolishly. The sea pounded
upon the opposing rocks with the noise
i of ten thousand mighty stean-ham-
mers
A uniformed fgure-he thought il was
| the captain-stretched out an unavail-
ing arm to clasp the queer raft which
! supported the sailor and the girl. But
a jealous wave rose under the platform
his inanimate burden into the depths
with devilish energy and turned it conf
pletely over, hurting the man with
his inanimate burden into the depths.
He rose. lighting madly for life. Now
surely he was domed! But again, as
| if human existence depended on
naught more serious than the spinning
of a coin. his knees rested on the same
few staunch timbers, now the ceiling
of the muisc-rOm. and he was given j
brief respite. His greatest difficulty
was to get his breath, so dense was the
spray through which he was driven.
Even in that terrible moment he kept
his senses The girl. utterly uncOn-
scious, showed by CONCLUSIVE heavinS
of her breast that she was checking.
With a wild effort he swung her head
around TO shield her from the flying
scud with his own form.
The tiny air space thus provided
gave her some relief, and in that In
slant the sailor seemed to recognize
her. He was not remotely capable OF
definite idea. Just as he vaguely
realized the identity of the woman I'm
his arms the unsteady support on
which he rested toppled over. Again
he renewed the unequal contest. q
strong resOlute man and typhoon sea
wrestled for supremacy.
This time his feet plunged against
something gratefully solid. He was
dashed forward. still battling with the
raging turmoil of water, and a second
time he felt the same firm yet smooth
surface His dormant faculties aWOke
1t was sand. with frenzied desperation
buoyed now by the inspiring hope Of
safety, he foUnght his way EDWARDS
Ike a maniac.
often he fell, three times did the
backwash try to drag him 10
swirling death behind. but he stagger-
ed blindly on, on. until even the tear
ing gale ceased to be laden with the
. suffocating foam, and his faltering
feet sank in deep soft white sand.
Then he fell, not TO rise again. With
: a last weak.
/ flicker of exhausted strength he drew
the girl closely to him, and the two lay,
clasped tightly together, needless now
of all things.
How long the man remained pros
tTate he could only guess subsequent
ly. The Sirdar struck soon after day
[ break and the sailor awOke to hay
consciousness Of his surroundings to
find a shaft of sunshine Pickering
through the clouds banked up in the
east The gale was already passing
? away. Although the wind still whis-
! tied with slIrill violence il was more
clustering than threatening. The sen.
J too, though running very high, had re-
, treated many yards from the spot
where he had finally dropped, and its
surface was no longer scourged with
I venOmOus spray.
Slowly and painfully he raised him
self to a sitting posture. for he was
bruised and stiff. With mis- first move
= ment he became violently i'll. He had
swallowed much salt water, and it was
not until the sDasm Of sickness had
passed that he thought of the girl.
She had slipped from his breast as he
rose, and was lying, face downward. in
the sand. The memory of much that
had happened surged into his brain
! with hOrrifying suddenness.
"She cannot be dead" he hoarsely
murmured. feebly trying to lift her.
: Surely Providence would not desert
her after such an escape. What a weak
beggar I must be to give in at the last
moment. I am sure she was living
when we got ashore. What on earth
can / do to revive herr"
FOTgstfuI Of mis- own aching limbs in
! this newborn anxiety, he sank on one
knee and gently pillowed Iris head and
shoulders on the other. Her eyes were
. closed her lips and teeth firmly set-a
fact to which she undoubtedly owed her
!, life, else she would have been suffO-
] tcated-and the DaIlOr Of her skin
I seemed TO be that terrible bIoodless hue
y which indicates death. The stern lines
in the mans face relaxed, and some
thing blurred his vision. lie was weak
: from exhaustion and want of food. Fos
! the moment his emotions were easily
4 aroused.
"Oh, it is pitiful," he almost whim-
pered 1T cannot be-
With a gesture of despair he drew
the sleeve of his thick jersey across
his eyes TO clear them from the gath
Z ering mist. Then he tremblingly en-
i deavored TO open the neck of her dress
I and unclasp her corsets He had j
d vague notion that ladies in a faintins
a 1 condition required such treatment. and
. he was desperately resolved 10 brinG
; Iris Deane back TO conscious existence
d If it were possible. His task was ren-
= dered difficult by the waistband of hei
h dress. He slipped out a clasp-knife
and opened the blade.
Not until then did lie discover that
e the nail of the forefinger of his right
2 had had been torn out to the quick
probably during his endeavors TO grasr
the unsteady support which contrib
/. uted so materially to his escape. i
u still hung by a shred and hindered the
< free use of his hand. Without any
: hesitation he seized the offending mai
q in his teeth and completed the surgica
q operation by a rapid jerk.
q Bending TO resume his task ne was
e startled TO md the girls eyes wide
g open and surveying him with
: sbadowy alarm. She was quite con-
scious. absurdly so in a sense, and hac
IS noticed his strange action.
) Thank Godp' he cried hOarseiy
y you are alive"
n Her mind as yet could only work il
II a single groove.
n WHY did you do that?" she whis-
III ,,a~ad