Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1913-05-09

being given. He crowded to the rail
ing. straining his eyes to see. and
found that they were transferring the
ships company to the boats. A rope
ladder swung from the deck to a boat
beneath, which bobbed like a cork be-
side the big, plunging yacht. Two peo-
pie were In the boat, a sailor standing
at the bow. and a large muf1ed figure
of q woman sitting in the stern. jim
my at once knew her to be the
apathetic fat woman he had seen q
few minutes before on deck. His eye
searched the company crowded about
the top Of the rope ladder, and sudden
ly his heart leaped. There she was,
at the edge Of the deck, waiting for
the captain to give the word for her to
descend to the boat below. AS jim
my's eyes grew accustomed to the
darkness, he saw her more and more
plainly. a pale face framed in a dark
hood, a tall, cloaked figure waiting
calmly to obey the word from the su-
perior officer.
It was the third time Jimmy had
seen her, but he felt as II he had found
n dearer than himself. His eyes
dwelt on her. She was not terrified;
her nerves were not shaken. Il am
ready" she said, turning to the cap
tain. 1t was the same fine, free voice,
suggesting-Oh, what did 1t not sug-
gest! Never this dark, wild night OF
danger! Jimmy thrilled to it again as
he had thrilled to it once before. He
waved jubilant hands. Agatha Red
mond!" he called, across the space
and heads that divided them.
Whether she heard his call he did
not know. At that moment the word
vas given, and she turned an almost
smiling face to the captain in reply
She knelt to the deck and got footing
on the slippery rope. Men above helt
1t and helped az best they could, while
the sailor below waited to receive hel
into the little boat. She was STEADY
and quick as a woman in such a peril
GUS position could be. As she de
scended, the rowboat, insecurity helt
to the Jeanne D'Arc. slid sternward
a few feet; and while she waited II
midair for the boat to be brought VI
again. the Jeanne DARE gave
mighty plunge. The captain shoutet
from the deck, q sailor yelled, ther
another; the dipping sea tossed tn,
yacht 30 that for an instant the boa,
below and the woman on the Ladder
were hidden from inns view. H,
climbed over the rail and edged alon,
the narrow margin of the deck unit
he vas q few feet nearer the rope
his heart humping with fear O
| calamity.
And even as the thought came. tn,
thing happened. The wrenching O
the ropes, insecurity of their fasten
ings, some blunder on the part Of tn,
seamen-whatever 1t was, the rop,
loosened like a filament of gauze, and
with its precious burden, dropped int,
the angry water. Before a breath
could be drawn, the black wave,
| churned over her head.
As, for the second time, Jim saw
disaster engulf the Vision that hat
such power over him. he was seizet
by a cold numbness.
"Oh, you brutes!" he groane,
aloud; but his groan had scarcely es
capped him when he heard loud alter
cation among the men. and in a mo
ment, the usual tones Of Monsieu,
| Chatelard commanding:
Never mind! Quick with the boa
on the other side!"
The seamen rushed to the opposit,
side. now impatient to make tn,
boats. In the fear that was CROWN,
momently upon the men. there wa
no one to give a thought to the van
ished woman. Jimmy chung to tn,
rail for q second. peering over tn,
water. With a cry of gladness b,
saw her pale face rise to the surfac,
Of the water several feet away an,
toward the bow.
Keep up a second! It's all right!
he shouted. Quick as thought b,
snatched n life preserver from It
place on the rail, and ran forward
He called thrice. Keep up, I'm CON
ing!" then threw the cork swift
and accurately to the very spot wher
she fioated. A second longer b
watched. to e II she gained It.
seemed that she did, and yet some
thing was wrong. She was not abb
to right herself Immediately in tn
water, but fioundered helplessly. jim
my knew that her clothes were han
pering her. or else that the rope lac
der had entangled her feet.
He turned and got his balance o
the narrow ledge. pointed his hand
high above his head, and took
good breath. Then he dove towar
the floating face. When he came {
the surface she was there, not te
strokes away. He swan to hei
placed firm hands under her arml
and steadied her while she cleare
her feet from the enhancing rope.