Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1909-01-02


watch had got out of my pocket and
! jumped across a half-mile of ocean t.
the whistling buoy was, of course
beyond me, and / could only crouch II
the boat with my two shivering com
panions and stare.
And so, while We were all crouchina
and staring, visible link in the phe
nomena came before us. A human
hand appeared in the aperture In the
buoy. from nowhere that we could see
and, laying hold of the watch, with
drew!
Not one of us moved.
We must have sat gazing into the
buoy like men dreaming for as long as
you would take to catch your breath
after hard fall; then
Santa Maria!"
The Italians voice rose in almost a
shrek. We stiffened in our seats and
looked to where he was pointing.
Less than 200 yards away mans
head was bobbing upon the surface OF
the ocean.
| turned the glass upon it. At first
l could see only the back of it. for 1t
was moving away from us toward the
Filipino vessel, which now stood half
a mile out; but did not all of us know
whose head it was? The foreign ma.
gicians, OF course-the Filipino whom
we had left three miles ashore in the
Catalina hotel.
The next moment he turned and
saw his face. He was swimming rap.
idly toward the junk
Andrea caught at his oars and tore
them into the waves The boat moved
from the buoy. gripped the sides
and shouted to the Italian to row with
all his might.
He was already doing so. But not
in the direction l had meant. The boat
had turned its nose shoreward and
was splashing across the waves with a
speed that bent me in the middle with
every pull Of the oars.
you cursed fool" | cried, springing
for the Italians wrists. IF you don't
turn this boat around. IT."
But he did not hear me, nor feel my
grasp upon him. He was rowing with
the strength of a mailman; terror had
put a glare in his eyes, had deadened
his senses of hearing and feeling.
called to Harvey for aid. My friend
sat speechless in the bow, gripping
both sides of the boat for support.
/ hardly like to say what happened
in the next instant, for at first it will
not be credited. on top of the things
already mentioned But this is mar
rative-not story made to order
while you wait-and must be kept to
the facts.
While ! still had hold Of Andrea's
hands. the Italian fell in heap in, tine
bottom Of tire boat, Harvey gave Il
hoarse Cry of mingled prayer and
curse and / was left to clutch tire
nearest seat and gasp while the little
craft tore over the white-caps with the
speed of an express train.
What was moving it? 1 looked for.
ward and saw the head again on the
water. We should be upon it in a sec.
ond--we should, at this rate, crasn
into the junk Il second lGter What
was the invisible power or attraction
that pulled us thitherward at SO ter
rife speed? Impressions Of ODD
witch stories flew before my mind
of tricks OF sorcery and magic. ut
which l had always loved to scott
Then the boat gave jar, and the man
swimming ahead of us was lifted clear
out of the water.
He was hanging on TO thick line
which stretched far ahead into the sea
-Harvey's tuna line, with an immense
tuna careering seward at the other
end Of 1t!
Hang on" | yelled-for could see
the Filipino was more frightened now
than anybody else. Hang on for your
life! Work your way toward the
boat"
He had sense enough left to know
that if he. let go the boat would strike
him. He was only ten feet out on the
line. The distant tuna had evidently
risen near the surface, thus raising
the line clear OF the water near the
boat The Filipino junk was now but
a hundred yards ahead, although sail
ing away as hard as it could, plainly
in a confusion Of fright.
Cut the line!" shrieked the Filipi-
no. Then l will let go and you can
pick me up"
Harvey" / cried, for he was in my
way-"cut the line, or well be dashed
to pieces"
He found his wits barely in time to
save us. One slash of his knife did the
business. The moment after, we had
bumped up to the junk, and the Fill
pino had let go the line and was swim.
ming toward us. He was a superb
swimmer, and apparently indefatiga
BILE He called in Filipinese to the
! junk to stop. Before we could realize
] it we were hauled aboard of her by
about a dozen Malays. Their captain
saluted as we came over the side
Our Filipino stamped his foot.
"To sea-" he cried, shaking the wa
ter from his clothes. ITO sea as fast
as you can 60 These gentlemen arc