Year: 1874

lOOKeu ABOUT, lelI LnaI, eACepI lhe uiLL'hee
and wonderful ringing that was ceaselessl)
going on in my head, | was unhurt. And
was saved? That was as it might happen.
When l rose and stood upon my feet,
looked around me, and found that | hat
fallen upon little island, narrow spit O.
sand that had formed in the eddy caused by
the pile of the bridge. On each side of it raj
a strong and rapid current.


All this 1 saw by the light of the moon
sometimes bright, sometimes obscure, as shf
parted her way among the fast driving clouds


Distantly across the waters shone the light:
of the little town. 1t had its gas lamps
which sparkled brilliantly in the night; and
from out of the black rocks which showed
against the sky line, here and there the sof
light of candle in cottage window CLEANED
like fairy lamp.


On the other side of the estuary there were
no lights but the straining eye might discern
the gloom of high hills, that seemed, indeed
only like darksome chasms in the sky; bu
as I watched, saw tiny star that was glid
ing among the rocks. Now seen, now lost,
followed it with longing eyes; and listening
intently I heard the clatter of horses hoofs
and the murmur Of wheels rising and falling
as the road wound in and out among the rocks
further or nearer. 1t was some carriage roll
ing rapidly toward homc-toward my home
and here was /, a castaway.


shouted, but my voice seemed lost in the
great space The wind carried it up the river
blew it away into stihed fragments. 1t was
useless to cry No one would hear me. Ho"
long should l have to live? Was there any
chance that / might yet escape? | could not
swim; the channel on either side was, there
fore, an impossible barrier. Even had been
an excellent swimmer, 1 doubt if in my ell
feebled state I could have won the further
bank of the channel, where the current was
running the least swiftly. How long would
nv island remain uncovered by the sea?


Six or eight feet above my head tangled
masses of seaweed, hanging in the interstices
of the woodwork, showed the highest reach OF
the ebb had commenced an hour before
started from Abermaw. Allowing an hour
for my subsequent adventures, the ebb would
still have three hours to run and then an
other three hours flood would elapse before
the tide would once more reach me. l re-
membered that had flask Of metal in my
pocket which still contained dram Of bran
dy, and that l had few fragments of biscuit
in my pocket, remaining of some that my
wife had packed up for my use couple OF
days before. drank the brandy and MUNICH
ed the biscuits, and again felt hopeful. Six
hours! Why, in that time help might come
Death was no longer imminent.


But I was entirely wrong. The strong
southwesterly gales had piled up the waters
about the mouth of the estuary, so that the
ebb was checked, and the flood increased
and the tide ran out only some three hours
1 must have been longer lying on the sand.
too, than had calculated, for, as | watched
the waters hurrying down on each side of me-
I noticed that the current seemed to slacken
all of sudden then it stopped, so that a
fragment of bleached wood that was floating
downward came to a rest, then moved slowly
once more upward. The tide had turned.


In very short time the vast expanse OF
waters before me, that had just now seemed
a broad river outlet, scored and marked with
sand banks, assumed the appearance OF an ag'
itated sea. Short waves hurried along, their
white crests cleaning in the moonlight; they
came in serried lines, tier over tier; the hoarse
roar of the advancing tide reverberated in the
air, mingling in my brain with the strange
rattle as of bells that would never cease to
jingle therein.


How remorseless they seemed, those waves,
hurrying up, like hounds who view their
prey! And yet it was solemn scene; and
what there was of dignity and grandeur in
the sight, half reconciled me to the thought
that my life would be swallowed up, ere long,
in these advancing battalions Of serried waves
for now the bitterness of death was past /; its
terrors had vanished; felt profound sad
ness-that was ALL


How far could climb up the Shiny, slip
perry posts and buttresses, that seemed to
mock me with their lying profers of safety ?
A couple of cross beams or ties which bound
together the lower ends of the piers afforded
at their intersection sort of angular resting
place, where could, for time, perhaps, find
a refuge from the waves. This was far below
high water mark, so that to reach it would
only give me a short respite from my final
agony but for all that determined to at
tempt it. As soon as the water covered the
little island on which stood I would try to
climb that slippery beam that rose from the
sand, in which it was partly buried, at an
angle Of about forty-fve degrees.


With the tide rose the wind with the wind
came rain and fog. The moon, blurred and
iDdistinct, shone family for a while, and then
vanished altogether, although her diffused
light still made everything darkly visible.
Soon the waves were dashing at my feet, the
sand pulp beneath. Now was the time to
make my last effort for little more life.
But found that 1 had overrated my own
powers. I crawled few feet up the slippery
timber then l fell back. Again I tried, and
again but it was of no use. Strength does
not come of eager desire to be strong. All
that could do was to clasp my arms round
the beam and stand upright, awaiting the
coming of the waters.


The water rose, not gradually, but in pull
ses. Smaller waves came and went, and left
no change of level but every now and then
some heavier, fercer billow would come in
with devouring sweep, covering me with its
foam and spray, receding again, but at each
recession leaving greater depth Of swaying,
life.like water. These attacks, like bu ffers
from the hand of some skilled boxer, left me
weaker and weaker at every blow. And it
was so treacherous, too, the water. 1t would
draw away for time, leaving me free from
almost to nv knees; and then, as if driven
by some sudden impulse, it would gather itself
up and return in great seething swathe OF
water that would swallow me up from head
to foot.


The end was fast coming now. l had ceas
ed to feel anything. Only dogged deter
mination to stick to life to the last kept me
clinging to my beam.


But, what was that sound? A long and