The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1909-02-26

toward the rocks.
Nakamura, at best but laborious
swimmer, found himself under a
fathom of water in heavy coat. His
feet, moreover, had become entangled
in the length 0i net.
From the loosa-fitting over-cpats ne
managed to get free, but from the
seine about his feet he could not
extricate himself. Indeed, it seemed
but to tighten with his struggles. With
his arms alone, however. he fought
his way to the surface, and caught, a
half-breath But upon the instant a,
new wave fell upon his head. and the
last part of his inhalation was sting
ing brine.
Strangling and suffocating, he wore
away his strength trying to get free
from the net More and more fren-
zied and confused became his thrash
| ings. Not a single breath of pure
air could he get; when 1t was mot
water that he sucked in, it was frotn
beneath the green surface; and then
/ the long, sobbing inhalation that he
| took was from the depths.
| Yamate's eyes, even while he steer
ed his own craft to safety, were turn
ed back toward his less skilful coun-
! tryman; and when he saw the cap
/ size, he Immediately threw over his
| tiller, jibed his sail, and squared away
into the breakers with the wind
!, astern.
A great wave formed beneath him
as he ran,s and with the full spread
| of sail he kept pace with it, riding
high upon it as it rolled in toward
the rocks. At last, as if fretful of
its load, the billow reared to crest.
and all but ri.ched the boat forward
headlong.
But at the same instant it was
brought to its knees by the rocks
1 below, and crumbled into spray. In
the smother of foam the craft still
lived
Close alongside lay the upturned
keel of Nakamura's boat but of the
capsized fisherman Yamate could see
nothing. All was white boiling water,
! which here sucked down and swirled
away, and there dubbed forth again.
Then the bi,low fell wi b a mighty
crash upon a grim sandstone rock,
and the whipped spray leaped twenty
feet in the air
! Had it not been for Yamate's hand
/ at the tilier, the catboat would also
/ have crashed and crumpled in like
q birch canoe; but obedient to his
4 touch, it turned aside from the out
standing rock and drove on yet far
Their toward the solid abutment of the
mainland, that could not be lodged.
Still the daring Japanese had no
sight CT Nakamura. Upon the tumul-
/ tuous surface of the water was strewn
+ the contents CT the boat; there was
a floating mass of corks and lines,
/ an empty can, the two oars and a
/ basket, but of the man not sign.
Then an indistinguishabl mass of
some kind bubbled up within cou-
pie of yards Of the stern. 1t did not
come quite to the surface, but va
mate lest not an instant He took
a turn of the sheet about the cleat,
grabbed with the other hand gan,
and leaned far out over the gunwaie.
He secured and pulled up the OBJ
ject. II was the empty coat. But
| in the same instant his quick eye
caught sight of a second shadow in
the waters. which rapidly assumed
the shape of black head of hair.
Yamate hooked again and brought
4 up Nakamura by the arm.
! With his stomach over the tiller,
and so holding it, he heayed his coun-
trynan in5oari. In the next instant
he did three things-resumed the
tiller, loosed the sheet from the cleat,
and turned his attention upon the
sea. He was none too agile. The
boat had swung round broadside to
the waves. and billow of no mean
! size was less than six yards distant.
! There was but one chance of escap-
ing ito slack off before the wind,
to drive in still closer to the wall OF
rock. This Yamate did, letting go
the sheet upon the instant the craft
came round and taking the sea upon
the stern. The distance lost was APP
palling; 1t seemed that the grip of
the wave would not loose until it had
borne them to the very rocks. The
instant it passed. Yamate jerked in
the sheet to bring the boat about !;
but it was not to be. A second more
followed so closely that once more
he had to turn back. Then Yamate
for an instant lost hope, for Ger.
tainly II no time were given him be-
tween breakers to turn. he could not
draw out Of them. Boats do not sail
backward.
Small as his hope had become. how
ever. the Japanese stood alert at helm
and sheet. To his joy. he saw that
the third was far behind the two
that had fallen in such quick success
sion. Amidst the fiurrr even before
tha hillOw had nasSed no hnro ovar