St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-05-18
CHAPTER III. .
AN UNApPREc1ArED BOUNTY.

AN UNAPPRECIATED BOUNTY.
IN 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
stfnacy 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 but 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 overr'
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 a frothing dark
bilIow. tie convict, relieved of his
burden, chung to the lower gunwale
By a desperate effort he drew him
self up, when face vaguely remem-
bered as part of bad dream looked
into his with a flash of surprise.
"Eh? Gimme a 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.
1.-The fellows let co. muttered Lord
Ronsdale, with shiver.
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 filed
with water, around now meant inevi-
table disaster. One experiment of the
sort had well 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.
Hes done me-done mer' the con-
vict repeated to himself. And L amt
never goin' to git chance to fix him."
he thought and looked despairingly at
the sky. "Ain't neverI The slobi'
And with a food of almost sobbing
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
pent or an eel His fingers closed
about it 1t proved to be a line. He
drew himself along, and to his sur
prise found himself again on the sur
face and near a great fragment of
wreckage- This he might have discov
cred earlier but for the anger and