Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-12-29
CHAPTER KIN.



The Trouble. meantime, was closing
ia upon the scene of tragedy with little
less than locomotive speed. Whitaker
applied the reversing gear; then, while
the engine reversed with heavy and
resentful pounding in the cylinder
heads, he began to strip of 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
leaped to the wreck just in time to
grasp the coaming and hold on against
the onslaught OF a hurting comber.
Thunderlngs benumbed him, and he be-
gan to strangle before 1t passed. Z.
He found himself filling his lungs
with free air and fighting his wny 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 food MS. she stood
upon a transom, near the doorway,
grasplng a stanchion for support. Her
eyes met his, black and blank with ter
ror. He snatched through sheer in
stinct ut a circular life preserver that
hoated cut toward him, and simultane-
ously managed to crook an arm round
her neck.
Again the sea buried them beneath
tons Of ringing 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 II ever
As If stupefed 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. ME
They came to the surface In the hol-
low Of a deep, gray swale, fully fifty
feet from the wreck. Whitaker re.
tained his grasp Of the life-preserver
line. The woman fioated easily In the
support. He fancied a gleam Of live.
Her consciousness In her staring eyes
and noticed with a curlously keen feel.
ing Of satisfaction that she was moi
only keeping her mouth closed, but hat
done so, apparently, while under water
Then suddenly, the lift of a wave dis
covered to him the contour Of the
shore. Instead Of being carried In t.
the rock-strewn beach, they were II
the grip Of a backwnsh which wa.
bearing them not only out Of immedI
ate danger, but at the same time along
shore toward a point under whose lie,
he hoped to find less turbulent condl
tions. @-
Three times he essayed to speak be
fore he could wiring nrticulate sound
from his cracked lips and burnln,
throat.
you all rightT
She replied with as much difficulty I:
eyes you may le
To relax the swollen fingers tina
grasped the lifeline was pure torture.
He attempted no further communics
tiOn. None. indeed. was needed. ]
wns plain that she understood theI
situation.
Some minutes passed before he b,
came aware that they were closing |
quickly to the shelving beach. a
glanced over his shoulder. They wei
ON the line Of breakers. Behind the
a heavy comber was surging in, creste
with snow, its eoncave belly resembllr
vast sheet Of emerald. In anoth,
moment II would be upon them.
was the moment q seasoned swimm,
would seize.
His eye sought the girls. In hers
read understanding and assent. OF OF
mind, they struck out with all the
strength. The comber overlook ther
clasped them to its bosom, tossed the
high upon its great CLASSY shoulde
They fought madly to retain that plaC
and to such purpose that they rode
over dozen yards before 1t crashr
upon the beach, annlhilatlng itself
n furious welter Of creaming watel
Whitaker felt land beneath his fe,
The rest was like the crisis of
hrHtihuAt uAuWn Oul 10 lIl6 limit
human endurance. The undertow to
Mt Whitaker's legs as with a hundr
murderous hands. He came out of
eventually to find himself well up
the beach leaning against the careen
hulk Of dismantled catboat with
gaping rent In its side. At little d
tance the woman was sitting in I
sands, bosom and shoulders heavi
convulsively, damp, matted hair veili
her Ike a curtain of sunlit senweed
He moved with painful effort tows
her. She turned up to him her pitt
writhen face, white as parchment.
"Are you--hurtY he managed to a
Il mean-lnjuredT
She moved her head from side
side us II she could not speak for pa
Ing.
'I'H--gIad.' he said DULY. "I
slny--here I'll go get help.