The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-11-03
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

OF her lall HlleuI ha'o "'"
attention of some one on the deck'
but the poop of the yacht was u.s.
ually deserted at night and 1t was UNI
likely that any one would be up there |
Scrambling to her feet, she drew
her knife and severed the taut rope
that held the launch to the yacht. IL
parted instantly. She was whirled
backwards and sideways with a sud
denness that again almost threw her
out of the boat. For one agonizing mo-
ment the launch lay full in the broad
beam of light that proceeded from the
bright cabin window she had left. For
one agonizing moment of suspense she
hung there and then the swirl of the
wave carried her into the darkness.
She Law directly in the wake of the
Yacht. and the launch was pitched up
and down by the waves made by the
rapidly moving ship with a violence
of motion that was sickening. There
were a pair of oars in the boat, but
she did not break them out. She just
drew herself down in the stern sheets
and Law there waiting. She knew that
the clatter of the motor could be heard
a long distance in so still night and
over so still sea, and therefore, al
though her impulse was to start 1t at
once. she restrained herself and
waited. watching the yacht rapidly dis
appear. She could mark her course
easily by the light from that cabin
window. Her ear was keen and she
listened until she could no longer de-
tect the beat and throb of the steam
er's engines. Then she rose and
started the motor.
The boat was provided with COM
pass. and although she could see no
star. she was able to set course
which was directly at right angles to
the course of the yacht. She realized,
or at least she thought so, that she
would be pursued. She believed that
the yacht would retrace its course.
She decided that those aboard her
would reason that she would endeavor
to put as much distance as possible
between herself and the yacht, and
therefore she would sail straight away
from it. Consequently, she went broad
off to starboard at right angles to the
other course. The gasoline tanks were
both full. Inasmuch as the boat had
been designed for extended cruising
in shallow waters, there was enough
fuel to keep the motor going for over
30 hours at full speed. The motor
was capable of developing at least ten
knots per hour. By the same time
tomorrow night she would be 240
miles away from the present spot. The
yacht was going IL knots an hour. Her
escape would probably not be discov-
cred for ten hours. BY that time the
yacht would be 1870 miles away. They
would be $50 miles apart by morn
ing, measured on the hypotheuse, and
by night, who could tell? At any
rate, she had now done all that she
could.
Her condition was desperate; her
prospects gloomy beyond expression.
Il She was alone in a small power boat
which would be helpless, the sport of
wind and waves, after perhaps 80
hours. That boat was alone in the
great eXpanse of the Pacific ocean
. Somewhere about there were islands
. probably. Indeed on the charts those
seas were dotted with points of land
= but they were small, inconsiderable
u uninhabited, unknown. In that little
~ boat she might pass close by many
" of them Without seeing them She had
~ provisions, such as they were, and
y. water sufficient perhaps for a week
:. or ten days. After that unless she
:, landed somewhere she would drift on
9. until she starved and died If a storm
~ came, the launch probably would not
survive it. Her chances of escape, in
any event, were worse than problem
~ atical. The end was almost certain
ie But she was happy The first real
~ ray of happiness which had entered
=. her soul since the beginning of the
~ great awakening, which had culmin
20 ated in the frightful scene of the
~ night, illumined her being AS she sal
- IN the stern sheets, her hand on the
y, steering Wheel listening to the steady
~ drumming of the motor, seeing the
~ black water broken into foam by the
boats bows flash by her, keeping the
~. launch steady on her course by the
~ aid of the compass needle. her eye.
" turned ever and anon to the fast di
W. mnishing point of light which marked
~ the rapidly disappearing yacht, ant
~ she realized that she was free. Sh,
~ mad hurled out of her path-and how
~ she eXulted in her own prowess: i
49, was something of a salve to her sou
- for the wretched humilations which
90 had been heaped upon it-she bac
oa hurled out of her path and stricken
w. down as any other animal might hav,
vs. done him who had brought her to tbi,
- awful pass She was away from him
~ free from him, She was once more
t a so far as wind and wave allowed IN,
master of her fate, the mistress of he
destiny.
rs She was glad in her heart. too. tina
NO there were to be no physical conse
,h Quences from her brief alliance. sh,
q moi .s.1