The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1911-11-22

took from 1t every scrap that was
edible and portable; without much re-
gard for the nieeties she made it up
in heavy parcel which she tied with
napkins. She remembered that the
water tank in the launch had been
filed, so that for a time at least she
would lack nothing. Carrying bag and
bundle in her hands and with the boat
cloak over her arm and a straw hat
tied on her head, after one long look
at the man, she turned and went aft
and re-entered the starboard after
stateroom, her own.
The boats painter had been affixed
to the starboard side of the yacht. She
opened the stern window and looked
out. She leaned far out and by great
good fortune in the darkness caught
the painter. The boat of course, was
swinging to long rope. She pulled
at this line cautiously, although the
effort taxed her strength to the ut
most. Indeed. she seemed possessed
Of a fictitious strength for the time
complished her hard task But she
managed to get the boat practically
under the cabin at last. She fastened
the painter to her bed. which was of
brass and securely screwed to the
floor. Then she cut off the line and
tied the bundle of provisions and her
bag and cloak to the end Of it. These
Oh
Among the petty articles was a sharp
sailors sheath knife fastened to a Ian
yard. She slipped this lanyard into her
blouse. Then she climbed up on the
port sill and essayed the dangerous
descent herself. She was glad that
she was a strong, athletic woman.
used to trusting to her own skill and
powers, for IL was no easy task to
slide down that rope and get into a
boat trailing along beneath the cOun-
ter Of yacht going perhaps II knots
an hour Fortunately the engine was
well aft and the bow of TIE launch
was high out of the water; else her
weight would have pressed it down
and the back wash from the yacht
would perhaps have swamped the
launch.
At any rate, she succeeded, although
after she got her foot in the bows she
slipped and fell. But that she fell
straight aft upon the cloak and bun
dies she would have hurt herself Sc
verely. If she had not fallen that way.
if she had pitched to the right or the
left she would have gone overheard
and that would have been the end,
for she knew that she would have died
rather than appeal to that ship for
help. She was fearful that the noise
Of her fall might have attracted the
attention of some one on the deck,
but the poop OF the yacht was us
ually deserted at night and 1t was I'M
/ likely that any one would be up there.
Scrambling to her feet, she drew
her knife and severed the taUt rope
that held the launch to the yacht. It
parted instantly. She was whirled
backwards and sideways with a sud
denness that again almost threw her
| out of the boat. For one agonizing mo-
ment the launch lay full in the broad
beam of light that proceeded from the
bright cabin window she had left. For
one agonizing moment Of suspense she
hung there and then the swirl of the
wave carried her into the darkness.
She lay directly in the wake of the
/ yacht, and the launch was pitched up
and down by the waves made by the
I rorfdIv unovfpO shin NTH q v-;OIauoo
/ of motion that was sickening. There
were a pair of oars in the boat, but
she did not break them out. She Just
drew herself down in the stern sheets
and lay there waiting. She knew that
the clatter of the motor could be heard
a long distance in so still a night and
over so still a sea, and therefore, al
though her impulse was to start It at
once, she restrained herself and
waited, watching the yacht rapidly dis
appear. She could mark her course
easily by the light from that cabin
window. Her ear was keen and she
listened until she could no longer de-
tect the beat and thrOb of the steam
er's engines. Then she rose and
started the motor.
The boat was provided with a com
pass, and although she could see no
star. she was able to set a course
which was directly at right angles to
the course of the yacht. She realized
or at least she thought so, that she
would be pursued. She believed that
the yacht would retrace its course
She decided that those aboard her
would reason that she would endeavOT
TO nut as much distance as possible
between herself and the yacht, and
therefore she would sail straight avail
from it. Consequently. she went broad
Off to starboard at right angles to tbs
other course. The gasoline tanks wer'
both full Inasmuch as the boat haC
been designed for extended cruising
in shallow waters. there was enough
fuel to keep the motor going for owe
80 hours at full speed. The motto
was Capable of developing at least tel
tomorrow night she would be "a
miles away from the present spot. Tn
yacht was going u knots an hour. He
escape would probably not be discov
cred for ten hours. BY that time tn
yacht would be 100 miles away. The
would be $50 miles apart by morn
ing. measured on the hypotheuse, an
by night, who could tell? At an
rate, she had now done all that sh
could.
Her condition was desperate; he
prospects gloomy beyond expression
She was alone in a small power boa
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OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES