The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-12-13
CHAPTER XIII.
Debacle.

Inc IIOuDle, IlednJII1e, was CLOSING
IN upon the scene of tragedy with little
less than locomotive speed Whitaker
applied the reversing gear then, while
the engine reversed with a heavy and
resentful pounding in the cylinder
heads, he began to strip off his coat
The boat, moving forward despite the
resistance of the propeller, drove
heavily against the wreck, broadside to
its stern. AS this happened Whitaker
feaped to the wreck just In time to
grasp the cOaming and hold on against
the onslaught of a hurting comber.
Thunderings benumbed him, and he be-
gan to Strangle before it passed. &.
He found himself filling his lungs
with free air and fighting his way to-
ward the cabin doors through the wa
ter waist deep. In another breath he
had torn them open, wide, discovering
the woman, her head and shoulders
showing above the flood as she stood
upon transom, near the doorway,
grasping q stanchion for support Her
eyes met his, black and blank with ter
ror. He snatched through sheer in
stinct at q circular life preserver that
ffoated out toward him, and simultane-
OuSly managed to crook an arm round
her neck.
Again the sea buried them beneath
tons of raging dark water Green light
nings flashed before his eyes, and in
his ears there was a crashing like the
crack of doom. His head was split
ting, his heart on the point of breaking.
The wave passed on, roaring. He could
breathe. Now if ever
AS if stupefied beyond sensibility.
the woman was passive to his hand
ling and he managed somehow to drag
her from the cabin to the cockpit and
TO jam the life ring over her head and
under one arm before the next wave
bore down upon them.
They came to the surface in the hol-
low of deep, gray swale, fully fifty
feet from the wreck. Whitaker re-
tanned his grasp of the life-preserver
line. The woman t1oated easily in the
support. He fancied a CLEAN of live
lier consciousness in her staring eyes.
and noticed with curiOuSly keen feel
ing of satisfaction that she was not
only keeping her mouth closed, but had
done so, apparently, while under water
Then suddenly, the lift of q wave dis
covered to him the contour of the
shore. Instead of being carried in to
the rock-strewn beach, they were in
the grip of n backwaSh which was
bearing them not only out of immedi-
ate danger, but at the same time along
shore toward q point under whose lee
he hoped TO find less turbulent condi-
tons.
Three times he essayed to speak be-
fore he could wiring articulate sounds
from his cracked lips and burning
throat.
you all right?"
She replied with as much difficulty:
yes you may let
To relax the swollen fingers that
grasped the lifeline was pure torture.
He attempted no further coaumunica-
ton. None, indeed, was needed. 1t
was plain that she understood their
situation
Some minutes passed before he be-
came aware that tsey were closing in
quickly to the shelving beach. He
glanced over lis shoulder. They were
on the line OK breakers. Behind them
heavy coDber was surging in, crested
with sDoT, its concave belly resembling
vast sheet of emerald. In another
moment it would be upon them. 1t
was the moment a seasoned swimmer
would seize.
Ills eye sought the girls In hers he
read understanding and assent. OF one
mind, they struck out with all their
strength. The. comber overlook them,
clasped them to its bosom, tossed them
high upon its great CLASSY shoulder.
They fought madly to retain that place.
and to such purpose that they rode il
over dozen yards before it crashed
upon the beach, annihilating itself in
furious welter of Dreaming waters.
Whitaker felt land beneath his feet.
The rest was like the crisis of a
nightmare drawn out to the limit of
human endurance. The undertow tore
Mt Whitaker's legs as with a hundred
murderous hands. He came out of it
eventually to find himself well I'D on
the beach leaning against the careened
hulk of dismantled catboat with q