The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1916-06-03
CHAPTER xxiv-contInued.


hours. ! was wet and chilled to the
marrow. till ] felt more dead than
alive. My body was stiff from exer-
ton as well as from cold, and my
aching muscles gave me the sever
est torture whenever l used them,
and ! used them continually. And all
the time we were being driven off
from Japan toward bleak Boring sea.
Maud's condition was pitiable. She
sat crouched In the bottom of the
boat. her lips blue. her face gray and
plainly showing the pain she suffered.
Bnt ever her eyes looked bravely at
me. and ever her lips uttered brave
words.
The worst of the storm must have
blown that night, though little l no
ticed Il. had succumbed and slept
where I sat in the stern-sheets. The
morning of the fourth day found the
wind diminished to a gentle whisper.
the sea dying down and the sun shin
ing upon us. Oh. the blessed sun!
How we bathed our poor bodies in its
delicious warmth, reviving like bugs
and crawling things after a storm.
We smiled again, said amusing things
and waxed optimistic over our situa-
ton. Yet 1t was. II anything. worse
than ever.
Came days of storm, days and
nights of storm. when the ocean men,
-aced us with its roaring whiteness
and the wind smote our struggling
boat with Titan's Bullets. It was in
such a storm, and the worst we had
experienced. that what I saw I could
not at first believe. Days and nights
Of sleeplcssness and anxiety had
doubtless turned my head. looked
hack at Maud. to identify myself, as
It we're, In time and space. Again
turned my face to leeward, and again
| saw the jutting promontory. black
and high and naked, the raging surf
that broke about its base and beat its
front high up with spouting fountains.
the black and forbidjing coast line
running toward the southeast and
fringed with tremendous scarf OF
white.
Maud" said. Maud"
She turned her head and beheld the
sight.
1T cannot be Alaska!" she cried.
Alas. no." answered. and asked,
Can you swim?"
She shook her head.
Neither can l." said. so we
must get ashore without swimming
in some opening between the rocks
through which we can drive the boat
ana Chamber out. But we must be
auckland sure"
spoke with a confidence she knew
did not feel, for she looked at me
with that unfaltering gaze Of hers
and said:
Il have not thanked you yet for all
you have done for me, but"
She hesitated, as II in doubt how
best to word her gratitude.
"Well?" said. brutally, for I was
not quite pleased with her thanking
me.
''Ysu might help me-" she smiled.
To acknowledge your obligations
before you die? Not at all We are
not going to die. We shall land on
that island. and we shall be snug and
sheltered before the day is DONE"
spoke stoutly, but did not be-
lieve word. Nor was prompted to
lie through fear. felt no fear. though
was sure of death in that boiling
surge amongs the rocks which was
rapidly growing nearer. II was I'm
possible to claw on that shore. The
wind would instantly capsize the
boat; the seas would swamp It the
moment It fell into the trough; and.
besides. the sail. dashed to the spare
oars. dragged in the sea ahead Of u.
~ . sea-anchor.
Instinctively We drew closer IN
gether IN the bottom Of the boat. I
felt her mittened hand como out 10
mine. And thus, without speech. We
waited the end. We wsfe mot far on
the line the wind made with the west
esn edge OF the promontory. and I
watched In the hope that some ut o.
the current or send Of the - would
arift US past before We reached TIE
surf. 4. , ~
-. 4 49, =