The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-05-24

moment the thought that you are near
land, that you are almost there. we
are safe. you can go on-only rev
moments more!"
Poor Agatha strove as Jim bade
her, CALAMITY. hearing his voice as
through a thickening wall; but she
had already done her best, and more
She struggled for a few half-consclous
moments; then suddenly her arms
grew limp. her eyes closed, and her
weight came upon Jim as that OF
dead person. Then he set his teetn
and nerved himself TO make the enort
of his life
II is no easy thing to strain Tor
ward. swimming the high seas, pear
ing above the surface a load Wmch
on land would make strong man
stagger. One must watch ones our
den, to guard against mishap; one
must save breath and muscle. anu
keep an eye for direction, all IN
struggle against a hostile element.
The goal still seemed incredibly
far farther than his strength couid
go. Yet he swan on, fighting against
the heart breaking thought that MS
companion had perhaps gone GOWN
TO the dim sea-line" in very truth.
She had been so brave, so strong.
She had buoyed up his courage when
1t had been fainting; she had fouen'
splendidly against the last terrloie
inertia of exhaustion.
COURAGE" he told himself. we
must make the land" But II TOOK
a stupendous effort. His strokes De
came unequal, some OF them recipe
and Ineffective; his muscles acheu
with the strain: now and then
strange whirring and dizziness IN MS
head caused him to wonder oimy
whether he we're 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 front
of him, with her head we'll above the
water and her body partly supported
DIV the lie nv
times with one hand. sometimes only
with his legs. He dared not stop
pow, lest he be too late In reaching
land or wholly unable to regather MS
force. The dizziness Increased, ana
a sharp pain in his eyeballs required
again and again. He could no longer
see the land; it seemed to him that
it was blood, not brine, that spurted
from nose and mouth; but still he
swan on, holding the woman sare'
He made a gigantic effort to shout
though he could scarcely hear his own
voice. Then he fixed his mind solely
on his swimming. counting one stroke
after another, like a man who is coax
ing sleep.
How long he swan thus. he did not
know: but after many strokes he was
conscious of a sense Of happiness
that, after all. it wasn't necessary TO
reach land or to struggle any more.
Rest and respite from excruciating
effort we're to be had for the taking
why had he withstood them 80 long!
The sea rocked him, the surge filled
his ears. his limbs relaxed their ten
sion. Then 1t was that a strong
hand grasped him, and a second later
the same hand dealt him a violent
blow on the face.
He had to begin the intolerable ex-
ertion Of swimming again, but he no
longer had a burden to hold safe;
there was no burden in sight. Half
consciously he felt the earth once
more be-eath his feet. but he could
not stand. He fell face forward into
the water again at his first attempt,
and again the strong hand pulled
him up and half-carried him over some
Shiny rocks 1t was an endless jour
ney before the strong hand would let
him sit or lie down. but at last he
was allowed to drop.
He vaguely felt the warmth Of the
sun drying his skin while the sea
hummed in his ears; he felt dis
tinctly the sharp pain between his
eyes, and parching thirst. He
CROPPED around in a delirious search
for water. which he did not find; he
pressed his head and limbs against
the earth in an exquisite relief from
pain: and at last his bruised feet,
his aching bones and head constrain-
ed him to a lethargy that ended In
sleep.