Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-05-25
CHAPTER III.
AN UNApPREc1ArEp BOUNTY,

reer the Pet of Frisco had under
 gone many fierce contests and
 withstood some terrible punish ments, but never had he undertaken 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 dogged ob- 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 hlm.
 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 fluttered 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 overw 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 headway to enable her to run over and not be run down by the seas. As she careened and plunged, racing down a frothing dark pillow. the convict, relieved of his burden, clung to the lower gunwale By desperate effort he drew him. self up. when a face vaguely remem-
 
 into his with flash 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 go," 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 filled 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 I ain't never goin' to git chance to fix him." he thought and looked despairingly at the sky. "Aint never. The slob!" And with flood of almost sobbing tnyective 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 a ser pent or an eel. His fingers closed about it. It proved to be line. He drew himself along, and to his sur prise found himself again on the sur face and near great fragment of wreckage. This he might have discov- cred earlier but for the anger and hatred that had blinded him to all save the realization of his inability to wreak vengeance. Now, though he 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 arms, and thus sustained he waited for his strength to return. Finally, his mind in daze, the convict clambered, after repeated efforts, upon the wreck age. fastened the line about him again and. falling into 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 away the black shadows, touched ten derly the waves tops, and at lengtl the man stirred He tried to sit up but at first could not. Finally he rais ed himself and looked about him.
 No other sign of the vessel than Una part of 1t which had served him well could he see. This fragmer seemed rent from the bow. Yes, ther was the yellow wooden mermaid bol
 ping to the waves. but not as of olt poor castoutt trollop! Now the sea
 made sport of her who once had hel
 her head so high.