, 1909-08-05


With All My Strength | Flung Myself
Forth-straight Out Into the Sea.
sen, tumble in and handle the ropes;
Sa chez. fend off, and have an oar
ready. Now. then, tail on the rest of
you. and let her go-easy. there. easy.
Side down the line everybody, and
cast off-oars. men, oars. or she'll
swamp us
The dip of the chains missed us by
the barest inch: then we swung clear,
tossed high on the creamy crest of a
huge roller. which enabled us to look
straight down on the sloping deck.
rs every one here?" | asked.
"All but Jem Cole, sir"
Cole, where is hep"
II was Johnson who answered.
We'll, all | know about 1t Is, |
hauled him IL O. the bunk. and shock
him wide awake. Then I left him to
70 out and rout out Kelly. That's the
ING he ant lelu.'
DE Nova LA Holt @ '';e T. a. a.
I snrang forward, pa NJ past San
chez, who was in the bow.
Lay her nose close in where | can
jump for the chains" | ordered sharp
ly. I'VE can't leave Cole behind to
drown."
1t was a bit of a tfcklish job the way
the sea was running. and chat Jumping
wreck sagging under, but the mate
knew his trade, and. as the BOAT rose
high on the swell, | leaped and hung
on, my feet dangling in the froth. AS
the sodden hull swung Keeling ovcr 1
clambered up. and dropped to the
The missing negro was nowhere
in sight. | leaned over, staring down
at the bobbing boa being hurled back
by the rebound of the surge. yet see
ing only the white face of Doris up
turned appealingly toward me.
Pull out. boys; strong, now! Give
her plenty Of room SO she won't suck
you down when she drops. I've got
to try the cabin"
got aft that far. l even got fair
ly within the door. and my ears caught
the dull, mufiled sounds Of blows be-
tween decks. My God! the fellow had
actually gone back into that icy hold
to dig for gold AS | stood there, trem-
bling, wondering If | could dare the
passage. | felt a sudden culver of the
deck, heard a SLAP, ripping slu2d
forward, a yell of mingled voices, and
turned II ran for the rail. With all
my strength flung myself forth
STRAIGHT nut into tho gray SAu wont
down, down. down, feeling as if the
very life was being sucked out of me
every muscle paralyzed by the icy
GOODNESS of the water AS I came u
gasping. struggling. scarce able to
move a cramped limb. the suction
caught me. dragging me back and
down again. | batiled against it Ike
a madman. every instant al agony;
and then, all at once. | found the ores,
and breathed in the welcome air. my.
stiffened limbs moving mechanically,
my brain t%hrobbing with pain. | coulC.
see nothing until a huge roller fun
me upward, buffeting my face wi h lev
spray, and there. below In the hsl'
tossed the long-boat. every pallid $50
staring up at me. | saw them fran
'ically back water, as the great SUI .
hurled me down headlong. | was b.
side them: they clutched at me a7c
missed. The stern, swung su1detv
about by the blow of the sea. loo 70 7
over me, and then my fingers eripu,A
a dripping oar-blade, God knows Row
| ever chung to 1t, wrenched by tina
sea-how the strength remained in
my numbed hands; but some one
twisted a boathook in the collar o; ~
jacket, and so they hauled me, d"i3.
ping and half-conscious, @ tho
vale. / saw Doris. I looked into h
eyes. | felt her bare hands on NV
wet cheek. | think 1t was the sim c
touch of her that gave me back n
and comprehension of my condi ion |
~endeavored weakly to lift my heaA
fighting against the awful numb css
that held me PROSTATE. Eyn"y t'rg
seemed a dream. yet in that DIRE am
heard De Nova's voice:
Take him for'ard zare, dam cuic'..
Strip re wet clothes off. or he free
dead. by gar. jump YOU, Kelly. an
get blanket roun' him"
| hardly know what they did. for =
scarcely retained suT mt life to re
aliza that WAS atin ava. hut whAn