Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1915-10-09

reach Hold her there-steady-
steady" He had thrown himself nat.
face down, on the haIf-deck forward
and was clutching at something in the
heaving seas. i've got hint" he
cried, and a moment later he was work
ing his way aft, holding the mans face
out of water
1t asked for their united strength
to get the gray-haired. heavy-bodied
victim of the capsize over the Clytie's
rail. They had to bring the Hfebelt
too; the old mans fingers were sunk
into it with dying grip that could not
be broken At first Griswold was too
much preoccupied and shocked to rec
ognize the drawn face with its hard
lined mouth and long upper lip. When
he did recognize it the gripping fear
was at his heart-the fear that makes
a cruel coward of the hunted thing in
all nature.
What might have happened if he had
been alone; if Margery, taking her
place at the tiller and busying herself
swiftly in getting the catboat under
way again, had not been looking on;
he dared not think. And that other
frightful thought he put away. fighting
against it madly as a condemned man
might push the cup of hemlock from
his lips. Forcibly breaking the drowned
ones hold upon the lifebelt, he fell to
| work energetically, resorting to the
first aid expedients for the reviving of
the drowned as he had learned them
| in his boyhood. Once, only, he flung a
word over his shoulder at Margery as
he fought for the old mans life. Make
| for the nearest landing where we can
I l.
then, in passion of gratitude: 20
God, thank thee that 1 am not a muir
dereri-he's coming backl He's
| breathing again."
A little later he was able to leave off
the first-aid arm-pumpings and chest
DRESSINGS; to straighten the limp and
sprawling limbs, and to dive into the
cuddy cabin, under Margery's direc-
tions, for blankets and rugs When all
was done that could be done, and he
had propped the blanket-swathed body
with the cushions so that the crash
and plunge of the pitching catboat
would be minimized for the sufferer,
he went aft to sit beside the helms
woman, who was getting the final
1 wave-leap of speed out of the little
| vessel
| He is alive?" she asked.
| yes; and that is about all that can
be said. He isn't drowned; but he is
old. and the shock has gone pretty
near to swapping the thread
| "Of course, you remember him." she
said, looking away across the leaping
waters.
| Griswold, with his heart on fire with
| generous emotions, felt the cold hand
| gripping him again
He is the old gentleman you intro
duced me to at the Inn the other day:
Galbraith; is that the name?"
YES" she rejoined, still looking
away; that is the name
Griswold fell silent for the time; but
a little later, when the catboat was
rushing in long plunges through the
entrance to the Wahaskan arm of the
lake, he said: You are going to take
him to Mereside?"
YES. He is a friend of poppas
And, anyway, it's the nearest place,
and you said there was no time to
| lose"
| Griswold helped the bearers lift the
| blanketed figure out of the Clytie's
| cockpit, and while he was doing it
the steel-gray eyes of the rescued one
| opened slowly to fix a stony gaze upon
the face of the man who was bending
over him. What the thin lips were
muttering Griswold heard, and SO did
one other. $50 it's you, is it, ye muir
dering blue-eyed deevil?" And then:
| "Eh, man, man, but I'm sicki"
Griswold walked with Margery at
the tail of the little procession as it
wound its way up the path to the great
| house.
you heard what he said?'' he in
quired craftily.
Yes; he is out of his head, and no
| wonder she said soberly. Then:
You must go home and change at
once; you are drenched to the skin.
Don't wait to come in. I'll take care
| of your manuscript"
CHAPTER XXI.