The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1915-11-25

pushed It across at right angles as
nearly as possible when she cleared.
Quick! Get In. both of you" called.
was holding the inboard end of the
plank under wedged oar shaft, thrust
below the sill Of the forward cabin
door. They scrambled out and in.
Jean grasping the blight OF the painter
that handed him and passing it over
the rail.
Now, look out" called and drop
ped the landing stage to meet the swell
Of the next wave. They slid, tilted,
lighted. rose highland held. The next
moment sprang. fell into the sea, was
caught by the collar as my hand grasp
ed the cockpit coaming, and 80 l slid
in. somehow. over the end deck, and
caught the end Of the painter from
Johns hand and cast her free.
The drift carried us of at once, and
the next wave almost hid the hull Of
the Belle Helene. knew at once we
were powerless and that our one hope
lay in drifting ashore. There Is no
worse sea boat than low, fiat ducking
boat, decked though she be, and Of
good coaming. for she butts into and
does not rise to sea. But now |
thanked my star one thing only was in
our favor. We rolled like a log, al
ready half full of water, but we tloated
because in each end Of our skiff was
big empty tin air tank, put there in
spite of the laughing protest of the
builder. who said no room was left for
decoys under the decks. Just now
those tin cans were worth more than
many duck decoys.
Keep down!" ordered. "And hold
ONT" The boys obeyed me. ] could
see their gaze bent on me as the source
Of their hope, their reliance. Jimmy
was now free from the first violence
of the seasickness. but l saw jeans
hand on his arm.
"Geev l heard the latter mutter as
the first sea crossed under us. Dat
was peach" l took heart myself,
for we lived that one through. Bail"
| ordered. and they took their cups to
it. while did oil could with the long
punt paddle to make some sort Of
course. Now and then the blazing
trail of the Belle Helene's searchlight
swung across as we rolled. to leave us
the next instant in blackness. AS the
seas permitted. we could see her, rid
ing and rocking, sometimes, alight
from stem to stern and making a gal
liant fight for her life, as were we all.
So long as the rollers came in oily
and black we did we'll. but where the
top Of one broke under us we sank
deep into the white foam that had no
carrying power, and our cockpit filed
so that we all sat in water. Only the
tanks held US, loglike, and we bailed
and padded. And after they saw we
did not sink, my hardy DULLES, perhaps
in the ignorance Of youth and boys
confidence that boy and water are
friends, began to shout aloud. We
wallowed on.
No sound came to us from either of
the other boats. and now, very quickly,
it seemed. we came at the edge of the
surf
"I'm touching bottom, boys" call
ed and cast the long punt pole adrift
as l took up the short paddle had
held under my leg.
Now we had under us two feet Of
water, or ten, as the waves might say,
and any moment We might roll over.
But we wallowed in, rolling. till
knew the supreme moment had come.
! waited, holding her head in we'll as
could so 1nruly hulk, and as big
' roller came after us padded as hard
as | could The wave chased us,
caught us. pushed us, carried us i'll
There was lift Of our loggish bows
a binding crash Of white water about
us. Our boat was overturned, but III
some way, since the beach was all
, sand and very gentle, the wave fat
tened so that the back tow did not
pull us down. In some way, do not
:, know how, l found myself standing
and dragging Jimmy by the hand
Jean already was ahead, and ] heard
: his shout and saw his hand as he
stood, knee deep, but safe. So we al
made it ashore, and our boat also
which now we hauled out of the spume
And the long white row of breakers
less dangerous than had feared
came in, white named and believing.
could still see the rocking lights o.
the yacht and the shifting stroke o:
the searchlight on the sea, but | dit
not hear and see aught else at thu
time, and my heart sank
n 1t was Jimmy whose ear first got thu
q sound which came in-the feverisi
>. phut-phut Of the motor skiff. Thel
- the ray of the great light swung. ant
;, saw the boat still outside the break
- ers, nor could tell then why we hat
- beaten her in, 1t seemed Peterson
- was hunting for VS. others
\ "Stay back. boys!" | called to m
= companions. You might get throw
g down by the waves, Keep back!
- But now | was ready to rush in t