The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1909-04-06

was 10 Jake me out, STOUT, nat-DOt-
toned. thirty-five feet long, five broad
and three deep. drawing less than a
foot. Each end rose a little, and
astern was hole for the long steer
ing-oar.
THE surf was running high, but
I'd never seen any boat upset, so
didn't dream OF danger. What I
thought of most was getting those
hundred parrots safely into that
cage on the hatch.
They we're In two dry-good boxes,
four feet square and half as high,
tops covered with Stats. In each box
were fifty birds, chirping and preen-
ing their feathers.
II had the boxes placed well aft.
and got in right behind them and
close to the steersman. My ham,
mocks I piled in little mound be-
fore the forward box. The crew
tossed their paddles aboard. and
grasped the gunwales, fifteen stooky
fellows to starboard, and fourteen to
port.
I'm swept a succession OF big roll
ers-one, two. three. AS the last
ci66NSN hOWCu OcChs lnC olCCio-
man gave yell: twenty-nine pairs OF
black hands frightened along the sides.
and the heavy boat chased the bill
low down into the surf.
"Out we ran, the crew jumping In
two by two as fast as they got
waist-deep. Fifty feet from the beach
we were fairly afloat, and all aboard.
Very slowly we crept seaward,
awaiting a good chance to shoot
through the breakers. The Kroo
boys kept dipping their blades just
enough to hold the boat, while the
steersman watched the coming seas
like a hawk
1--WE were a good hundred feet out.
The huge dark-blue swells broke in
thunder just before us, rushed foam
ing by, and ran far up the sand. Some
were very high. But l gave them
little attention; for I sat, my knees
against the nearest box, watching my
parrots.
Suddenly there came three seas,
larger than any before. The first
combed over the bow, spraying tho
entire boat II wet my birds, and
stopped their chirping. The next
billow was still bigger. and soaked
us all. ] felt bad for the grays but
didn't suspect any danger to myself
Then, without warning. the third
sea, curling ridge of green water
ten feet high. caught the boat fair
ly under her bottom.
up rose her bow. higher. higher.
higher. until with sudden fling over
she went endwise
'As the bird-crates came tumbling
against me, / caught a glimpse of
black bodies leaping right and left.
II | hadn't been watching my par
rots, I should have been ready to
jump, too. The steersman caught my
shoulder. and tried to pull me out;
but 1t was too late. His hand was
suddenly snatched away. Down came
the boat on top of me, a zinc-lined
box corner struck my temple. and for
little while I didn't know anything
II came to under water, a terrible
pain over my left eyebrow and anoth-
er in my right wrist Something on
my head was holding me down.
kicked and thrashed round until fin
ally ! got my nose above water, in
little dark air-space. was under
the overturned boat
my head doomed like big ma
tive drum. A web OF loose rope en-
tangled me. The three hammocks
had fallen over my shoulders, and
In my struggles the cords had be
come twisted about me- I tried to
raise my right hand, but couldn't.
The excrucIating ache in the wrist
told that II had been broken, either
by box or the gunwale. Every
time anything touched It the pain
made me sick.
THE boat drifted nearly where the
seas were breaking. Occasionally a
terrific billow crashed down above
my head
"The air-space, barely a foot high,
was filled with a dusky light, reflect
ed from the sand. It changed posi-
ton with the swash of the surf, fore
ing me to follow II for breath. Much
of the time my face was under wa
ter. as l padded and pulled myself
back and forth. catching the gunwale
with my one good hand
THE hammocks were terrible
handicap; i must get clear of them
at any cost. My broken wrist made
the struggle an agonizing one, but
II meant life or death TO me, and at
last I cast them off. They sank at
once. All was clear now under the
boat; not even paddle remained.
My parrots had disappeared utterly
Very slowly we we're drifting in;
the water was shoaler now. Should
] try to get out from under the boat
OF stay where I was till she got far
enough In for the blacks TO turn her
over? The thump on my temple had
made II hard for me 70 think intelli-
gently With one wrist broken,
didn't feel ambitious to battle with
surf like that outside. Further
more, the gunwaies ran down two
feet under water, and Il wouldn't
be any easy task for me to get out
unassisted. For a while. at any
rate, was safe.
80, padding like a broken-winged
duck, I chased the shifting air-space.
Why couldn't the boat turn side TO
the swell and roll over. instead Of
keeping so obstinately head to IT,?
Trpouauf1v &c tho ourf ron ottf no.