Rural Retreat times. [volume] (Rural Retreat, Va.) 1892-1918, 1915-07-16


lily believed that If she remained 90
board the George Washington she waS
lost. She naturally forgot the rneFsea
of wireless telegraphy. No longer nay
a man hide at sea
So, with that quick thought which,
was a part of her inheritance, she
seized the life buoy climbed the rail- I
and leaped far out AS the great, dark
tossing sea swooped up to meet her
she noted block of wood bubbing up
and down. She tried to avoid 1t, but
could not, and struck it head on. De.
spite the blow and the shoc'y of the
chill water she instinetively chung to-
the buoy. The wash from the mighty
propellers tossed her about, hither'
and yon, from one swirl to another,
like o chip of wood Then everything
grew blank.
Fortunately for her the master Of
the fishing schooner was at the time
standing on his quarterback by the
wheel, squirting through his glass at
the liner and envying the ease and
comfort Of those on board her. The
mate, sitting on the steps and smok-
Ing his turning-in pipe, saw the mass
ter lean forward suddenly. lower the
glass, then raise it again.
Lord almighty"
whats the matter, cap'n?"
Jake, in Gods name, come ere an
take peek through this glass. I'm
dreamin'"
The mate jumped and took the
glass. Where away, sir?"
"A pint off tn sta'board bow. See
somethin' white bobbin' up?"
"Yessir! Looks like some one
dropped a bolster r a piller overs
board. Gods whiskeFs!" he
broke off.
Then l amt really SEEM things"
cried the master. Hi, y lubbers!" he
yelled to the crew; clover tn dorys
They's woman in tn water out there.
seen her leap tn rail. Look alivel
Sharp's tn word! Mate, you go
long"
The crew dropped their tasks and
sprang for the davits, and the star
board dory was lowered in shipshape
style.
1t takes a good bit Of searfianship
to haul body out of the sea, into
dancing bobtailed dory, when one
moment it is climbing frantically heavs
onward and the next heading for the
bottomless pit. They were very ten-
der with her. They laid her out in the
bottom of the boat, with the life buoy
as pillow, and pulled theoretically
for the schooner. She was alive, be-
cause she breathed; but she did not stir
so much as an eyelid. 1t was stiff
bit of work, too, to land her aboard
without adding to her injuries. The
master ordered the men to put her In
his own bunk, where he nearly stran-
gled her by forcing raw brandy down
her throat.
well, she's alive, anyhow"
When Florence finally opened her
eyes the gray of dawn lay on the sea,
dotted here and there by the schooners
of the fleet, which seemed to be hang
ing in midair, as at the moment there
was visible to the eye no horizon.
Don't seem t recognize nothin'"
"Mebbe she's got fever. suggested
the mate, rubbing his bristly chin.
Fever nothin'i Not after bein' In
tn water half an hour. Mebbe she hit
one o. them wooden floats we feft.
Them dinged liners keep on crowdin'
u.s." growled Barnes, with fisher
mans hate for the floating hotels.
Went by without toot. See 'er,
jes like tn bankers wife goin' t.
church on Sunday? A mile minutes
fog or no fog, it's all the same &
them. They run us down an never
stop. What tn tarnation we goin'
to do? She'll half t. stay aboard tilt
tn run is over. / can't afford t. yank
UP my mudhook this time O. day."
Guess she can stand three n four
days in our company, smellin' oil
cloths, fish, kerosene, an punk t'bac-
co."
eff y don't like tn kind O. t'bacco
l buy buy your own. amt objectin'
none"
The mate stepped over to the bunk
and gingerly ran his hand over the
girls head. Gods whiskers, cap'ns
they's bump as bigs cork on tn