The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1916-02-17

Lester.
" SO hard. Y got t. fight it out your.
self. Nobuddy can help anybuddy else
in there. Keep tn head clear m plug,
We three men IL git v in somehow
But had no business comin'-hundred
r no hundred. I'm crazy. My OIL
bones told ME rampage was loosenin'
up. 1t amt on'y gittin' on that blasted
island, miss. but it's stayin' there all
night an mebbe losin' both boats. An
f you git hurt
Don't worry about me, Uncle Billy.
I'm all right. have seen worse storms
than this. Every one for himself
There must be no worrying about me,
no foolish sentiment because Pm a wO-
man.
Billy watched the new hemp cable.
1t was lucky he had brought that If
the old mudhooli held the Navarro
would come out of it scot free.
81 hope your wife will not worry"
'l've told her never t worry till
twenty-four hours after I'm missin'.
They'll know where we are: they call
US tn pidgins. Whuts worryin' ME is
this here cable. It's got t hold all
night, All these motorboats amt $
easy ridin' S sliitfs. Mebbe when |
wake up in tn mornin' tn OF Navarro
II be nosin' int Hendersons harbor
f she don't haste her brains out some
where's between here n there. All
right. Pm t. blame. I've let hundred
dollars foozle me. An I've dragged
Mr.. Crawford II Lester int it too. BY
jings, they've seen us!'
Coming out of the dwelling was the
lightkeeper himself, arrayed in SOU
| WeSter, rubber coat and rubber boots
He carried a heavy coil of rope ON his
arm. He stopped at the side of the
boathouse, calmly smoking his corn
cob.
There was no use of his wasting his
breath, Of shouting advice All he
could do was to wait and lend a hand
when the time came. Fools, all OF
them that came out here to fish.
"Stand by for the cable." shouted
Lester. who was now within reach.
wait till | git TIL anchor up More
trouble 1t required fully ten minutes
maneuvering to loosen the mudhook.
"All right, Lester!'
1t was Diana who spoke.
She stood up. Lester heaved the wa
ter soaked cable and fell short. Hand
over hand it went back.
All the while the boats were drifting
off. If Testers engine refused to WORK
it meant hunger and cold and mayhal
death, for they would be blown out
into the lake.
"Ready?"
'Throw it,"
This time she caught it, knelt anc
wound it about .the forward seat.
She choked back little sob as she
heard the putt-putt of the loyal little
engine in the other boat. Slowly they
came back to the shoa and headed fol
the dock. Thirty feet offshore Lester
held up his hand. and both anchors
went over. "A short drag followed.
Without word-indeed. Uncle Billy
said afterward that she smiled at hin
Diana slipped over the side anc
struck out for the runway. One after
another the men followed in after her
Up, up and then forward with al
most incredible swiftness, as If some
Invisible hand was tiinging them, into
a smother of foam and down. down
till their feet touched the powders
and up again and down again--play
things.
Than plunging water nothing else
more quickly robs the human body OF
its vitality. The dragging weight of it
the inability to breathe. make for i'm
mediate exhaustion.
Lester was first to catch the light
keepers line.
He knew that the latter would need
help. He made the landing with but
slight bruising. Together they pulled
in Uncle Billy.
;'Keep back. Diana!' warned Gran.
} ford. wait till l reach the foot Of
the runway"
} She smiled at him bravely.
! She was growing weak. She caugh
the line just as a comber smotheret