The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1910-07-15
CHAPTER Ill,

TN the prime Of his belligerent ca
reer the Pet of Frisco had under
gone many fierce contests and
withstoOd some terrible punish
ments, but never had he undertaken
a task calling for greater courage and
power Of endurance than the one he
had this night voluntarily assumed.
Overwhelmed again and again by the
waves, each time he emerged with the
child tight against his breast. Half
strangled. he continued to fight on.
But at length even his logged OBJ
stinacy and determination began to
flag. He felt his strength going. when,
raising his eyes, he saw one of the
small craft from the lost vessel bear
ing directly down upon him.
| The sight inspired new energy and
effort. Nearer, nearer, she drew; now
she was hut few yards away. Then
| suddenly the sheet of the lifeboat
went out, and the little sail f1uttered
like mad thing. while the men bent
with might and main over their ash
handles in the endeavor to obey the
commands of the chief mate in the
stern. But despite skill and strength
she was not easy to steer Once she
nearly capsized; then eager hands
reached over the side. The convict
held up the child. A voice, the police
agents, called out that they had her.
and then the mate broke in with
harsh, warning yells.
Pull port, quick, or we're over"
And at once the outreaching arms re-
turned quickly to their task. AS the
child was drawn in oars dragged and
tugged. The lifeboat came slowly
about. shipping several barrels of
water. At the same time some one
made the loosened sheet taut, the can
vas caught the gust, and the craft
gained sufficient Roadway to enable
her to run over and not be run down
by the seas. AS she careened and
plunged, racing down frothing dark
biliow. the convict, relieved of his
burden, chung to the lower gunwale
BY desperate effort he drew him
self up, when face vaguely remem-
bered as part of bad dream looked
into his with fash of surprise
"Eh? Gimme hand"
The asked for hand swept suddenly
under the one grasping the side of the
boat and shot up sharply. In the
. darkness and confusion no one saw the
, act. The convict disappeared, but his
half articulate curses followed.
THE fellows let co. muttered Lord
Ronsdale, with a SILVER.
At the steering oar the chief mate
. hearing the cries of the man, cast a
swift glance over his shoulder and hes.
\ itated To bring the boat, half filled
with water, around now meant inevi
table disaster. One experiment of the
sort had we'll nigh ended in their all
being drowned. He knew he was per
! sonally responsible for the lives in his
charge, and with but an instant in
\ which to decide he declined to repeat
the risk
Hes probably gone by this time
, anyhow" he told himself and drove on
). He's done me-done me" the con
4 'vict repeated to himself land amt
never goin' to git chance to fix him,
\ he thought and looked despairingly al
I the sky. Amt never! The slobv
And with a food Of almost sobbine
\ invective he let himself go.
But as the waters closed over him
\ and he sank his hand, reaching blindly
: out to grip in imagination the foe
: touched something round, like ser
n pent or an eel. His fingers closed
\ about it. 1t proved to be line. He
drew himself along, and to his sur
h prise found himself again on the sur
4 face and near great fragment OF
\ wreckage. This he might have discov
: cred earlier but for the anger ant
hatred that had blinded him to al
h save the realization of his inability t.
! wreak vengeance. Now, though ht
managed to reach the edge Of the
swaying mass from which the line
\ dangled. he was too weak to draw
!. himself up on the floating timbers
But he did pass loop beneath his
h arms, and thus sustained he waited
x for his strength to return. Finally, his
b mind in q daze, the convict clambered
after repeated efforts, upon the wreck
\ age. fastened the line about him again
. and, falling into a saucer-like hollow
\ he sank into Inconsistencies.
, The night wore on. He did not move
: The sea began to subside. Still he lay
as if dead. Dawn's rosy lips kissed
A away the black shadows. touched ten
y derly the waves tops, and at length
4 the man stirred. He tried to sit up
but at first gould not. Finally he rails
\ ed himself and looked about him.
!. No other sign of the vessel than tina
part Of it which had served him 81
h well could he see. This fragmen
y seemed rent from the bow. Yes. there
was the yellow wooden mermaid bob
'" bling to the waves. but not as Of old
j Poor castout trollop. Now the sea!