Rocky Ford enterprise., 1913-02-14
CHAPTER VIII.

On the Breast Of the Sea.
Can you keep afloat in this rough
ness?"
Il think 80. now that 1 have the
life preserver. But the rope scared
me for minute. 1t got wound about
my feet"
Il thought SO. But we are drifting
away from the boats. and should swim
back as fast as we can. Can you
swim?"
"Yes; better when I get rid of this
cloak. Which way is the yacht? I've
lost my bearings"
Behind us over there. 1>ut your
hand on my shoulder and I'll take
you along until you get your breath.
Sol"
The girl obeyed Implicitly. "as If
she were good. biddable child"
thought Jim. There was none, of the
terrified clutching at a rescu,,I which
sometimes causes disaster to>two in
stead OF one. Miss Redmond was
badly shocked. it may be; but she
was far from being in a panic.
Now for the boat. Can you swim
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 hand
on Jim's shoulder and together they
swan nearer "Ahoy!" shouted Jim.
Give us hand!" But the boat with
the large woman in It had put about
to the other side of the yacht
"Ahoy! This way!" shouted Jim.
Throw us ropei" he cried; but II
any of the seamen of the Jeanne
Dare heard. they paid no heed.
Come this way" said Jim to his
companion. We'll catch them on the
other side of the yacht"
Il can't swim much in all these
Clothes" said Agatha.
Never mind. then. Hold on to the
life preserver and to me, and we'll
make 1t all right" On the crests
of the swelling waves they swan
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
together. raftlike, on the starboard
side of the yacht, and were quickly
filled with men. Prayers and curses
were audible. with the loose, wild in
fexion of the man 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 1t.
though sullenly; they had even con-
trolled themselves until the attempt
ms tn NIL
in safety. But after that their self
restraint vanished. The orders of the
officers were unheeded: the men
leaped and scrambled and slid into
the boats. and in 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
they were absolutely leaving them be-
hind? Surely there were other boats.
He raised his voice and called again
and again. At last one voice. careless
and brutal. called back something in
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
the yacht Where is she?"
The Jeanne D'Arc had slipped away
from them into the darkness.
/ y, to Z
am sure" said Agatha, pointing into
the night But though they swan that
way. they did not come upon her.
They turned little. and then turned
again. and presently they lost every
sense of direction.
In all his life Jim was never again
destined to go through SO black an
hour as that which followed the aban-
donment of the Jeanne Dare. His
courage left him, and his spirit sank
to that leaden, choking abyss where
lights did not exist, Since the i'm
mediate object of saving the ship. for
which he had worked as hard as any
other. had been given up, the next in
Importance was to save the woman
who, for some mysterious reason. had
been aboard. 1t was beyond his now
er of imagination to suppose that any
other motive of action could possibly
prevail. even among her enemies.
That they should leave her to drown.
while they themselves fed to COM
parative safety in boat, was more
than he could believe.