Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-03-22

among whom were both Newmark and
Orde.
Gentlemen" said he crisply. "I'm
entirely willing to take all persona
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 ir
a case like this" cried Orde.
81 thought So" replied Captain
Marsh. I'll take her out II can get
crew Harvey. step up here"
The engineer hoisted his long figure
through the doorway.
Harvey" said Captain Marsh brisk
ly. "we're going to try to get line
aboard those vessels It's dangerous
Will you go?"
"You all goin'. subj" he asked.
"Of course"
IL reckon I'll done haif to 90. too y
said Harvey simply. he swung light
ly back to the uneasy craft below him
II want a man with me ut the wheel
two to handle the lines and one to tre
for Harvey" said Captain Marsh.
"Thats our job" announced the life
saving captain.
"Well, come ON. then"
Captain Marsh shook the hand which
Orde. STOPPING, offered him.
"I'n try to bring her back all right
sir" said be.
ITO h. with the tug!" cried Ome
Bring yourself back"
Marsh entered the pilothouse.
Cast off," be cried. The '.jangler'
called for full speed ahead.
Brave chaps! Brave chaps!' said
DR.. McMullen to Carroll but. do you
know. to my mind. the bravest Of them
all are that niger and bis fireman
uailed down In the hold where they
can't zee nor know what's going on"
The tug had rounded the end OF the
pier. The hrst 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 walt
till she drops down to the vessels"
The Sprite was now so distant TINT
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 nowr' cried
some one.
Beneath the trail Of black smoke
she had shifted direction. With star
Ting swiftness the Sprite darted out OF
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.
ble, 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 chip.
Maybe they amt catchin' p'ticular
b. at that wheel to hold her from
yawingv' muttered the tug captain.
The Sprite rushed at the outer line
Of breakers. The combers crested and
fell with q roar. just as In milder
weather the surf breaks on the beach.
A woman In the crowd screamed. But
al the edge of destruction the Sprite
came to a shuddering stop. Her pow
erful propcllers had Been set to the
reverse. Thus she hovered OIL the edge
of the breakers. awaiting her chance.
II one Of the waves should happen to
crest and break. the water. catching
the tug on her nat stern deck. would
indubitably bury her. The situation
was awful In Its extreme simplicity.
Would Captain Marsh see his opportu-
nifty before the law Of chances would
bring along the wave that would over
whelm himf
Two or three Of the townsmen walk.
ed up and down. One woman prayed
aloud In shor, hysterical sentences.
20 God. save them! o Lord. o
Lord!"
Orde stood on top Of half buried
log. his entire being concentrated on
the maneuver being executed. Only
Newmark apparently remained as calm
as ever.
Suddenly. without warning. occurred
one Of those inexplicable lulls that in
terposs often> amid the widest up
roars. Between two waves the Spriie
darted forward directly for the near
est of the wrecks.
She'll collIdew some one shrieked.
But the tug swerved and turned on q
long diagonal across the end Of the
bar.
Marsh had chosen his moment with
exactitude. he had taken advantage
of the brief lull Of jumbled seas after
the three largest waves" had swept
by. Yet in shallow water and with
the strong inshore set even that lull
was all too short. The Sprite waa
staggered By the breakers; her speed
was checked: her stern was dragged
around. She tore herself from the
grasp of the current. Enveloped In q
binding hail of spray, she struggled
desperately to extricate herself before
the resumption Of the larger seas
should roll her over to destruction. Al
ready these larger seas were racing 10
from the open.
Far out In the lake against the tum
bling horizon Carroll saw heave up FOL
q second the shoulder Of mighty
wave. And instinctiveiy she perceived
this wave as a deadly enemy OF the
little tug and saw 1t bending all iti
great energies to hurrying In on time
to catch the victim before II could es
cape. Her whole being was concen
trated In n continually shifting calcu
alton Of the respective distances be
tween the tug aud the piers. the tug
and the relentlessiy advancing wave.
"Oh. go!" she exhorted the Spritt
under her breath.
Huge and towering. the wave cam'
Oh now calmly and deliberately. Ths
Sprite was en the end Of the piel