Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-08-04
BOOK III-THE FLOWER.

Again and again he was on the point
of giving up the struggle. 1t seemed
utterly hopeless.
1t took two hours of desperate bat
Ting to make half a mile through the
white, binding, freezing, roaring wa
ters.
The Yacht now lay but three hundred
feet away from the edge OF the marsh'
Stuart could see her snow-white side
glistening in the phosphorescent waves
as they swept by her. The lights were
cleaning from her windows and ne
could see Mans figure pass in the cab
in.
AS he stood resting a moment before
he made the most difficult effort OF all
to row the last hundred yards dead TO
the windward he caught the faint notes
of the piano. She was playing, utterly
unconscious of the tragic situation IN
which the two men stood but hun
dred Yards away. The little schooner
was still aground resting easily on her
fiat bottom in the mud, where the tide
had left her as it ebbed. Unless she
went on deck, it was impossible for
Nan to realize the pressure of the wind.
She was playing one of the dreamy
waltzes to which she had danced
amid the splendors of the great ball.
The music came over the icy waters
accompanied by the moan and Shrek
of the wind through the rigging with
unearthly weird effect.
Say, why do we stop so much?'
Bivens growled. I'm freezing to
death. Let's get to that yacht"
Well do our BEST" Stuart answer
ed gravely, "and if you know how to
pray now's your time"
"Ch, Tommyrot!" Bivens said, con-
temptuously. / can throw a stone to
her from here"
Get I'M" Stuart commanded. And
lie down again fiat on your back"
Bivens obeyed and the desperate
fight began.
He made the first few strokes with
his oars successfully and cleared the
shore. only to be driven back against
it with a crash. A wave swept over
the little craft dashing it's freezing
waters into their faces.
Stuart drew his hand across his
forehead and found to his horror the
water was freezing before he could
wipe 1t off.
He grasped Bivens's hands and
found a cake of ice on his wrist. He
showed the boats nose again into the
wind and pulled on his oars with a
steady, desperate stroke, and she shot
ahead For five minutes he held her
head into the sea and gained few
yards. He set his feet firmly against
the oak timbers in the boats side and
began to lengthen his quick, powerful
stroke. He found to his joy he was
making headway. He looked over his
shoulder and saw that he was half
way. He couldn't be more than hum
dred and fifty feet and yet he didn't
seem to be getting any nearer. It was
now or never. He bent to his oars
with the last ounce of reserve power
in his tall sinewy frame, and the next
moment an oar snapped, the boat spun
round like a top and in a minute was
hurled back helpless on the marsh.
AS the sea dashed over her again
Bivens looked up stupidity and growled:
why the devil don't you keep her
straight"
Stuart sprang out and pulled the
numbed man to his feet, half dragged
and lifted him ashore.
Here, here, wake up" he shouted in
his ear. Get move on you, or you're
a goner." He began to rub Bivens's
ice-c clad wrists and hands, and the lit
tie man snatched them away angrily.
stop it," he snarled. My hands
are not cold now"
mo, they're freezing" he answered
as he started across the marsh in q
dog trot, pulling Bivens after him. The
little man stood ii for a hundred
yards, suddenly tore himself loose and
angrily faced his companion.
Say, suppose you attend to your
own hide-I can take care of myself
Il tell you, you're freezing. You're
getting numb. AS soon as l can gel
your blood a little warm we've got
to wade through that water for hun
dred yards and make the yacht"
I'll do no, ing of the Sort" Bivens
said, with dogged determination. III
stay here till the next tide and wall
out when the waters ebbed off"
Stuart shook him violently ant
shouted above the shrek of the wind
DO you know when that will be
YOU fool?"
NO, and don't care. I'm not 60
ing to plunge into that icy water now
THE tide won't be out again before
four o'clock tomorrow morning"
"Al right Wen walk around her'
until four"
You'll freeze to death, l tell you
Your hands and feet are half froZer
now"
I'm not half as cold as | was,
Bivens whined, fretfully.
You're losing the power to feel
You've got to plunge into that watel
with me now and we can fight our way
to safety i'm five minutes. The water
is only three feet deep, and | can lif
you over the big waves. Wen be
there in a jiffy. Come on"
He seized his arm again and drag
ged him to the edge of the water. Biv
ems stopped short, tore himself from
Stuarts grip and kicked his shins lik
vicious, enraged schOolbOy.
"Tn see you to the bottomless pi
before I'll move another inch" he yell
ed savagely GO to the devil and le
me alone. I'll take care of myself, l
you'll attend to your own business"
Stuart folded his arms and looked
him a moment. debating the question
as TO whether he would wiring hi
neck or just leave him to freeze.
Bivens rushed up to the lawyer AM
tried TO shake his half-froZen fist IL