The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-11-11

the bank he leapcd; then he raised
his voice and sent forth loud cry.
1t was wasted effort, for it failed to
carry. Nevertheless, the warning
note in his voice brought his hearers
running after him. g..
whats the mattcr?' Pierce in
quired
The pilot paid no heed; he began
waving his cap in long sweeps, curs-
ing meanwhile in a patois which the
others could not understand. a..
Even while they stared at the
RonIetta she drove head on into an
expansc of tumbing breakers, then
the onlookcrs could not believe their
eyes-shc stopped dead still, as if
she had come to the end of steel
cable or as if she had collided with
an invisible wall. Instantly her en-
tire after part was smothered in
white. Slowly her bow rose out of
the chaos until perhaps ten feet of
her bottom was exposed, then she
assumed a list.
The Countess uttered a strangled
exclamation. "Oh-h! Did you see?
There's man overboard"
Her eyes were quick. but others,
too. had bcheld a dark bundle picked
up by some mysterious agency and
flung end over end into the waves.
The RonlettdS dcck-load was dis
solving: a moment or two and she
turned completely around, then drift
ed free.
"Nhy-tl,cy brought the girl
along, cried the Countess, in grow
ing diSmay Sam Kirby should
lave had better sense. He ought to
be hung"
From the tents and boats along the
hanl, from the village above, people
were assembling hurriedly, a babel
OF oaths, of shouts arose.
'Poleon found bis recent en-
ploycr plucking at his sleeve.
There's woman out there
kirby's girl" she was crying. Cant
YOU 10 something's
'Waitr' He flung of her grasp
and watched intcntly.
Soon the helpless scow was abreas,
Of the cncampmcpt, and in spite OF
the frantic efforts Of her crew to
propel her shorcward she driltcd
,nonCrtarily closer to the catarac,
below. Manifcstly it was impossible
to row and intercept the derclict be.
fore she took the plunge, and so
helpless in this extremity, the audi
cnce began to stream down over the
rounded boulderS which formed the
margin Of the river. On the oppo.
site bank another crowd was keep
ing pace with the wreck. AS the,
ran. these people shouted at one an
other and gcsticulatcd wildly. Their
faces were white, their words wer,
meaningless, for it was spectacle
tense with imminent disaster thai
they beheld; it turned them sick with
apprehension.
Immediately above White Horse
The current gathers itself for the fna
plunge, and although, at the last mo-
ment. :le Ronle'!a seemed about &c
straighten herself out and take thu
rapids head on, some malign in
fluence checked her swing and sh.
hinged over quartcrlnsly to the tor
| rent.
A roar issued from the throats O
the beholdcrs; the craft reappeared
and then. moment later, was hal
hidden again in the smother. /
could be seen that she was com
plctely awash and that those gallop
ing white-mancd horses we're Charg
ing over her. She was buffetet
about as by battcring-rams; the re
r1ainder of her cargo was being rap
IDLY torn from her deck. Soon an
other shout arose. for human figure
could be seen still elinging to her.
Onward the scow went, until ono
again she fetched tip on a reef or +;
rock which the low stage of tn
river had brought close to the sur
face; there she hung.
'Polcon Doret had gone into &C
ton ere this. Having satisfied him
self that some Of the Ronletfa,
crew remained alive, he case loos'
the painter Of the nearest skiH ant
called to Phillips, who was standing
close by:
Come on! We goin' get dos
people!"
Now Pierce had had enough
rough water for one day; it seemed
to him that there must be othe
men in this crowd better Quali6ct
by training chan he to undertake
this rescue. But nc ono stepped
forward and so he ebeycd Dorct'
order. As he slipped out Of hi
coat and kicked off his boots. IL
reflected. witt, a sinking feeling 0
disappointment, that his emotions
were not by any means sucl, as :
really courageous man would OK
re::cncc. He was completely lack
ing, in enthusiasm for this enter
prise, for it struck hin, as risky
ray foolhcarty, insane, to take /;
boat over that cataract i'll al at
tempt to snatch human beings OF,
from the .very midst of thos
thrcshirg breakers. It scenes
more than likely that all hand
would be. drowned in the under
taking, and he could not sur1mo,
the, reckless abandon necessary I,
face that likelihood with anythin,
exccnt the frankcst apprehension
He was surprised at himself. TO
he had imagined that when his mo
meut came, if ever it did, that he
Phillips, would prove to be .. ratl,e
exceptional person; instead he dis
covered that he was something O
a coward. The unexpectcdness O
this discovery astonished the youn,
,aan., Being deeply and thorough
w frightened, lit was nothing les
than the sabl1orrcnce 1 at allowin,
seaf 1efa5 g essome fnown wh IL
own sight he dwindled to yer,
small proportions !: then came TIL
| realization that Doret was having
, s y.