Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1909-04-03

be in among the shoals pretty Soor
and then you and the Dora Bassett II
go to smithereens and cart that poor
innocent city man with you He don't
know that, but you do And all on ac
count of a red-headed little toughy
from the back alleys of New York, and
girl that amt none of your relations.
You deserve what's coming to YOU"
And yet, even while 1 was thinking
it, 1 was glad 1 was making the try.
Glad for Redny's sake; particular glad
on account of what it might mean TIC
Martin and Agnes; and glad, too, just
out of general cussedness- You see.
twas like a fight; and there's a hear
of satisfaction once in a while in d
real old-fashioned, knock-down and
drag-out, rough-and-tumble fght-thai
is, when you're fighting for anythins
worth the row.
The storm kept on; seemed as ii
'twould never let up. And we kept on
too three reefs in by this time, ano
the jib down. And with every tack
callated we was making better head
way towards the bottom than any.
where's else. 1 couldn't see nothing to
get my bearings from, and hadn't nc
idea where we was, except the general
one that, up to now, and by GCd's
mercy, we was afioat.
Then, at last, the gale begun to &C
down. A landsman wouldn't have no
ticed the change, but did. 1t stopped
raining, and the wind was easing up
By and by the haze broke and l caught
| a glimpse of Middle Ground light, al
most abreast of us. l unbuttoned my
ileskin jacket and looked at my watch
Half-past two, and only three-quarters
of the way to Wapatomac. We'd beer
eight hours and half coming dis
lance that I've made over and oveI
again, in that very sloop, in less thar
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 thai
haze had helped me considerable.
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 it would be a nice day later
on, / judged But there was a 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. 1 sent
Hartley amidships to tend center
board.
We beat in through Long Point
reach. The life-saving station is on
the Point, just abaft the lighthouse.
see the Teller in the station tower
open the window and lean out to
watch us. I caFIate he wondered
what asylum had turned that pair OF
lunatics loose.
Past the Point and now we come
about for the run afore the wind up
the narrows. Wapatomae village was
in plain sight.
with any sort of luck says 1.
well be alongside the dock by quar-
ter-past five. The down train leaves
at 25 minutes to eight. You can thank
your stars, Mr.. Hartley"
Twas a pretty cock-sure thing to
say, and | ought to have known better
than to crow afore we was out of the
| woods. But we'd come through so far
enough sight better than a reasonable
man could expect
The narrows is wicked place The
channel is fairly straight, but scant
width, and on each side of it is
stretch of bars and rips that are bad
enough in decent weather. Now they
was as good an imitation of as salt.
water Tophet as I want to see Strip
after strip of breakers, with lines OF
billing, twisting Sticks and whirlpools
| between And the tide tearing
| through.
1 sent Hartley for'ard to look out for
shoals. He had one knee on the edge
| of the cabin roof and was climbing up.
when 1 happened to glance astern.
| There was an old he wave coming
"a regular deep-water grayback-
Look Quit" l yells. Stand bytS
That wave hit us like a house tum-
| bling down. I'd braced myself and
| was, in a way, ready for it, but Hart
| ley want He was knocked for'ard
on his face. Then, as the bow jumped
| up, he was chucked straight back
wards, landing on his shoulders and
left arm against the eenterboard we'll
He turned a full somerset and his feet
1 knocked mine from under me. Down
| went and the tiller was yanked out OF
my hands
| Waves like that hunt in droves, gen
| orally speaking The next one was
right on schedule time Up we went
| and sideways like a railroad train
/ Then down, Bump on the bottom
Up again, and down. Thump.
| Crunch,''
That time we struck with all our
heft. The Dora Bassett shook all over