Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1913-05-09
CHAPTER VIII.
On the Breast Of the Sea.

CHAPTER VIII.
On the Breast Of the Sea.
Can you keep aioat in this rough
ness?"
II think so, now that I have the
life preserver. But the rope scared
me for a minute. It got wound aboue
my feet"
81 thought so. But we are drifting
away from the boats, and should swim
back as fast as we can. Can you
SWIM"
Eyes: better when I get rid OF this
cloak. Which way is the yacht? I've
lost my bearings"
Behind us over there. Put your
hand on my shoulder and I'll take
you along until you get your breath
Sol"
The girl obeyed implicitly. as II
she were a good, biddable child"
thought Jim. There wal nom OF the
terrified %clutching at a rescuer which
sometimes causes disaster to two In
stead Of one. Miss Redmond wal
badly shocked, 1t may be; but she
was far from being in a panic.
Nov for the boat. Can you swim
a little faster? They'll surely come
back to pick us up" said Jim. with
an assumption Of confidence that he
did not feel. They could hear voices
from the yacht, and could follow, par
TALLY, what was going on. Miss Red
mond cast loose her cloak. put a hand
on Jim's shoulder, and together they
swan nearer. "Ahoy!" shouted Jim.
"Give us a hand. But the boat with
the large in 1t had put about
| to the other side Of the yacht.
"Ahoy! This way!" shouted Jim.
Throw US a rope!" he cried; but If
any Of the eamen Of the Jeanne
D'Arc heard. they paid no heed.
r Come this way" said Jim to his
companion. We'll catch them or the
other side Of the yacht"
; II can't swim much in all these
Clothes" said Agatha.
Never mind, then. Hold on to the
life p~reserver and to me. and wen
make 1t all right" On the crests
Of the swelling waves they swan
I round the dark hulk Of the vessel, and
heard plainly the clamor Of the men
as they embarked In the small boats.
| Two Of them seemed to be fastened
r together. raftlike, on the starboard
, side Of the yacht, and we're quickly
? filed with lei Prayers and curses
/ were audible. with the loose. wild in
fexion Of the mar who Is in the
clutch Of an overmastering fear. As
long as there had been work for them
. to do on the ship, they had done It,
2 though sullenly; they had even con-
trolled themselves until the attempt
was made to place the two women
a In safety. But after that their self
restraint vanished. The orders Of the
officers were UNDECIDED; the men
, leaped and scrambled and slid into
. the boats, and In a minute more they
had cut loose from the Jeanne dare.
James dimly perceived that the
! boats were moving away from them
\ into the darkness. Then he called,
and called again. %redoubling his speed
/, in swimming; but only the beat OF
the oars came back over the water.
The heart in him stood still with an
unacknowledged fear. Was 1t possible
r they were absolutely leaving them be.
hind? Surely there were other boats.
: He raised his voice and called again
and again. At last n voice, careless
q and brutal, called back something In
q reply. Jim turned questioning eyes
> to the girl beside him, whose pale
! face was discernible on the dark wa,
ter.
He says the boats are all full"
Then we must hurry and make for
q the yacht. Where is she?"
The Jeanne D'Arc had slipped away
a from them into the darkness.
"She was this way. l thought. Yes
I am sure" said Agatha, pointing into
o the night. But though they swan thai
. way. they did not come upon her
They turned q little, and then turned
again, and presently they lost ever
sense Of direction.
Q In ell his life Jim was never agair
Q destined to go through 80 black ar
L hour as that which followed the aban
donment of the Jeanne Dare. Hi
g courage left hip. and his spirit sanl
g to that leaden. choking abyss where
lights did not exist. Since the i'm
mediate object Of saving the ship, fol
J. which he had worked as hard as an,
other, had been given up, the next IL
n Importance was to save the woman
Is who, for some mysterious reason, hat
a been aboard. 1t was beyond his DOW
d err Of imagination to suppose that an,
other motive Of action could possibl,
n prevail, even among her enemies
That they should leave her to drown
while they themselves fed to com
d parative safety in a boat, was NOR,
than he could believe.