Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1913-05-16
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weight came upon Jim Al that Of Q
dead person. Then he set his teeth
and nerved himself to make the e1ort
Of his life.
1t Ia no easy thing to strain Tor
ward. swimming the high seas. bear
ing above the surface q load which
on land would make q strong mar
stagger Ops must watch ones u
den, to guard against mishap; one
must save breath and muscle. and
keep an eye for direction, all IN q
struggle against a hostile element
The goal still seemed incredibly
far, farther than his strength could
go. Yet he swan on. fighting against
the heart-breaking thought that MS
companion had perhaps gone "down
to the dim sea-line" in very ruth.
She had been so brave. so strong.
She had buoyed up his courage when
1t had been fainting; she had fought
splendidly against the last terrible
inertia Of exhaustion.
"Courage!" he told himself. I'VE
must make the land!" But 1t look
a stupendous effort. His strokes De-
came unequal, some Of them Feeble
and ineffective; his muscles ached
with the strain; now and then q
strange whirring and dizziness IN mis-
head caused him to wonder dlmiy
whether he were above or below wa
ter. He could no longer swim with
closed lips, but constantly threw his
head back with the gasp that marks
the spent runne
Holding Agatha Redmond IN front
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, sometimet only
with his legs. He dared nos stop
now, lest he be too late in reashing
land or wholly unable to regather Ms
force. The dizziness Increased, AND
a sharp pain in his eyeballs required
again and again. He could no longer
see the land; 1t seemed to him that
1t was blood, not brine, that spurted
from nose and mouth; but still ne
swan on, holding the woman safe
He made a gigantic effort u shout
though he could scarcely hear his own
voice. Then he fixed his mind solely
on his swimming, counting q stroke
after another, like q man who Is coax
ing sleep.
How long he swan thus, he did not
know: but after many strokes he wal
conscious Of q sense OF happiness
that, after all, 1t wasn't necessary to
reach land or to struggle any more
Rest and respite from excruciatins
effort were to be had for the taking
why had he withstood them 30 long!
The sea rocked him, the surge filled
his ears, his limbs relaxed their ten
sion. Then It 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 ne
longer had q burden to hold safe;
there was no burden in sight. Half
consciously he felt the earth once
more beneath his feet, but he coult
not stand. He fell face forward into
the water again at his first attempt
and agaia the strong hand pulled
him up and h~alf-carried him over SOM
Shiny rocks. It was an endless Jour
ney before the strong hand would le
him sit or lie down. but at last b
was allowed to drop.
He vaguely felt the warmth OF thu
sun drying his skin while the Sci
hummed IN his ears; he felt dis
tinctly the sharp pain between BIZ
eyes, and a parching thirst. HI
CROPPED around in a dellrious search
for water, which he did not find; b.
pressed his head and limbs agains
the earth In an exquisite relief from
pain: and at last his bruised feet
his aching bones and head constrain
ed him to q lethargy that ended II
sleep.