Year: 1877

downward, kept their position. The Cap
tain waited a moment, while the light
faded from his countenance as no re.
sponse came, and then, as if in very de.
spair, he shouted:


Is there man here who knows thi:
coast?'


Again no reply came, ana he was upor
the point of turning away, when the lad
who had been kneeling under the pro
lection of the bulwark, trying to stop ,
rent which the pressure had made in the
hose that the old trapper was tending
rose out of the shadow, and, approaching
the Captain, said:


Yes, sir. / know the coast"


Who are you" said the Captain
that claim such knowledge? Are yor
not the youth / saw with the old hunter
at the table tonight? How should you
born in the interior. know anything
about this coast?7


Il was not born in the woods re
sponded the lad, | was born within Ter
miles of where we are, and Iknow every
rock and reef and point. for l have fished
on them all, and know every beach, fol
I used to play on them when boy


The Captain looked incredulous. He
had associated him with the hunter and
the wilderness, and it seemed incredible
that he should have been born where he
said he was born, and that he should be
on that boat that night, and be discover
ed by the merest accident at the very in.
slant OF supreme peril.


Captain" said the old trapper, who
had drawn nigh--Cap'n, whatever the
lad sais ye can sartinly take for Gospel
truth. And if he says he was born here
he was born here; and if he says he
knows this shore, he does know it; and
We can rely on him to do what he says he
can do; for his words be truth, and his
acts be like his words"


Young man." said the Captain, have
you any other friends on board beside
this hunter"


"Sartain he has," said the old man,
answering the question for the lad;
"there be Henry here, who has boated
with him and camped with him off and
on, and the lad saved his life once, and
that's a service that man isn't apt to
forget. Yis, you may set ii down, ,Cap'n,
that Henry and me be the lad s friends. y


Call him here" said the Captain,
hoarsely, and then follow me to the
pilot house"


1t was with the greatest effort that the
four were able to reach the point desig
mated, for the gale was blowing with in
creased violence, and the iron rods and
ropes they grasped to steady themselves
we're already hot; and even as they
reached the upper deck the flames broke
fiercely ont from the hatchways and the
fire began to run in wavering lines along
the inner timbers of the bulwarks and
the ornamental edgings of the upper
| deck.


Il have called you here" said the Cap
tain, -to ask you in the presence of my
officers If there is any safespot, any cove
or bay, into which the steamer can be
run along the coast abreast of us


DO you mean TO beach her, Captain?'
asked the lad


Yes he responded, 1T is our only
chance. We must beach her. Can you
do it's


Il can," said the lad, simply.


you can" exclaimed the Captain
"do you mean to say, young man, that
you can beach this steamer? Gentle
men," he continued, as he turned to his
officers, IF this young man can do what
he says, every soul can te saved


e.. can do just what ! tell you I can
do" said ;he lad; that Is If The engines
work, and we can fetch her aruun III
this sea, and the flames don't get ahead
of us; for there is little bay nearly
abreast of us, and the water is deep in it.
and the beach is free from rocks and
stones, and | can tell the pilotjust where
to steer to get into it."


"But," said the Captain, and he spoke
with hurried utterance, as one who feels
there isn't moment to lose, "you ought
to know, and your friends here ought to
know, the danger you run for the flames
will break out in few moments. You
can hear them roaring under-deck al
ready. The flames will break out in a
moment, l say; this pilot-house will be
on fire, and he who stands beside it will
stand in the center of flames, and it will
be through Gods mercy if he comes out
with his life. feel it to be my solemn
duty to state these things to YOU, young
man, and in the presence ofyour friends
who are interested in your life. Now
knowing your danger, knowing that you
will probably lose your life, l ask you
again, will you pilot this steamer to that
beach? There are 600 souls on board
and if you do it you will be their savior
Will you do it?''


The lads face never changed a muscle
The light in hiseye may possibly have
darkened a little, and the old trappel
noted that his long, awkward fingers
shut into their palms with slightly
tightened grip, but his voice was Guiet
as ever as he said:


Il will help you beach her, Captain


The Captain hesitated yet a a.moment
He knew himself that the lad was going
to his death-going with quietness that
could have only ignorance or finest hero
ism for its course. 1t was not to be
wondered at that, accepting as he wa:
the sacrifice of life, he was touched.
He gazed at the singular being before
him, observed the simple guilelessnes'
OF his countenance, and, dashing teal
from his eye, he turned TO the trappel
and said:


| "Old man, this boy is your companion
and you love him.


Yes; the lad and me have slept to
gether, and we've eaten from the same
bark, and me and him have done little
sarvices for each other that men in the
woods don't forgit, and l guess you're
about right, Car,n, when We say that ]
love the lad"