The Washington herald., 1921-09-25

years ago. He walks with difficulty.
bit stopped his massive shoulders erect still,
but showing the vigor which surrounded him, like
an aura, when l first met him at Of the Coast
Guard stations down the Carolina coast His step
had lost the snap which had allowed him to tramp
four miles down the beach in heavy boots through
the sand and water, in snow rain and icy wind. and
be back again in hours The spirit there but
the flesh had gone down. What had happened to
Davy?
The surest way not to find to ask him
notice the change in any way. So hailed him as
he was whit older than the day when he showed
me the proper way to handle in choppy sea.
and he responded with the gruff growl which
sounded he would be ready to order you out of
his sight in about a minute Only the wrinkles
around his eyes showed he glad to anyone
again.
Had any wrecks lately, Davy" asked, for il it
was possible to get him started long, strong and
stirring tales of adventure would flow from
nexhaustbie This coast guarder took pulling
people of the widest that blew water
from the bottom of the ocean just much of the
days work.
IT'S all in the official reports" he said, with that
touch OF pride which to surfmen who have put
in their best years serving Uncle Sam.
81 know they arc" answered, "and meant to
ask you about pulling those six off the Dauntess
when she aground. | read the report you gave
II
skipper to shove his boat far from true course"
"Be easy" he cautioned. "Any may make
mistake dark night with the tide running strong
and the wind blowing the fur off cat. Accidents
happen land too. Look out for that trolley car"
grabbing my and husting two steps forward
just in time to jump away from a motor truck. The
close shave loosened his tongue.
st was a wild time" said Davy at was a wild
time. Do you mind the three scraggy pine trees that
grew the bluff where ye used to go and eat yer
meals all alone. The surf came clean that bluff
and was foot deep around those little trees"
That meant a real blow That meant surf which
boiled like water in devils cauldron through which
nothing less sturdy than big surfboat manned by
men who knew automatically what had to be done
every instant and had the muscles do it could ever
hope to go. And it meant wrecks the beaches
along the coast from below Hatteras to Sandy Hook
wrecks which the summer visitors would stare at
and marvel and then pick to pieces to make fires
the sand of evening around which the boys and
girls would do their spooning while the wood which
carried some near to death furnishing warmth
to keep away the chill of the salt breeze.
&c it came to the trees, eh1 And how far out
- was the ship? Did she get inside the second
bar. thought from the report"
"She was just inside" said Davy. "Just inside
and she went aground a bar which must have
been thrown up by the storm the week before. For
she broke in two. the rotten wood in the heart and
ribs of her being good for naught and not able to
stand reasonable bit of pounding which an insurance
company ought to make sure of before they let
= wagon like that go from the dock
'She was half mile. nearly, from the station
and out about tina. far, too far to use line at all,