The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1913-05-30

weight came upon Jim as that OF
dead person. Then he set his teetn
and nerved himself to make the effort
of his life.
1t is no easy thing to strain Tor
ward, swimming the high seas, pear
ing above the surface load when
on land would make strong man
stagger One must watch ones Dur
den. to guard against mishap; one
must save breath and muscle, ana
keep an eye for direction, all In
struggle against a hostile element.
The goal still seemed incredibly
far, farther than his strength coulo
go. Yet he swan on, fighting against
the breaking thought that MS
companion had perhaps gone down
to the dim sea-line" in very truth
She had been so brave. so strong
She had buoyed up his courage "nen
1t had been fainting; she had fougnl
splendidly against the last terrible
inertia of exhaustion.
Courage" he told himself. we
must make the land!" But 1t TOOK
stupendous effort. His strokes De-
came unequal, some OF them recipe
and ineffective; his muscles acheo
with the strain; now and then
strange whirring and dizziness In MS
head caused him to wonder dlmiy
whether he were above or below wa
ter. He could no longer swim WIN
closed lips, but constantly threw MS
head back with the gasp that marks
the spent runner.
Holding Agatha Redmond IN 1ront
of him. with her head we'll above the
water and her body partly supported
by the life preserver, he swan some
times with one hand, sometimes only
with his legs. He dared not stop
now, lest he be too late IN reaching
land or wholly unable to regather Ms
force. The dizziness Increased, aho
a sharp pain in his eyeballs REQUIRED
again and again. He could no longer
see the land; 1t seemed to him tha'
1t was blood, not brine, that spurteo
; from nose and mouth: but still ne
: swan on, holding the woman safe
/ He made a gigantic effort to shout
though he could scarcely hear his OWL
: voice. Then he fixed his mind solel!
r on his swimming, counting one strok'
: after another, like a man who Is coax
:, Ing sleep.
e How long he swan thus. he did no
k know; but after many strokes he wa
: conscious Of sense OF happiness
: that. after all, it wasn't necessary t
n reach land or to struggle any more
o Rest and respite from excruciatin
d effort were to be had for the taking
/. why had he withstood them so long
d The sea rocked him. the surge file
his ears, his limbs relaxed their tel
# sion. Then 1t was that a stron
3 hand grasped him, and second late
d the same hand dealt him violen
g blow on the face.
He had to begin the intolerable e.
Y, ertion of swimming again, but he n
x longer had burden to hold safe
there was no burden in sight, Hal
h consciously he felt the earth ono
k more beneath his feet, but he coul
l. not stand He fell face forward INT
Is the water again at his first attemp
ID and again the strong hand pulle
le him up and half.carried him over SON
a. Shiny rocks. 1t was an endless jou
6. ney before the strong hand would i
him sit or lie down, but at last
ly was allowed to drop.
p He vaguely felt the warmth of Il
)r sun drying his skin while the 81
I'd hummed in his ears; he felt d.
ne tinctly the sharp pain between b
eyes, and parching thirst.
i'd CROPPED around in delirious sear'
for water, which he did not find;
y, pressed his head and limbs again
the earth in an exquisite relief fro
IS pain; and at last his bruised fe'
hit his aching bones and head constral
IN ed him to lethargy that ended
ly sleep.