Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-07-27
CHAPTER V.-(Continued.l

1t was fancy. but in the nearest of
the boats 1 thought L could see a
white face strained toward me. Fan
cy, vest, but-my blood grew warm
er. I was quite calm as I turned
back and unfastened the mare.
l led her to the edge of the deck;
she drew back and that scream of
terror that had made me leap from
the life-boat to the rail burst from
her throat. She would have turned,
but l chung to her, shouting into her
ear; 1 felt the sweat burst through
her skin and She shivered. But the
scream ceased; she turned her eyes
to me. And I knew 1 had her!
Rope was coiled by the bulwark.
Tough cordage that would not yield
to my jackknife. l cut it with my
ak. I made a running moose at one
end and lifted the mares ~forefoot
and slipped it through the moose. ]
drew the moose way up-tight. ]
passed the rope across her shoulders
and tied it around the other foreleg,
right where it Joined her body. A
heavy strand of rope thus went across
her back. Again 1 spoke to her
soothing her. stroking her. Ny arm
about her neck, my mouth at her ear
II petted her ~.
A giant wave hurled itself against
the port side. l heard the Christmas
plates groan. A shudder ran her
whole length; her dock seemed like
the heavily breathing lungs Of a
sleeping man. II felt, the deck take
on--a deeper. slant; the waves were
now practically level with her star
board side. l swung astride the
mare. l felt her muscles bunch and
a CULVER ran through her body.
leaned forward, stroking her nose;
ran the end of my belt through the
rope that circled the mare and buck.
led 1t securely about me. Another
wave crashed against the port side,
The deck slanted still more. Vivian
diere was almost on her launches. ]
looked through the open gangway
No man that lived could ever make
the shore, were he twenty times 9
she was my only chance! AS another
wave struck the port side, 1 drove my
heels into the mare. She hesitated
only a, second. I saw a wave reach
its fulness and sweep away from the
Christmas open gangway. Thu
mares body stifened; we were in the
seat
I san not remember. in detail
much that happened thereafter. ]
vandiere rose high on q crest: that
she turned her course-when VIZ
came above we were facing down the
coast, parallel with the stranded
Christina-toward the line of distant
surf. From then on is but a tangled
memory Of striving to keep my seat
on her back; Of being tossed and
pounded and overwhelmed in tons OF
water; Of being swept from her back;
LOT losing my grip on her halter: Of
clutching at her name with both
hands; Of feeling my belt cut into the
flesh above my hips; OF being glad
meant the leather held: Of striving te
her forefoot. AZ It rushed bach
Through the water. cutting and lam.
ing my leg: of q twisting. always.
reaching wave lifting us high, then
passing from under us while W.
seemed to fall into "a trough inc
which we sank; OF being swept be.
meath the mare; Of realizing that mi
belt had slipped from the middle Of
the rope that crossed her back; .oi
lcursing myself because I had Aot
i%foreseen such slipping and knotted Il
in place. Of arangling, gasping--
Ny eyes opened within six inchel
tof 2 hife-shell beach; coquina. / Later
Learned. I saw little sheli-hsh up.
into the shell-sand, disappearing.
tcould fee12that I was sprawled across
something. that my feet and hand.
dropped on the beach, while my hipt
were elevated. and whatever I rested
on pressed most uncomfortably init
1.-THE pit OF my. stomach. From 4 dis.
ltAnce. II seemed, Isheard voices,
GLORY be. he's wieglin His arrun1
There's Z poonch In thin yet"