The Washington times., 1912-06-17
CHAPTER II.
The Sea Gives up

saw him first. The Maclarty sud
Il denly broke away from the grim
throng that had been watching the
dreary spread OF dawn-iight He ut
tered an exclamation in Gaelic, and
dashed down the sea-snucered beach to
the edge of the ocean. Here he swung
on his heels, watching his chance TO
cheat the great. curling pillows that
spread their talons and, failing to catch
anything. ,irew UP their shoulders for
another spring.
The onlookers then saw what the
Maclarty had seen. On the back Of
wave was the form of mana BODY
being flung loosely by the resistless wa
ters. For q moluent II seemed as II an
arm was raised in an attempt to 40 bat
peen another trick Of the devilish ocean.
" hich loves to make its dead STIMULATE
life as cat does with dead mouse.
The great wave lifted the body high
sickening violencs. The Maclarty made
a dash into the whirl of outrushing
foam, but his keen eye saw that Il
would avail nothing this time. he
lightly that the undertow might not grip
him. Again the wave shrugged It's
mighty shoulders with the almost think-
ing intent of beating the life out OF It's
victim.
Again the roar Of descending water.
The Maclarty rushed into the surf while
1t was still rushing inward. A shout
went ND from the throng. The Maclartv
had the body in his arms and was tax
Ing advantage of the uprushipg sea 70
gain a yard or two toward safety.
But then began the deadly backwash.
The Maclarty leaned shoreward with the
body in his arms and his power1ui legs
deiving deep into the dragging sand and
gravel 1t was a battle between the sea
| and the man Of the sea. 1t was a tug OF
war between force and cunning, sea.
force and sea-cunning; The a Maclarty ~
gained a step. Then his legs slipped IN
| the shifting gravel and he stumbled;
He was on his feet again; the SHIN
mering, moving foam dazzled his eyes;
and he had lost three yards; The SLACK
BODY in his powerful arms and plunged
| shoreward.
But the wave had seen him. 1t gath
| cred itself with seeming greater rapidity
and fury and struck at him from be
hind. Down went the Maclarty and his
| burden, just as 1t seemed he had made
safe footing. Down they went together,
| the wave and the burdened man. There
was snarling turmoil, mass of arms
and legs struggling in a snowllke
whirlpool: then the tentacles of the sea
sucked the man and his stolen prize
Blackjack! Into the great sea-maw.
The onlookers--such as could not help
saw the smooth, concave wall Of water
curve greenly to a great height. They
saw, like objects embedded In Ice, the
two bodies In the gray-green volume.
Then tons Of water Numbered the Ma
clarity and the thing he tried to save on
| the water-worn stones. One could al
most hear and feel the sickening blow!
But the Maclarty was not done. He
was unable to rise as the more powerful
sea clutched and dragged him. But he
| still held to the human wreckage with
one arm and with the other he waved to
the shore. Then again he was drawn
into the concave deluge.
The other Maclartys had not been idle
from the first moment. They had seer
the thing a second after their brother &
aso wSst s had dcney rhsy Su ESuS he
done 1t first. They knew what would
happen-just what was happening now
They had rushed 70 beach-locker ir
which they kept tholepins. fishins a
tical equipment In few seconds they
had extracted rope. Another of the
Maclartys ran down the steep, shelving
hind him trotted the long-limbed thre,
brothers. ready to bear a hand on the
rope when the cast was made. The flv'
Maclarty brothers were in action. The,
were all alike. save that one was In thu
sea. and another. on the beach. had
rope In his hand. The other three stooC
behind in a line, each in the same tens
attitude, each silent and mechanical.
The third time the wave flung the frs
brother and his wreckage into the swirl
the second brother, who had beer
gauging the wave with his eye ant
swining the coil of rope like a lasso
flung the rope out. over and beyond tn
two figures in the foam. A hand reached
out OF the sea. clutched at the rope an
missed-clutched again-again! - Will
the undertow dragged mercilessly.
Just as the backwash seemed to hav
drawn him beyond the ropes end tn
hann fiQhfana1 The MaClartva
shore gave a simultaneous crow an
bore on the rope. They did not bring
up sharp and taut, but ran with 1t int
the sea. The powerful sea tuggin
parting Of their brothers hold. The
ran out with the sea, and, Just as tn
wave flung viciously at them, bearing tn
two helpless figures, the four brother
cried "O-hay!" and ran backward, haul
ing the rope with them.
The sea was tricked. They had use
its own power to effect their purpose
The thrush of water and the haul o
his white-faced wreckage high up 4
the surf
Put it was not over yet. The ses
seeming conscious of the trick tn
: back its talons with clutchins
: frenzied grabbing of stones, wracl
, and men. But the second Maclart
had passed hand over hand down tn
II
/ and his strength was aiding hir
shoreward with his burden, while tn
, three men on terra flrma hauled an
/ hauled with many a cultural "O-hay!
. The backwash Stacked as the Sc
) crouched for a final spring at them.
l But the men of the sea had con
? quered.
The rope fell on the shore and la
like a listless snake. Just above tn
seas reach Law two figures, one siler
and huddled. the other---the Maclart
flat on his back. blowing stentorouS
! ly through a wide-open mouth. TIL
four brothers spoke to him in Gaeli,
but he merely blew like a whale an
D waved them off Nevertheless. the
I dragged him by the shoulders up tn
, beach and planted him against tn
: sea locker.
3 There the Maclarty blew and snort
0 ed and retched the salt water frol
r his stomach and lungs, while his fou
brothers brought up the cause of
: t"Maclarty's all right" said To,
! Wallace, the doctor. This other man
= dead, or near It, Stand away. folk
q Hay. dominic, have them take III
: Maciarty to your house. He will nee
4 a dram" -, -, -,...
0 Margaret has the kettle on the bC
: this minute. Come on, lads. Bear
l | hand