The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1910-03-31

NO
"But srrol, they will never get lin
over with the mortar" said Carroll
"That last shot fell s" far sheriff
! .They know IT. They've shot doz
en- times"
! At this moment from the river 9
/ trail of black smoke became ylslDi'
over the point Of sand hill that rar
! down TO the pier. A smokestack darted
/ info view. slowed down and came tt
! rest we'll inside the river channel
There it rose and fell on the swell
/ The crowd uttered a cheer.
"Come and see what's up" suggested
Bradford.
He hitched Prince to log and led
the way to the pier.
The Sprite was lying close under the
pier. Harvey. the negro engineer. lean
ed against the sill Of his little square
door. smoking his pipe.
st wouldn't go out there for mil
lion dollars cried man excitedly
'Nothing on earth could live in that
sea-
"What are they going to do?" asked
Carroll.
Haven't you heard?" cried the 9th
er. This is one of Orde's tugs. and
she's going to try to get line to them
vessels
Bradford turned abruptly and brush
ed toward the tug. followed by Carroll
and Nina. At the edge of the pier
was the tugs captain. Marsh. listening
to earnest expostulation by half
dozen of the leading men of the town,
among whom We're both Newmark and
Orde.
Gentlemen" said he crisply. "Pm
entirely willing to take all personal
risks. The thing is hazardous. and it's
Mr.. Orde's tug. It's for him to say
whether he wants to risk her."
"Good Lord. man. what's the tug in
q case like this" cried Orde.
~ thought So replied Captain
Marsh. I'll take her out if can get a
crew. Harvey, step up here"
The engineer hoisted his long figure
through the doorway.
Harvey" said Captain Marsh brisk
~, "we're going to try to get line
aboard those vessels. It's dangerous.
Will you go?"
"You all goin', suh?' he asked.
"Of course"
II reckon I'll done half to 60. too"
said Harvey simply. He swung light
ly back to the uneasy craft below him.
II want a man with me at the wheel.
two to handle the lines and one to fire
for Harvey" said Captain Marsh.
That's our job" announced the life
saving captain.
"Well, come on. then"
Captain Marsh shook the hand which
Orde. STOPPING, offered him.
'1'lI try to bring her back all right.
SIR" said he
ITO h. with the stug! cried Orde
Bring yourself back"
Marsh entered the pilOthouse.
"Cast off," he cried. The "jangler"
called for full speed ahead.
Brave chaps! Brave chapsv' said
DR.. McMullen to Carroll. But. do you
know, to my mind. the bravest of them
all are that niger and his fireman
nailed down in the hold where they
can't see nor know what's going on"
The tug had rounded the end of the
pier. The first of her thousand enc
mics. sweeping in from the open, had
struck her fair.
"She can stand that. all right" said
one of the life saving crew. But wait
till she drops down to the vessels"
The Sprite was now so distant that
the loom of the great seas swallowed
her from view save when she rose on
the crest of some mighty billow.
There, she's turned nowv' cried
some one.
Beneath the trail of black smoke
she had shifted direction. With star
the horizon into full view. For the
first time the spectators realized the
size and weight of the seas. One mo-
ment the whole of her deck was visi-
BILE. the next her bow alone showed
high as the back suction caught her
and dragged her into the hollow A
sea rose behind. Nothing of the tug
was to be seen. 1t seemed that no
power could prevent her being over
whelmed. Yet somehow always she
staggered out of the gulf until she was
again cast forward like a chip.
Maybe they amt catchin' p'ticular
h. at that wheel to hold her from
yawing." muttered the tug captain.
The Sprite rushed at the outer line
of breakers. The combers crested and
fell with roar, just as in milder
weather the surf breaks on the beach.
A woman in the crowd screamed. But
at the edge of destruction the Sprite
came to shuddering stop. Her pow
erful propellers had been set to the
reverse. Thus she lowered on the edge
of the breakers, awaiting her chance.
If one of the waves should happen to
crest and break, the water, catching
the tug on her fiat stern deck. would
individually bury her. The situation
was awful in it's extreme simplicity.
Would Captain Marsh see his opportu-
nifty before the law of chances would
bring along the wave that would over
whelm him?
Two or three of the townsmen walk
ed up and down. One woman prayed
aloud in short hysterical sentences.
20 God. save them! o Lord. O