The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-07-11
FOR
LIBERTY
By ELINOR MARSH

| Great Britain, having decided after
the surrender of CORVALLIS at York
town that 1t would not pay to prose
cute the war further to subdue the
colonies. gave up trying to do SO, but
having for a couple Of hundred years
held supremacy on the ocean continued
to exercise a number Of tyrannical so
called privileges in reference to our
merchant marine She claimed the right
to search our ships for British desert
ing sailors and was not particular as
to their being British. Many an Amer
lean was taken off Yankee ship and
forced to serve In the English navy.
This was not the worst. The kings
coast, send boats ashore with a press
gang and carry off any man found de-
fenseless
Cyrus Tomkins was farmer in those
days on the coast south of New York at
point where Asbury Park Is now To-
Gated.
One day a ship was seen running in
very near the land. She was Il man-of-
war, that was evident from her ports
but she carried no flag. Cyrus was
working in the field and too intent upon
what he was doing to notice Il boat put
out from the vessel and pull to the
shore. The first thing he knew he was
tackled from behind by several strong
men and. despite his efforts to free him
self. was hustled down to boat and
carried to the ship.
The coast was sparsely settled In
those days. and it is questionable If
any one saw the abduction. TOmkins'
wife was not at home. and his children
were at school some distance from the
water
The farmer knew that his capture
meant serving a term of enlistment in
the British navy. separated from his
home and his family. As soon as he
! was taken aboard he was entered as
an able seaman, put In sailor toys and
left to go where he pleased. for as for
going ashore he could not do that
without swimming all the way, dis
lance Of a mile and half.
The wind was blowing fresh on shore.
and the commander OF the ship desired
to sail away, but he had sent another
boat to point further north and was
Obliged to await its return. He sailed
back and forth for awhile, but. the
boat not appearing, he dropped his an
Choir The wind had freshened instead
Of lulling, and It was believed that the
absent ones dare not put out from the
shore in the face OF such rollers.
1t was sunset before Mrs. Tomkins
family came home. Not finding her
husband waiting for his supper, she
went out to look for him. Seeing his
farming tools where he had been cap
tured, the marks Of a struggle and the
ship anchored out In the ocean, she
took I'm the situation. Then she saw
some one on the ship waving. This
was not the first depreciation Of British
ships on the coast, and the poor woman
knew that her husband had been taken
from her. his home and his family.
! When Cyrus waved to his wife n tar
standing near him saw him.
"Sayin' goOdby to the ole woman
mater" he said. Like enough this is
the last sight you'll get of 'er for a
matter Of three year or more
Cyrus made no reply; he was calcu-
lating the chances Of his getting ashore
in such wind and sea I'm case he at
tempted to swim the distance. He must
make the attempt. If at all, under cover
of darkness, for If seen he would be re-
captured But to swim In such sea at
all was equivalent to suicide, and in
the darkness he would not know in
what direction he was swimming.
Cyrus had son fourteen years old
that was as much OF duck as his
father. Young Cy thought OF the swim
ming problem and on the same lines
as the captive As soon as 1t was dark
he made bonfire on the high bank
overlooking the ocean Tomkins saw
Ii and knew very well what 1t meant,
From that moment his resolution was
taken.
Watching his opportunity he worked
his way up on to the fOrecastle where
there was no one to see, and let himself
down on to the bOwsprit chains. An
enormous wave swept him off, and he
was committed to the mercy Of the
deep. The stern OF the vessel was
blown toward the shore and he was
obliged to swim along the side. Fortu-
nately he was not thrown against 1t
and was soon driven by the wind and
waves beyond the stern. He felt that
he could live in the water, but doubted
that he could make a landing in such
sea However, he nerved himself by
the thought that he had bathed In wa
ter ALMOST as turbulent and hoped for
the best. Whenever ne rose on a crest
he looked for the shore light, but the
wind was blowing straight on shore and
was taking him toward it. AS to guild
ing his direction that was impossible.
1t was not very long before he heard
II. \.