Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1909-06-17

and then you and the Dora Bassett II
90 TO smithereens and cart that poor
Innocent city man with you. He don't
know that, but you do. And all on nc.
count of q red.headcd little toughy
from the back alleys OF New York. and
a girl that amt none Of your relations.
You deserve what's coming to YOU"
And yet, even while was thinking
Il, was glad was making the try.
Glad for Redny's sake; particular glad
on account OF what Il might mean TO
Martin and Agnes; and glad. too. Just
out OF general cusseduess. You see.
twas like a fight: and there's a heap
OF satisfaction once In while In
real old.fashioned, knock-down and
drag.out. rough.and.tumble flght--that
Is. when you're fghting for anything
worth the row.
The storm kept on; seemed as ~
'twould never let up. And we kept on,
| too, three reefs in by this time. and
the lib down. And with every tack
cal'lated we was making better head.
way towards tho bottom than any.
where's else. couldn't see nothing to
get my bearings from, and hadn't no
idea where we was. except the general
one that, up TO now, and by Gods
mercy, We was afioat.
Then, at last, the gale begun to go
down. A landsman wouldn't have no
ticed the change, but did. II stopped
raining. and the wind was easing up.
BY and by the haze broke and caught
glimpse OF Middle Ground light, al.
most abreast OF us. unbuttoned my
ileskin jacket and looked at my watch.
Hnlf.past two. and only three-quartera
OF the way TO Wapatomac. We'd been
eight hours and q half coming a dis.
lance that I've made over and over
again. In that very sloop. in less than
three. Hartley caught my sleeve.
"will we get there?" he shouts. His
face was all shining with the wet and
his hair was too heavy with water
even to blow In the wind.
Don't know" hollers back
Wen try"
He nodded. The clearing OF that
could sight my marks. the lights. now.
and we made faster time.
At last. after what seemed a fort.
night more, come the first streak OF
gray daylight The clouds was break.
ing up and Il would be nice day latsr
on. judged. But there was living
gale still blowing and the waves was
running savage over the shoals ahead.
The channel was narrowing up and
: had TO watch out every second. sent
Hartley amidships TO tend center
board.
We beat In through Long Point
:, reach. The life-saving station 10 on
the Point. just abaft the lighthouse.
see the Teller In the station tower
open the window and lean out to
watch US. cal1ate he wondered
what asylum had turned that pair Of
, lunaticB loose.
Past the Point and now we come
t, about for the run afore the wind W
the narrowB. Wapatomac village was
In plain sight.
with any sort of luck" says l.
well be alongside the dock by quar-
ter.past Ave. The down train leaves
at 2b minutes TO eight. You can thank
=, your stars. Mr.. Hartley"
Twas pretty cock.sure thing e
say, and / ought to have known betteI
than to crow afore We was out OF the
woods. But we'd come through so fal
J enough sight better than q reasonable
man could expect.
y The narrows Is q wicked place. The
channel Is fairly straight, but scam
3 width, and on each side OF II is q
r stretch OF bars and rips that are baC
u enough In decent weather. Now the!
J, was a. good an imitation Of as salt
1 water Tophet as want to see. .StriI
after strip OF breakers, with lines o.
i billing. twisting slIcks and whirlpool
o between. And the tide tearing
Q through.
sent Hartley for'ard to look out fo
o shoals. He had one knee on the edg'
y Of the cabin roof and was climbing up
IL when happened to glance astern
There was IN old "he" wave coming
g "a regular deep-water grayback.
a Look outl" yells. Stand byI"
II That wave hit US like q house tum
x bling down. I'd braced myself anI
Z was, In way, ready for Il, but Hart
n ley want. He was knocked for'ar'
y on his face. Then, as the bow jumpe'
. up. he was chucked straight back
Z wards, landing on his shoulders Ant
g left arm against the centerboard well
He turned full somerset and his fee
knocked mine from under me. Dow
d. went and the tiller was yanked out o
l my hands.
Waves like that hunt In droVes, gen
z orally speaking. The NEXT one wa
le right on schedule time. Up we went
{. and sideways like railroad trair
It Then down. ''Bump!" on the bottom
70 Up again. and down. ''rhump
:, . crunehi" -.