The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1909-06-24
Y Louis Joseph Vance
Copyright. 1908. By the Bobbs-HerriI Co.

strated whether the catboat was
speedy enough to arrive at this point
Of contact in advance Of or simul.
taneously with the larger vessel.
He watched the catboat anxiously,
quick to approve her merits as she
displayed them. He had sailed small
craft before-frail centerboard cat.
boats. handy and swift, built to serve
In summer winds and protected wa.
tiers. never such one as this. Yet he
liked her.
0ffshore. too. the wind stormed with
added strength or possibly had fresh
ened. For minutes on end the lee.
ward gunwales would run green. and
now and again the screaming. pelting
squalls tnat secured the estuary
would heel her over until the water
In over the lee combing. and
the rudder. lifted clear. would hang
Idle until. smitten by some racing bill,
low. the tiller would be all but torn
from Kirkwood's hands. Again and
again this happened, and those were
times Of trembling. But always the
catboat righted. shaking the clinging
waters from her and swinging her
stem into the wind again. and there
would follow an abbreviated breath.
ing spell. during which Kirkwood was
at liberty TO dash the salt spray from
his eyes and search the wind harried
waste for the brignntlne. Sometimes
he found her. sometimes not.
Long after he had expected her to
she went about. and they began to
close In upon each other. He could
see that even with shortened canvas
she was staggering drunkenly under
the fierce impacts Of the wind. For
himself. Il was nip and tuck now. and
no man In his normal sense would
have risked a sixpence on the boats
chance TO live until she crossed the
brigantine's bows.
Time ont Of reckoning he was forced
10 kneel In the swimming cockpit.
steering with one hand. using the bail
ing dish with the other and keeping
his eyes relIgiously turned 20 the belly
Ing patch Of sail. II was heartbreak-
Ing toll. He began reluctantly 10 con-
cede that Il could not last much longer.
And II he missed the brigantine he
would be lost.
Long since he had become numb
with cold from incessant drenchings
Of icy spray that piled in over the
wlndward counter. keeping the bottom
ankle deep regardless Of his laborious
but intermittent efforts with the bail.
Ing dish. And the two. brigantine and
cockleshelI. were drawing together
with appalling delibcration.
But that his voice stuck In bis
parched throat he could have shouted
In his elatlon when eventually be
gained the point Of intersection an
eighth Of n mile ahead OF the brIgan.
tine and got sight Of her windward
freeboard as most slowly the catboat
forged across her course.
For all that, the moment Of his nc.
tual triumph was not yet. lie had stIli
to carry off successfully scheme that
for sheer audacity OF conception and
contempt for danger transcribed an
that had gone before.
Holding the catboat on for n time
he brought her about, handsomely a
little way beyond the brigantine's
course and hung IN the eye Of the
wind. the leach tapping and tighten.
Ing with reports like rife shots and
the water sloshing about his calves
bailing dish now altogether out Of
mlnd-whIle he watched the oncomlne
vessel. his eyes gllstening with antici
patton.
She was footing Il smartiy. the brig.
nntine. lying down 70 II and snoring
Into the wind. Beneath her stem
waves broke IN snow white showers.
whittier than the canvas Of her bulgine
.ib-broke and. gnashing their teeth IN
Impotent fury. swirlcd and cddied
down her sleek dark fanks. Bobblng.
courtexying. she plunged onward
shortening the interval With mighty.
leaplng bounds. ON her bows with
each instant, the golden letters Of her
name grew larger and more leglblc
Alcthcn--he could read Il plain
beyond dispute.
Joy wclled IN HIS heart lie forgot
III that he had undergone IN the pros
pect Of what he proposed stili 20 do IN
the name OF the only woman the world
held for ,him. unqucstioning he had
come thus far In her service: unqucs.
tioning. by her side. he was prepared
to GO still further. though al human.
ity should single her out with accus.
Ing fingers.
They were watching him aboard the
briganiine. lie could see a line Of
heads shove her windward rail Ter.
haps she was II their number. lie
waved an nudaciCus hand. Some one
replied, d great shout shattcrIng itself
unlntelligibiy against the gale. lie mel.
ther understood nor attempted TO reply.
Ills every faculty was concentrated on
the supreme moment now at hand.
Calculating the instant TO nicely.
he paid on the sheet and pulled M the