The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-11-24
CHE HATTIESBURG NEWS

upon ner. 6ne could not take down
the sail. In the first place she was
afraid to leave the helm and in the
second place she realized that II she
started to furl 1t she could only do It
by cutting the lashing and at the first
cut the whole thing would blow away.
So she held on. There was nothing
else to do.
The night fell in q burst Of rain
which was most grateful to her, but
which was forecast of fiercer blow,
and at midnight the hurricane broke
In full force upon the little boat. The
first blast tore the sail from the lash
ings. BY lightning flash she caught
a glimpse of it for a second whirled
away like great bird. For some rea-
son, perhaps because one or two
shreds of cloth still chung to the mast,
and perhaps because the broad blade
Of the oar offered some surface for
the thrust Of the wind. she was able
by the exercise of constant vigilance
and all the strength of which she was
capable, to keep the boat before the
wind. Hitherto she had had no idea
OF the violence of the wave motion. II
was with difficulty that she kept her.
self from being dashed to pieces
against the sides or hurled overheard
In the mad whirling and plunging to
which the launch was suddenly sub
jected. 1t was caught up by one wave
after another and driven on for hours.
She could not tell how long. She lost
all consciousness Of time and of every
thing else except that she must cling
to the helm. The boat was still hurled
forward. One great wave after an
other would seize her, uplift her and
bear her on. The strain upon her arms
was terrific. She locked her teeth and
hung on, breathless, exhausted, yet de-
termined.
But there was limit to her powers
and she felt that 1t had been reached.
Yet she did not deliberately let 20.
One final and terrific heave jerked
her away from the wheel. She fell
sprawling in the bottom of the boat.
but had sense enough to lock her
hands around thwart and lie there.
The launch broached-to in an instant.
She was turned broadside to the
waves. Fortunately she did not cap
size instantly and the next breaker
nlled her. She lay, her gunwales flush
with the water. Her motion was still
violent. but less jerky. She was swept
ever onward by the vast fluctuations.
The indomitable woman clinging to
the thwart managed to keep her head
out OF the water. She realized that
that was the end and yet while she
had a remainder Of strength, while
she could draw . flickering breath,
she would not give up. The boat, be-
Ing water-logged, did not pitch 80
much as before and she was able to
maintain her hold, although every
wave that broke over her drenched
her again and again.
She wondered why the boat did not
sink and then she realized that the
empty gasoline tanks which she had
closed and locked, prevented the final
catastrophe; that the boat was in a
certain sense life boat; that It would
float 80 long as the water pressure
did not succeed in opening the tanks.
Therefore, she was for the moment
safe. The only immediate danger
would be the capsizing of the boat
which would throw her out. Since
the launch was already full of water
the woman did not think this was
likely to happen.
She held on, her vitality gradually
growing weaker, hoping for the morn
ing and an abatement of the storm.
She had no idea of time, of course
She could not tell what the hour was.
1t was still dark, however, when a
strange sound smote her ear. She
heard 1t above the wild scream Of the
wind and the awful beat Of the waves.
1t was q crashing sound. q battering
sound. . fearful, protentous sound.
Tho boat ran forward more swiftly
now. She wondered the reason. TAX
ing advantage Of . brief lull, she
abandoned her grip on the thwart and
rose to hor knees. Immediately In
front Of her she saw q white wall dis
closed to her by the lightning flashes.
She did not know what 1t was. The
roaring sound came from thence. She
was being borne rapidly toward It.
She was nearing 1t with astonishing
swiftness. The boat was moving more
quickly now than at any time since
she had been in 1t. At last 1t broke
upon her consciousness that the white
wall was a mass of foam; that the sea
was crashing against some hidden
shore and that great breakers were
there.
The land that she had longed for
indeed lay athwart her course. In
another moment she would be in that
mass of boiling foam. Well, she had
fought good fight The end was at
hand. With some instinct of the
heroic, death would not find her lying
down. Desperately she struggled to
her feet and stood. balancing herself
to the wild onward rush Of the boat
The wall of foam was close at hand
For one second she threw out hel
arms and the next moment, with 6
| crash which she could feel II mo-