Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-11-30

Il
ward gunwaIes would run green, and
now and again the screaming, pelting
SQUALLS that secured the estuary
would heel her over until the water
cascaded In over the lee combing. and
the rudder, lifted clear, would hang
Idle until. smitten by some racing bill
low. the tiller would be all but torn
from Kirkwood's hands. Again and
again this happened. and those were
times Of trembling. But always the
catboat righted. shaking the clinging
waters from her and swinging her
stem into the wind again. and there
| would follow an abbreviated breath
| ing spell, during which Kirkwood was
at liberty to dash the salt spray from
his eyes and search the wind harrled
waste for the brigantine. Sometimes
| he found her. sometimes not.
Long after he had expected her to
she went about, and they began to
close in upon each other. He coult
see that even with shortened canvas
she was staggering drunkenly under
the fierce impacts Of the wind. For
himself, It was nip and tuck now. and
| no man I'm his normal sense would
have risked sixpence on the boats
chance to live until she crossed the
brIgantines bows.
Time out Of reckoning he was forced
| to kneel I'm the swimming cockpit.
steering with one hand. using the bail
Ing dish with the other and keeping
his eyes religiously turned to the belly
ing patch of sail. 1t was heartbreak-
Ing toll. He began reluctantly to con.
cede that 1t could not last much longer.
And IL he missed the brigantine he
would be lost.
Long since he had become numb
with cold from incessant drenchings
Of icy spray that piled in over the
windward counter, keeping the bottom
ankle deep regardless Of his laborious
but intermittent efforts with the bail
| ing DISH And the two, brigantine and
cockleshell, were drawing together
with appalling deliberation.
But that his voice stuck in his
parched throat he could have shouted
| In his elation when eventually he
gained the point Of intersection an
eighth Of mile ahead Of the brigan-
tine and got sight Of her windward
freeboard as most slowly the catboat
forged across her course.
- l. htp
tual triumph was not yet. He had still
to carry of successfully scheme that
for sheer audacity Of conception and
contempt for danger transcribed all
that had gone before.
Holding the catboat on for time.
he brought her about handsomely a
little way beyond the brigantine's
course and hung in the eye Of the
wind. the leach tapping and tighten
ing with reports like rifle shots and
the water sloshing about his calves
baillng dish now altogether out Of
mind-while he watched the oncoming
vessel, his eyes glistening with antici-
patton.
She was footing 1t smartly, the brig.
antine, lying down to 1t and snoring
into the wind. Beneath her stem
waves broke In snow white showers.
whittier than the canvas Of her bulging
jib-broke and. gnashing their teeth ih
impotent fury. swirled and eddled
down her sleek dark flanks. Bobbing.
courtesying, she plunged onward
shortening the interval with mighty
leaping bounds. On her bows with
each instant the golden letters Of her
name grew larger and more legiblc
untll-Alethea-he could read It plain
beyond dispute.
Joy welled In his heart. He forgot
all that he had undergone In the pros
pect OF what he proposed still to do In
the name OF the only woman the world
held for him. Unquestloning he had
come thus far in her service; unques-
tioning, by her side, he was prepared
to go still further. though all human
ity should single her out with accus-
ing fingers.
They were watching him aboard til
brigantine. He could see line ot
heads above her windward rail. Per
haps she was Of their number II
waved an audacious hand. Some Oh
replied. great shout SCATTERING itse.
unlnteiligibly against the gale. He nci
ther understood nor attempted TO repl.
His every faculty was concentrated
the Supreme moment now NJ hand.
Calculating the instant to meet,
sc paid off the sheet and pulled up I'll
tilIer. The catboat pivoted on her hee!
With n crack her sail tapped full anf
rigid: then. with the untemperec
Right Of tn, wind behind her, she She
like an arrow under the brigantine'
bows. so close that the bowsprit Of th'
hitter first threatened to impale tn
rCil; next. the bows plunGing, clNshct
down bare two feet behind the ca!
boats stern.
Working In n frenzy Of haste. Kir!
wood jammed the tiler hard alec
| bringing the cat about. and, trimmin:
| the mainslect as best he might. found
himself racing under the brigantine'
leeward quarter. water pouring In ger
erOusly over the cats.
LufTing. he edged nearer. handling
his craft as though intending to ram
the larger vessel foot by foot short
nning the little interval When 1t was
four feet he would risk the jump. He
crawled ,ut on the Overhang, crouch
| tug on his toes. one hand light upon
the tiller, the other touching the deck.
| ready-ready.
Abruptly the Alethea shut of the
wind; the sail Hattened and the cat
| dropped back. In second the dis
tance had doubled. In anguish Kirk
wood uttered an exceeding bitter cry.
Already he was falling far off her
counter.
A shout reached him. He was dimly
| conscious of dark object hurtling
through the air. Into the cockpit.
splashing. something dropped-a coil
| of rope. He fell forward upon 1t into
| water eighteen inches deep and for
| the first time realized that but for that
line he had gone to his drowning In an
other minute. The cat was sinking.
AS he scrambled to his feet, clutch
Ing the life line, heavy wave washed
over the waterlogged craft and left II
all but submerged, and smart tug on
the rope added point to the advice.
which, reaching his ears In below