The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1910-04-21

drawing nearer; he was all but upon
her. and he dug his heels into the
ice and then sprawled headlong over
the stern, receiving a dozen bruises
that at the moment he did not feel.
The shock drove the boat partly
out upon the ice, and Leonard
scrambled aboard. giving a long shove
to start her. The reefed mainsail
filled instantly. with the wind dead
aft, and the Icicle went of with a
bound.
Leonard nervously pulled out all
the reef-knots. Every square inch
OF sail would b erequired, although
he feared for his rigging. The pur-
suing food was still out of sight
round the last curve, as a rapid glance
over his shoulder told him, but a dull.
tumultous roar sounded in the dis
tance. Then every nerve and muscle
was strained upon the business in
hand.
The Icicle went down the straight
reach OF the river like a shot from a
gun. the tugging sheet almost dis
locating Leonard's left wrist, while
with his right hand he leaned hard
on the tiller.
Round the sharp curve he rasped,
with shavings of ice flying from the
rudder blade. and as the wind fell
savasely upon her beam the wind
ward arm OF the craft swung clear of
the ice, and she heeled as II she would
capsize. But the speed did not les
flew along balanced on one skate and
the rudder shoe.
Leonard shifted his position, but
his weight was insufficient to ballast
her. He had all he could do to hold
on. and as he went round the next
curve with a wrench that threatened
to tear the rudder from it's bolts. he
was within a hairs breadth of being
flung violently upon the ice.
The boat returned to an even keel
on the next reach as the wind fell
more astern. The river entered a bit
OF woodland, and the roar Of the toss
ing branches drowned any noise from
the waters behind. Twilight was
gathering quickly: the trees flashed
past in blur of brown, and again
Leonard threw his weight on the
tiller, and with a shivering lurch the
1cicle reeled round another curve.
Again the windward runner swung
a couple of feet in air as the boat
heeled to the gale. Her navigator
was half-dazed by the speed. The
craft was all but beyond his control :;
he could neither stop nor turn very
much aside; he could only cling des-
perately to tiller-handle and sheet,
and try to avoid collision with
stumps or tree trunks in the ice,
which would probably break his neck
Immediately, and would certainly
drown him two minutes afterward.
The rapidity of the motion snatched
the breath from his lips.
More than three-fourths of the dis
tance was already traversed; another
half-mile, and he would be upon the
pond. The wind held strong, the sails
swelled rigid as steel, and the sheet
twisted round Leonard's wrist was
cutting into the skin. He cleared the
last bit of woodland, left the roar of
the threshing tree-tops behind him,
and the Icicie shot out upon the clear
ice of the long pond.
Beside the imperiled dam. a mile
ahead. he saw the tall mill. blazing
with lights from basement to roof.
Down the pond he few through the
dusk; the distance lessened, the mill
seemed to approach with marvellous
rapidity, and Leonard began to won
der how he would stop. To run upon
the shore while moving at that speed
would result in shock like a rail-
way collision.
There was no time to reflect. He
was already within a quarter of a
mile OF the embankment, and he let
go the sheet. pulled out his pocket
knife. and slashed furiously at the
rigging. The strained cordage gave
at touch Of the knife edge, the mast
went over the bows with it's sail. and
the lcicle, mass of wreckage, slid
forward and smashed into the land
just above the mill.
Three or four men had come out
from the basement door to watch his
breakneck approach. and Leonard
recognized his father among them.
He scrambled to his feet in the snow
and rushed toward them.
incherly dams burst! Lift the
gates." he yelled.
There was a moment of amazed in
action, and then a rush toward the
dam. Not time!" shouted MacAr-
thur, turning back into the basement
and reappearing with three axes that
were kept there. "Cut them away,''
The food was not yet in sight. The
Icicle had far outstripped 1t in that
breathless race, and there were three
axes handled by expert woodsmen ply
ing on the four-inch pine timbers.