Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1918-06-15


were piling over themselves in boiling
torrents where a sharp toothed reef
was hidden a couple of feet below the
surface.
The explanation OF the revolver
shots was obvious. A small steam
boat was damned hard and fast on the
rocks and was pounding herself with
a violence which prophesied a short
life for her hull. just as appeared
man forward of the pilothouSe fred a
revolver in the air. AS soon as he saw
me he began to wave his arms vio-
lently and pointed to three other fig
ures crouched on the deck.
BY this time the rest of our party
had caught up with mo.
He seems to be signaling" Bopp
interpreted sagely. "Wonder what he
wants"
What would you want If you were
in boat aground in the lake with
every chance of going to pieces in ten
minutes" l yelled so as to be heard
above the sea. Il suppose you would
be wishing for some poached plover's
eggs on a strip Of toast"
They can't expect US to come out
there and get them" be decided. mo
boat could live in that sea. 1t would
be suicide to attempt 10 reach them
1--WE must do something" Lucille de-
cided, with ready sympathy. I'm
very fCnd of the captain. He's been
bringing our supplies for ten years"
us that the supply boatY BOpp de-
manded.
why, yes: certainly"
1--WE must do something at once"
Bopp began TO run around in busy cir
cles in the sand. "We must attempt
to reach the poor devils. Kent, where
is that boat of yours?'
81 drew it up on the shore here, right
alongside the dock. Why, where is itT
Gone, eh?" Bopp shook his head
knowingly. Probably the heavy sea
washed it off,
Yes, but no sea ever united the knot
had in her painter around this post
here" Kent would have seen a mys-
terry in Utopia His mind insisted
upon being pitted against the unknown.
well, what are We going to dO|
Bopp said helplessly. '"Those poor dew
lis out there are counting on us. Think
of being on a vessel loaded with bread,
butter, eggs, vegetables and meat and
having it break up under your feet
What shall we do?"
I'm afraid we won't have time to do
anything" / decided. Her back is
broken It's only a question Of sec
Ouds now"
The people on board realized it too.
They hastily launched life raft over
the side and scrambled on to it as the
decks crumpled beneath them and be-
came a twisted mass Of timbers that
writhed fora moment and fell back
into the waves to become driftwoOd.
The raft fortunately had cleared the
wreck in plenty of time and was now
drifting past our cove toward the main
land. The men on board seemed busy
arranging a sort of mast and sail made
out Of an oar and a couple of oilskins.
When they got that rugged up two Of
them held it up while third attempt
ed to steer with a second oar.
They're going to try to land on the
other point of the cove" Lucille said.
I'VE must be there to help them when
they come ashore. There are rocks
about a hundred yards out where the
raft will strike if it isn't driven past"
She led off on a dog trot which took
the last tuck out of me when attempt
ed to follow. l got there some way.
however, but minus the power of
/ speech.
Don't land herew shouted Lucille
into the teeth Of the gale. Dangerous
rocks %
| They discovered the rocks for them
selves almost Immediately and slid off
from the raft in a compact group. In
der the direction Of Kent. who had read
a book about it somewhere, we form
ed ourselves into a life line by holding
on to one another's hands and wading
out into the surf.
One by one the shipwrecked victims
struggled TO us ami were passed on up
to the shore. Three were landed In
this way, but the fourth failed to make
IT, l could see a head bobbing up and
down a hundred feet away. but In
moment the head disappeared alto
gether.
(TO BE CONTINUED)