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't in the li ht of the lantern, and the glare of
lllgédfllame madge the outer darkness more intense
when he tried to peer out to sea. He shut the
slide, and tried to make out what was 20ng 011: lillu
all that could be Seen was a waste of black water
streaked with white foam, as the. long rollers came
driving in from the ofl‘ing, charging the foot of tho
clifis. . ,

Every now and then some wave, more audngiou
than the rest, came dashing up to the f00t m _r '11:“
clifi, though at ordinary times it was far above him.-
water mark, and sent a shower of spray into the
face of the patrolman, as he tramped his beat in
silence.

An occasional gleam of light in the sky, showed
him a ragged cloud, driving across the face of the
others at atremendous pace; and the fOrce of the
wind was so great that he could not keep a steady
walk, but had to zigzag, as the gusts allowed him

Bv dint of feeling his way by the light of the
storm-lantern. he manang to know where he was,
and at last arrived opposite the place where the
great rock known as the " Hogs Back ’ stood out
of the sea. at a short distance from the shore.

He closed the slide of his lantern, for it was no
use to pierce the darkness beyond, and its glare
blinded him as it shone into his eyes.

Straining his eyes into the darkness. lie was helped
by a vivid flash of lightning. that illuminated the
ocean for a spam: of nearly half a minute, making
the whole scene as light as day. He could see the
waste of tossing waters, looking hungry and hide-
ous, their wild crests topped with ragged foam. torn
into flying Spindrift that came driving along the
gale, inland, and was wafted for miles before it
touched the ground.

Over the Hog‘s Back a perfect tower of foam was
dashing, as the waves broke over the ragged rocks
beneath, and the surfman shuddered as he said to
himself: _ n

“ God help ’em if they go there, to-night.

The only comfort in the prospect, as he surveyed
it in that brief flash, was the fact that it was empty
of human works. _ _-

“ Thank God! there ain’t no sails about to—night,”
he said. ,

The patrolman resumed his weary march on the
shore, and came to the end of his beat. where he
was eXpected to wait for the light of the lantern of
his mate, who was to meet him from the next
station .

But there was no lantern out that night, and he
came to the conclusion that the men at the next
station had gone home, as the men of Mattasconset
would have done. had it not been for the words of
Old “'eatherwax. . _

Jack peered through the darkness for some min-
utes, and then, seeing them was no light coming to
meet him. he turned his steps again in the direction
of the station, and tramped back, feeling glad no
ship had made its appearance outside.

The lightning was growing more fre uent every
minute, as he neared the vicinity of the 00’s Back.
Arrived there. with the instinct of long Iiabit, he
stopped, to peer out to sea again.

He waited for a flash, and the next that came
showed him the sea, with marvelous distinctness.

He stared out, and in a moment had uttered a cry
of horror and anguish, and started to run, as hard
as he could, toward the station.

H» had seen a ship, close to the racks .’ .’ .'

He wasted no time in looking, to find if his eyes
had not deceived him. He knew well enough that
they had not. He had stared out to sea too many
times to be deceived. It was a ship, and that ship a
steamer, coming for the Hog‘s Back, with the storm
behind her, the long plume of black smoke pouring
from her funnels as she came, and he knew that she
was out of her course, and would go to pieces in a
Very few minutes after she had struck.

But even while he was running to alarm his com-
rades he was not idle, for the patrolmen carry sig-
nals, which ignite by pullin a trigger, and he was
drawing one of these out of is coat as he ran.

The next minute the bright gleam of the Bengal
light flashed over the sea, and the patrolman, leav-
ing it burning at the foot of the cliff, to warn the
ship off the rock. confident that no storm could blow
it out, ran on to the station.

As he ran, he fired his pistol in the air, and it was
answered from the station.

The crew of the life-boat had heard him.

He saw the flashing of lights in the gloom, and knew
that the rough fellows were getting out the boat and
the other apparatus, ready for him, when he came to
tell them the locahty of the wreck.

Alas for the ship!

Even the life-boat was no use to help a craft on
the Hog’s Back. Jack knew that the water on either
side was deep, and that there was not even the small
room thata ship requires to lodge on the summit.
Any shi that went there was sure to be dashed to
pieces, in less than an hour.

With all these thoughts in his mind, the brave fel-
low ran on, and, at the next flash, lanced over his
shoulder to see if the ship had struc yet.

She had been heading straight for the rock when
he had seen her last, and he had a faint hope that
she might have seen the signal, and have checked
her course in time. As the flash came he turned,
and saw a terrible sight.

The clouds had broken away in a spot right over
the Hog‘s Back, as if to show him what was going
on. and the steamer was turning her course from
the rock, as if, for the first time, she had perceived
the dangerous vicinity. Jack saw her full broad-
side as she tried to turn, and then came a tremen-
dous wave that took the ship up as if it had been a
toy boat, and dashed it straight on the summit of
the terrible rocks!

The surfman tarried no longer to look; but ran
on, and in a few minutes more had reached the sta-
tion, and found his three comrades outside waiting
for him; for it was so dark that nothing could be
seen from the station.

“Where is it?” was the question that saluted him
as he came up, breathless.

“ Hog’s Back,” was the hurried answer, and then
came a sort of groan from the negro, as he said:

“ God help ’em, then! We can’t git there.”

“ We can try and fire a line to ’em,” was the
spirited answer; for Jack was well known as the
maniwho had never given up at an ' wreck, however
dangerous. “ Git the mortar reat y, and bring the
ropes. If we can‘t take a boat there, we can send
them a line, and save some of ’em.”

The surfmen needed no more words to set them to
work. True, the had been paid off that day, and
no power compe led them to risk theirlives in the
almost hopeless task of trying to rescue people
from a ship stranded on Hog‘s Back. None the
less, careless, gambling “ Breaker Charley,” “Long
Dart,” and “Zene the Smasher,” rushed out into
the tempest with the little mortar, and dragged it
through the sand along the path by the cliffs, lug-
ging along the ropes and life-lines. with which they
were about to attempt a battle with the sea.

They had not far to go to the rock on which the
ship had struck, and before the got there, the flash
of a gun out at sea. showed t em that those they
hoped to save were yet alive.

The ship had not gone to pieces, and that was
something on such a night. She could yet fire a

n.

The four men worked like giants, dragging the
mortar to the right place, and as they got it there.
Charley Coffin set another blue-light burning, half-
way up the cliff, which cast its livid glare far out to
sea, and revealed the whole spectacle to the gazers.

By one chance out of a hundred, the steamer had
struck on a plaCe in the Hog’s Back where there was
enough depression to hold her for a short space of
time, and she had lodged on that cleft in the black
mass of_death, and lay there with her bows high up
in the air, and theseas breaking over her.

“ Glit the gun p’mted and send them a line while
the light lasts,” said Jack, shortly; for he was the
acknowledged chief at times like this, from his cool-
ness and mechanical knowledge.

The mortar was fpointed, the shell in its mouth
the line danihng mm the chain. Jack himself
coded away t e rope so as to give it the best chance
of reaching the unhappy ship, and pointed the
weapon. Charley Coffin was burning the blue-lights
as fast as one expired in the storm, and the ship on
the rocks was partially visible.

Then came a brighter flash, and a thundering re-
port, and away went the shot from the mortar in a
straight line to the doomed ship.

With anxious eyes the surfmen watched it, and
saw the line of white spray as the rope dropped in-
to'the sea. Whether the shot had gone over the
ship, so as to give the shipwrecked men a chance to
get hold of the rope, was a question which no one
could answer for some seconds, on account of the
darkness; but a moment later Zene the Smasher
burst out into a shout of triumph, as the flash of a
blue-light came from the ship.

It was the understood signal.

Fastened to the chain that had connected that
shot to the rope was a little tag of iron with the
words in white paint:

“ HAUL!!!”

CHAPTER III.
SURF-BOAT JACK.

_ THAT the men on the wreck understood the in-
junction was evident, when a strain on the line an-
nounced that they had begun to obey it.

“ Bend on the blocks and life-lines. W'ho’ll go and
show them how to work ?” asked Jack, briefly.

Breaker Charley stepped forward with the re-
mark:

“ Reckon that’s my place, Jack."

_Zene the Smasher said nothing: but he was busy,
With the help of Long Dart, in fastening to the first
line the apparatus of life-saving, which has reached
such perfection in the coast service.

There was another line, much heavier than the
first, doubled and running through a block, so that
the men from the shore could haul on it.

As the people of the distant wreck dragged at this
contrivance, Macy grimly observed:

“ Not much tlIfie bto twafsttginboyg. Hog's Backs

i ht resk'att e es 0 es. _
mBgrea'llier C‘liarley heard him and heSitated; for he
knew well the meanin of the old bantucketer.

The wreck was brea ing up so rapidly that it was
probable that whoever went out would be swept ofi
wiih the rest when the rope became useless from
the failure of its sea-support. . . _

J : (-k t‘orwin saw the hesitation, and Immediately
stepped forward with the quiet observation:

‘ Charley, you’ve got a gal. I ain t got none yet.
I'll 20. Take care of—mother and Hannah—if—‘

He gave no time to the rest to dispute, for at that

ever, the man from the shore was to go out to the
wreck.

It was not generally necessary. for at the end of the
rope was a board with the full directions in staring
“rhito-i letters. meant to be read by the feeble light of
a lantern on a stormy night: but the presence of a
single cool man from the shore in a hfe-belt had of-
m, been known to effect wonders. and there were
things about the Hog's Back which the surfmen, who
had studied it in fine weather for years, ' linen“.
and which no one else did. Therefore, it was
eniiii»-ii'ly a good thing that some one from the sta—
tion should go. if such a thing could be done With-
oui certain death. The “ breeches—buoy "* was fast:
ened at this place in the rope. and in another mo-
meiit it would be carried out to the wreck, and the
opportunity be lost. , ‘

Jack Corwin anticipated the gomgof Charley by
stepping into the frame himself, and in another nio-
Illt‘llI he was carried out to sea on the thin, writhing
X‘\)I:t‘, going toward the wreck. ,

The Hog 3 Back was about a quarter of a mile
from the shore, and the waves were running forty
or fifty feet high as he \vent. The rope was at one
time buried deep in the bosom of the water, and at
another lifted above the face of the sea, straining
and bounding like a live thing. .

It would have been a terrible ourney to a man
who had been at sea all his life; ut to Jack it was
an old story. He had gone in_ .the breeches-buoy
many a time, and knew that With all the Journeys
he was making up and down he was safe from
drowning as long as the rope held. ‘ .

Round his own waist was a cork life:belt, which
would hold up three or four men, and his only dan-
ger lay in being (lashed against the rocks or the ship
if he was carelessly handled as he came near.

He could feel, from the way in which the rope was
being jerked through the water, _that the men on
the wreck were in a state of frantic exc1tement.

As he neared the wreck, which still held on the
summit of the Hog’s Back, he went down and up
with greater rapidity than ever, and could hear the
shouts and cries of the sailors and passengers on
board. Among these he recognized the shrieks of
women, and the big heart of the brave fellow soft-
ened within him as he said to himself aloud:

“ Please God, we’ll save ’em all yet.” _

Then he saw the wreck close above him, and
roared, at the full stretch of his powerful lungs:

“ ‘Vast heaving there! D’ye want to smash me to
bits? Haul easy and give me a. chance!”

That his words were heard was evident from the
chorus of feminine shrieks that saluted him, and
the next minute he was under the bows of the ship,
and had swung himself out of the buoy on board, to
find the wreck tottering and shaking, showmg she
could not last many minutes more.

To jump on board was the work of a moment to
the powerful and active surfman; and then he
turned to the group of people, shouting at the top
of his voice, for it was very difficult to be heard in
the howling of the tempest:

“ Women rust .’ Gt! back there, you lubbers.’ ”

For he saw a number of men, in the selfishness
that comes over all in the emergency of a. shipwreck,
rushing forward to get to the buoy.

But his words were not enough, for one man came
on in mad despair, grasped at the big surfman, and
tried to get past him into the breeches-buoy.

Jack, not wasting words with him, and used to the
baser side of human nature under terror, dealt him
a blow that sent him reeling into the scuppers,
shouting as he did so:

“ Ladusfusl, you lubber .’
and save your cowardly skin I ’

The man lay where he had been thrown, and the
surfman, not noticing him any more, turned to the
grou of women and said: "" ' 

“ ow then, two of ye,
hold on like grim death.
fear.”

Then, as he saw that the women were frightened
at his rough aspect, and doubtful of the safet of
the strange apparatus known as the “ breec es-
buoy,” he caught up one of them and thrust her by
main force into one leg of the contrivance, as if she
had been a baby, shouting as loud as he could:

“ old on now and llzey’llpull ye.’ ”

Then he caught up the next and treated her the
saire way, without so much difficulty, for this one
seemed to have more courage or more understand-
ing than the first.

he submitted quietly to the rough hands of Jack,
and the next minute the surfman shouted to the
crew of the wrecked ship, setting them the example:

-‘ Now then, ye lublnrx, slack at)“ the rope, or ye‘ll all
be in kingdom come in ten minutes .”’

The men slacked the ropes, and the journeyof the
two ladies to land, in the breeches-buoy, was safely
begun. As soon as it was well under way, and Jack
saw that there were plenty of hands to veer out, he
let go the rope and went to the side of the ship, to

eer over, and find how long she was going to
ast.

He saw enough to make him come back and shout
into the captain’s ear:

“ Where’s all the life-buoys?”

The captain, who seemed to be paralyzed at the
misfortune which had come over his ship, only shook
his head in a mournful manner, and pointed to the
stern of the ship, completely submerged; the fore-
castle being the only part that yet stuck up out of
the waves, which dashed over it at intervals. The
surfman saw that the ship, in striking, had been
driven up on the rocks; that the cabin, in which the
life-preservers were kept, was under water; there-
fore the aid of those contrivances, however feeble
they might be in such a tempest, was cut off from
the unhappy per: le, except those who had caught
them up in their rst rush for life, out of the cabin.

Jack glanced round him on the deck. and saw that
there were only a few people. There were three or
four sailors, one woman and the man he had knocked
into the scuppers, who had crawled up to windward,
and was now groaning and looking longingly over at
the shore, as if he thought he would never see it
again. This man was only half-dressed, and what
coiild be seen of his garments showed that he was no
sai or.

Jack looked anxiously over at the shore, and saw,
from the light of the Bengal signals, that his com-
rades were getting ready the life-car.

This is a large, egg-shaped contrivance, which will
hold several people, but is too heavy to be sent on
the first trip till the men have tested the strength of
the lines by the breeches‘buoy. The first messenger
would only take away two people at a time, but it
was already returning rapidly, traveling on the rope
by its roller; and Jack, to give courage to the men
around him, shouted:

“Here she comes, boys. We only want ten min-
utes more to git ye all off. Haul in the breeches,
quick, there! Put the other gal in.”

As the buoy came traveling back, and the passen-
ger by the weather-bulwarks heard the words, he
leaped up and yelled franticall :

f‘ Me too! Me tool My G0 , man! I’ll give a

million to the man who saves me. What are you
sawing all these common fellows for? I want to
go.
And he made another wild dart at the buoy as it
came in, evidently crazy with the terror of his posi-
tion. The woman, e ually frantic at the idea of be-
ing left (for the wrec ' began to quiver so violently
that Jack knew the end could not be far off) rushed
at the man and screamed out:

“ My God .’ would you leare me to die! Ned, Ned,
don’t leave me!”

She clung to him; and he, in the frenzy of his fear,
turned and dealt her a blow to drive her back, when
honest Jack threw him back into the scuppei‘s
again, shouting:

“ Ladiesfusr, I my. (1rd that’s the last time I"

Then he caught hold of the breechesbuoy as it
came in, and motioned to the woman who had called
so‘earnestly t0 the man, saying as loud as he could:

. Git m .’ No time to trail. ll'elzain’t got but afew
Minutes more. ”
Then, as _she hesitated, he caught her up and
threw her into the boot of the buoy on one side,
shouting:

“Next. Only room for one; but any of ye that
wants to hang on can resk it, if yer grip’s strong
enough.”

For the third time the. distraught creature in the
corner rushed forward. yelling in his despair:

“All my money to the one who gives me that place!
ll’fll ggve a million dollars to the man who saves my
1 P.

But he was in the midst of men who valued their
own lives as dearly as he; and the sailors, all but
the captain. rushed forward and tried hard to get in
the buoy as it hung by the side of the ship.

Jack took no further part in the struggle: for he
was disgusted at the way in which tlie“‘rich cow-
ard," as he called him in his heart, had behaved.

He was surprised to see him. with a power and
dexterity be had not thought such a man could pos-
SOSS. knock the sailors right and left, send one man
overboard with a single blow of his fist, and then
leap into the breeclics-buoy, and begin to haul him-
self and his companion to the shore.

D’ye want to see them die

7

uick i“ Git in here and
hey’ll pull ye in, never

 

*The “breeches-buoy ” is a contrivance to hold
two or more persons, and travels on a roller along
the rope, one on either side, so that the buoy strides
the line like a pair of breeches; hence the name. A
line to the shore and anotherto the ship haul it back
and forth.

 

moment the place had arrived in the rope where, if,

They saw it go up and down, but always to re-
emerge, till the group of men on shore had it'in their
hands, and then the great life-car began its Journey
to the ship. _ . _

“ Courage,” shouted Jack. in the ca tain s ear,
for the poor man seemed to be dazed. “ ere comes
the life-car. We’ll all be saved now.”

The words were hardly out of his mouth when the
ship trembled and shook under the assaults of the
waves as she had never done before, and Jack saw
that it was the strain of the life—car on the fi ame of
the wreck that was doing the business. Before, the
strength of the ship and the shocks of the waves
were nearly evenly balanced. and the prospects were
that she,w0uld have lasted ten minutes more; but
the greater weight and surface of the life-car made
all the difference.

Jack rushed to the topmost part of the wreck as
he felt the tremor. and roared:

“ She’s yoin‘.’ Hold on to me all that kin .' It’s the last
chance!

 

CHAPTER IV.
THE RESCUE.

As the surfman stood on the sloping platform of
the deck, with the cowering sailors clinging to his
belt, he looked like a god, and they seemed as if
they were worshiping him.

Instinctively they had fallen on their knees. and
clung to the belt of this one man, as if they believed
he had the power to save them single-handed.

Then came a tremor, and the sound of a rushing
wave, that made them all look up.

A huge roller, with a crest half a mile long, was
gathering high over their heads, in a wall of black,
between them and the sky, little light as there
was in that to comfort any one. _

The men on the wreck uttered a low whimpering
wail, and the captain, who had seemed a. moment.
before as if he was dazed, turned his head, uttered
a wild cry of terror, and rushed to the cable,
stretched to the shore from the stump of the fore-
mast.

Surf-boat Jack alone eyed the coming monster
as coolly as if he had made its acquaintance many
a time, as he had.

The wave rose over their heads, and covered the
doomed ship; there was a crashing of timbers, and
away went the remains of the steamer, swept out
of existence, as if it had been a toy boat. while the
brave surfman and the poor wretches clinging to
his belt were dashed about like bubbles.

Yet Jack. in the very heart of the great wave,
never lost his coolness, and knew what he was
about.

In the midst of the shock he had retained hold
of one of the lines, that were still fastened to the
shore; though the life-car was doubtless adrift, the
other end of the rope having been cast loose by
the destruction of its support.

He felt the men clinging to his belt; but his own
hands were free to grasp, and he was hauling at the
line in the very midst of the wave, Whenever he
felt it slacken in the least.

His great strength gave him an advantage in this,
which none of the men in his station possessed, and
Jack reckoned on that when he told the sailors to
“hold on to his belt.”

The great wave bad swept him off the wreck and
destroyed the ship at one blow: but it had a good
side to it, that it was goin toward the shore; for
the great danger, in his pOSition, wasithat he might
be dashed on the rugged spikes of the Hog’s Back,
and ground to powder.

The great wave, by carrying all those that clung
to him into deep water, was so far a benefit, and the
buoyancy of the life-belt was to be relied on to bring
them all to the surface; though it seemed an age to
the poor fellows clinging to the surfman, and washed
to and fro like straws in a gutter.

When at last the emerged from the depths they
were half- way to t e shore, and at that very instant
the surfman felt the strange thrill that told him the
wave was about to recede and carry him out again
in the undertow.

He knew the fearful force of the tide. and the dis-
advantage under which he. labored with so many
men clinging to his belt, as he nerved himself to the
struggle.

Scant time had Jack for preparation. He hung in
the abyss of waters one moment, and the tug would
come the next. With all his strength, he knew that
the force of the undertow would tear the rope from
his hands as if he had been ababy, if he did not
take some measures to confirm his grip.

In that instant of time, hanging there, the cool
fellow managed to take a turn of the rope, as it
hung slackly in the trough of the sea, round one
arm, and coiled his legs into the lower part, to get
all the hold he could.

Then came the terrible strain of the undertow,
snatching at him with the force of a steam-engine,
and he shut his eyes and held on for all he was worth.

It was a tug-of~war, with man at one end and all
the force of the tempest at the other; and t 16 issue
of the contest could not have been doubtful if he
had not had the rope twisted round his arm.

For nearl half a minute the strain lasted, and it
seemed to ack as if his arms were being pulled out
of their sockets. The pain was overpowering, and
the strong man felt his senses leaving him as the
rope cut into him. Then came the well-known thrill a
second time and a new wave came on to dash him
on the shore.

He knew the rope had sagged again, but all the
strength had gone out of him. Then camea drag, as
his friends on shore were hauling at the rope, and
the air was on his face once more.

The next moment he heard voices, and felt the
hands of the surfmen pulling him in with cries of
encouragement.

What happened after that Jack could not tell for
some. time; but when he came to his senses he found
himself in the cottage with Charley Coffin holding
a bottle to his lips, and trying to pour some whisky
down his throat.

Jack took a swallow as soon as he opened his eyes,
and sat up, a moment later, as well as ever, with the
inquiry:

" How many held on, boys? Did they all come
in ‘2”

Then he looked round the room, and saw that the
other men of the station were at work restoring two
men who seemed to be insensible, and he added to
Charley:

“ I'm all right. Look to those pore creeters.”

So saying, he rose and strode across the cabin,
with as much strength as ever, for be had only
fainted from momentary exhaustion. His right arm
was very sore. and felt as if it belonged to another
man; but he never heeded that, as he saw that
others needed his services.

The lantern was burning in the middle of the ceil-
ing, and its liglvt fell on the ghastly faces of the
lialf~drowned sailors as the coashguard men tried to
revive them.

Zenas Pew, the Smasher, was bending over one,
whose breath had gone out of him,and the negro
was kneading at the man's ribs with the skill that
comes of long practice, to inspire artificial respira-
tion and save the life that appeared to be gone for-
ever.

“ He had his grip on your life-belt so hard we
couldn’t git his fingers loose ’ithout breaking ’em,”
said Eben Macy, as he looked at this man. “The
Smasher’ll bring him to, I reckon.”

And at that ver ' moment The Smasher uttered a
grunt of satisfaction, which was echoed by a long,
shuddering sigh from the drowned sailor. as he. be-
gan to breathe again, when Zenas jumped ofl’ the
body and began to slap it smartly, crying:

“Come, wake up! Wake up! Pay fur yer lodg-
in', ye darned skunk. Here, Charley, where the
dickens is that whisky ‘1’”

And he snatched the bottle and began to pour the
fiery spirits down the man's throat till the sailor
coughed and spluttered, and finally struggled up to
a sitting posture, crying:

“My God! D’ye want to strangle me?”

The other men were sitting up as the drowned
man came to his senses, and Eben Macy said, with
an air of great satisfaction:

“ That makes eight. Jack, gals and all; and that is
a darned sight more than was ever saved from the
Hog’s Back before, I reckon.”

Jack nodded and walked out of the door, for he
saw that the cabin only contained three men, and if
seven had been saved, there must be more outside.
Charley followed him out, to say to him, in a low
tone:

“ Say, Jack, We’re in luck to-night.”

“ Why?” asked the surfman, with some surprise.

Charley put his mouth close to his friend’s ear to

a) .
“ One of them fellers we ot out is a big-bug; and
the men says he‘s It‘ll”), a mi lion dollars .’ ”

(To be continued.)

 

A Boy’s Prayer.

LITTLE Willie l.—, aged three years, had
the misfortune to lose his father a few weeks
ago. The other evening, about twilight, he be-
held his widowed mother weeping over her
great bereavement. Little “’illie ran out into
the front yard and climbed up on the gate—post,
and turned his cherub face up to the stars that
were just beginning to peep out.

“God! God!" he cried, all his little earnest
soul in his words and his eyes, “send my papa
back from HeaVen! Send him right away! lVe
want him now! Send him right quick, for ma-
ma’s crying l”

But. alas! for that widow and that cherub
boy, although the prayer came from as sinless a
heart as ever beat on earth, it can never be
answered.

 

 

AT LAST.

BY AL. W. CROWELL.

 

 

I kissed her when we met,
And when from her I parted;
The hour was one of bliss, and yet
We both were heavy-hearted!
A cloud hung over us and near,
A heavy tear slow-started—
An emblem of foreboding fear;
’Twixt kiss and tear we parted.

I trod adown the lane,
Peach~blossoms bending o’er me;

I bore a load of grief and pain
Into the world before me:—

Through all my aths and pain I knew
One maid WO (1 still adore me,

And I was gladdened when there blew
A shower of peach-blooms o’er me.

Anon I came again;
My feet were slow and weary;

A wet wind sweeping down the lane
Sobbed mournfully and eerie.

I reached the trysting-place at last,
Bare branches bending over—-.
Myself b side the tomb I cast.
(Dead loved and livmg lover!)
Great tears, baptismal, thick and fast
Dropped on its marble coverl
Ah, weary heart! at last—at last
You find a rest, above her!

 

Canyon Cun’s Bet.

BY T. C. HARBAUGH.

 

 

“ BOYEES,” said Cinnamon Dan, as he knocked
the ashes from his pipe and rolled over on his
blanket with his weather—beaten face upturned
toward the Red Clifi's that rose for three hun-
dred feet above our little camp within sotmd of
the Colorado, “boyees, would ye think that I
once saw a man jump from a wall as high cs
thet, an’ never bruise a limb?”

“ I’ll take the yarn first, Cinnamon,” was the
response from one of ournumber, “an’ then I’d
like ter see the galoot try the experiment.”

“ Wal, I saw him try it twice, an’ it’s about
ther two circumstances thet I’ll talk awhile on
if ye hev no objections.”

Pipes were replenished, the fire stirred anew,
and the old guide continued:

“We war enjoyin’ a season ov rest on ther
high lands 0v ther upper Colorado an’ had gone
inter camp by ther Blue Cliffs which in some
places war six hundred feet high. We had had
pretty good luck with our shootin’—irons, an’
ther camp was a continued feast, when one day
thar dropped in on us a chap what war a ch’ar-
acter, I kin tell yer. I bed heard 0v him afore,
1but it war ther first time I had ever sot eyes on

im.

“ He war then called J umpin’ Joe, an’ he
war a long angular galoot, mighty nigh onter
eight feet high, I should reckon. He wore
pantaloons 0v hard deer-hide thet fairly rattled
when he walked, an’ no coat at all. Thar war
a bad eye in that daisy’s head, an’ I noticed that
when he came inter camp he fell ter inspectin’
our new-fangled rifles which war ther first re—
peaters ever seen in that kentry. We didn’t
take kindly to him from ther first, but nobody
let on, although I gave ther boyees orders ter
keep an eye on ther animated canerpole.

" As night came on Jumpin’Joe begun ter let
himself loose; an’ ther yarns he spun about his
tall jumpin’ opened every 0 ein camp. I knew
ther cuss could jump, for had heard 0v him
jumpin’ over cliffs one hundred feet high, but
always after dark. He told some 0v ther tall-
est yarns about his exploits thet I ever listened
to, an’ we had tor set thar an’ take ’em all in,
fer we couldn’t call ther chap aliar when we
didn’t know. Finally I asked Jumpin’ Joe, in
ther midst ov a yarn that took ther premium
over all he’d spun up ter that moment, if he
wouldn’t give us a specimen ov his skill.

“ ‘ I don’t keer ter,’ says be, ‘but of you insist
on it, I’ll do it just ter keep my band in.’

“ You kin just bet that I insisted, an’ter stump
the jumper, I suggested thet he throw himself
from the cliffs about one hundred yards from
camp. I thought I hed him there, but he only
grinned an’ asked ther hi ht 0v ther wall, an’ I
told him about ‘ two hun red.’

“‘1’” try it,’ says he, an’ we followed him
from camp.

“ Shoot me for a catamount! of I didn’t doubt
that Jumpin’ Joe war human when he proposed
ter jump from ther cliffs. Ther canyon, at the
place 0v our camp, war only one hundred feet
wide an’ ther walls war solid stone, an’ about
two hundred feet in depth. As we went to the
spot, J umpin’ Joe took off his sun-dried breecbes
an’ looked down ther wall ez ef huntin’ a soft
place ter drop. .

" ‘Who wants ter bet thet I can’t do it?’ he
said1 ez he stood before us all ready fer ther
tria .

"Nobody said a word, though we all consid-
ered it a safe bet, an’ I told him thet ef he want-
ed ter die now war a good time, an’ I promised
ter see his mangled carkiss decently interred.
He laughed at my remarks, an’ stepped back for
ther spring.

“We hedn’t a torch in ther gang, and ther
only light on ther subjeck war that 0v ther
stars, an’ thar war millions ov them. I could
see ther edge 0v ther precipice, ther yawnin’
gulch, er canyon, but that war all. When
everything war ready Jumpin’ Joe gave a pe-
culiar yell an’ jumped from ther cliff! It war
no humbug jump, but ther genuine article, 311’
we all stood thar an’ held our breath aboutfive
iiiimctes. At ther end ov thet time we went to
ther edge an’ looked over. Everything war
still an’ dark below, an’ we came to ther con-
clusion thet thar war one fool less along ther
Colorado, an’ so we went back ter camp. Thar
we fell ter discussin’ ther jump, an’ war in ther
midst ov ther confab, when one ov ther boyees
jumped up with a yell an’ p’inted at a. man in
ther light ov our fire. -

“ Wal, who war it but Jumpin’ Joe ez big ez
life an’ twice ez nat‘ral. I Own that I war
stumped, an’ I wouldn’t b’lieve my sight till I
hed satisfied myself that he didn’t carry any
broken bones under his yaller skin. Thar he
stood grinnin’ all over his face, an’ enjoyin’ our
surprise.

“ ‘ Oh, anybody can do that once, but he
can’t a second time!” I suddenly heard some
one say, an’ turnin’ round 1 saw Canyon Con,
a boyee we had picked up two weeks before an’
aspry, black-eyed little shaver about sixteen
years old, though his size didn’t show it.

“ 1 saw Jumpin’ Joe turn upon the boyee an’
fix his eyes on him like one mad.

“ ‘ You can’t do it again, Jumpin’ Joe, an’
you know it!’ said Canyon Con, strutting up to
ther jumper. ‘ Ther 5 some sleight-ov-hand
about yer first jump which will desart yer on
yer second.’

“‘Wliat hev ye got that says I can’t do it
ag’in ’4‘ flashed Jumpin’ Joe, his dander r’iled by
what ther boyee hed said.

“ ‘ I’ve got my rifie,’ said Con, an’ be held up
abran—new repeater we lied given him, an’ a
prettier weepin’ 1 never saw. ‘This at" what
says you can’t make thet jump ag’in. I’ll risk
my rifle on it, anyhow.’

“ ‘ I’ll win yer gun an’ keep it, tool’ cried
Joe, an’ Canyon Con said, ‘All rightl’ an’ put
ther rifle up in my hands.

.“Thar war suthin’ in ther boyee’s eyes tbet
kinder told me thet he knew what be war
about, er I would hev put in ter save ther gun.
He looked at Jumpin’ Joe es if he hated him,
though I did not dream that they hed ever met
afore. Ther boyee came up ter me while we
war goin’ toward ther clifi’s ag’in an’ touched
my sleeve.

” ‘ Cinnamon,’ said he, ‘ef thet miserable
galoot hez anything ter bet on this jump don’t
hesitate ter put up all you’ve got. He can’t
win! it’s onpossible l’

“ When we got to ther ground, Jumpin’ Joe
moved forward just es he had done afore, an’
leaned over ther edge 0v ther cliff ezef inspect-
in’ ther interior 0v ther canyon. Canyon Con
watched him with a twinkle in his little black
eyes thet appeared sart’in ov winnin’ ther bet.

“ ‘ Now, my little toad,’ said Joe ter ther

 

‘ I’m goin’ ter sport thet rifle 0v

“ ‘ Sail in an’ take it ef ye kin,’ war Con’s re-
ply, an’ ther next moment ther jumper jumped
from ther cliff!

“ We waited thar ez before, but could see nor
hear nothin’ ov ther jum pin’ tramp. I couldn’t
take my eyes off of Con. He couldn’t. stand
still, but moved about with his black rycs
sparklin’ ez ef he had heard good news. \‘i‘ it],
we must hev waited ten minutes before we
went back ter camp.

“‘He’ll turn up ag’in just ez he did ther
other time,’said one, but Canyon Con burst
into a laugh thet war full 0v triumph.

“‘Thar’s just whar you fool yerselves!’ he
cried, and then suddenly soberin’ down, he
looked up into my face an’ went on: ‘Ten years
ago I lost my father in a camp on ther lower
Missouri. I war a little shaver ov six then, an’
be war my only friend. We hed been trappin’
all alone an’ one night war in camp whar
a - small stream joined ther muddy river.
At midnight I war wakened by a strange cry,
an’ saw a man leavin’ther spot whar my fa-
ther slept. He her! a hatchet in his hands, au’I
got a glimpse 0v his face in thcr tireliglit. I
never forgot that face, an’ I never saw it arter
thet night until awhile ago. When I saw
Jumpin’ Joe, ther tramp 0v ther Colorado, I
knew that I bed found ther wretcli who killed
my father for plunder. Now I guess I’m even
with ther bloody murderer. If you will take a.
light an’ search for him you’ll find him at ther
bottom of ther canyon—dead?

“ We all sprung u an’ lit our torches; then,
guided by Canyon on, we went down a rough
path through the wall to the bed 0v the chasm,
an’ found Jumpin’ Joe thar, horribly mangled.
How did he escape arter ther first jump? It
war simple when we came ter see inter it. Ther
old coon bed previously stretched a net across
part 0v ther canyon, an’ hed jumped inter it.
But arter that jump thet boyee, who bed beard
ov his feat. swung himself over ther cliff an’
out ther and ropes half through with his knife!
I expect Jumpin’ Joe won many bets with his
cute trick, but when Canyon Con wagered his
rifle, ther chances war all ag’in’ ther jumpin’
tramp. An’ thet’s how one character ov this
kentry got his just dues at ther hands ov a
boyee.”

Long Island Luke,

THE LIFE - SAVER ;

on,

The Wreckers of Bell-Point Light.

 

A Story of the Last of the Shinnecocks.

 

BY MIDSHIPMAN T. W. KING.

CHAPTER XXI.
tf‘TWO !”

THEY waited thus for some time, until the
afternoon sun had long passed the meridian,
when they saw rapidly steaming toward them
from the west, a small, low black steamer,
which plowed her way through the waters at
an astonishing rate of speed; so that she was
soon opposite the cove, when there was a jin-
gling of bells, her machinery was stopped, and
she lay to, gently heaving on the scarcely per-
ce tible waves.

he was a revenue cutter, as could be readily
told by the flag of that branch which fluttered
at her mainmast, she being schooner-rigged, as
well as by the uniformed officers and men that
were engaged about her decks.

As she came to a stand-still she fired a gun to
attract the attention of those on shore, while at
the same moment a boat shot out from under
her stern, having been lowered to lcewurd,
what wind there was being off-shore, and pulled
in the direction of the shore, an officer with
gold-laced cap sitting in the stern-sheets and
holding the tiller-ropes.

As they drew near the beach the prow swung
sharply around, and in obedience to two orders
quickly given, the oarsmen stopped rowing and
began to “ back water,” thus bringing the boat,
stern on, to shore, when the officer leaped out,
and followed by four of the crew. climbed up
the steep path, and came toward the light-
house,‘ while Walter and Luke advanced to
meet them, lifting their hats as they came
withing speaking distance, in response to his
courteous salute.

“Information was brought to New London
this morning, gentlemen,” began the officer,
“by a coasting schooner, to the effect that there
had been trouble here, and that the keepers
have been foully dealt with—in fact,murdered.

“Can you tell me anything regarding the
matter?”

“It is as you say, sir.” returned Luke, who,
having been present during the affair, naturally
became the spokesman of the party, and be pro-
ceeded to relate the incidents as they had
passad, keeping his own share in the background
as much as he could.

When he had finished, the officer again spoke:

“This is indeed a serious affair, and one that
deserves immediate attention.

“Unfortunatelyl am so situated that I can
render but small service, and must receive full
instructions from headquarters before I can act
as I would desire.

“ Can I see the ladies?”

“ Most assuredly, sir,” answered Walter, who
{Jelt that this was a question that concerned

im.
_ “If you will kindly await my return, I will
inform them of your wish,” and leaving the
little group he hastened to the lantern.

Knocking on the door, he entered in obedi-
ence to a gentle “Come in!” from the other
side, and found Irene much calmer, but with
her eyes and face giving evidence of a violent
storm of weeping; but she extended her hand
to him, and be, taking it and pressing it warm-
ly, whispered a few words of cheer and consola-
tion to her, and then turned to Mrs. Harcourt.
' “The revenue-cutter ‘Hornet’ has arrived,
in response to the message I sent to New Lon-
don, and her Commander would be glad to see
the ladies.

“ Will you receive him here, or will you do-
scend and meet him below?”

“ Ask him to come up at once,” with a glance
at the two girls, who silently bowed acquies~
canoe.

“\Ve will be glad to see him and to thank
{III}: for his kindness in responding so prompt-
Y - .

In a few moments IValter returned,,iishering
in the officer, who stood, cap in hand, the beau
ideal of a allant sailor.

“Mrs. arcourt,” began IValter, “allow me
to present to you—” and he hesitated for an in-
stant.

“ Lieutenant Murray, madame,” added the
new arrival, bowing low.

“ Lieutenant,” began the old lady,
have our kindest thanks, mine and, I am
my niece’s. .

“Lieutenant Murray, let me introduce vou
to my niece, Miss Faulconer, and also to Miss
Homer, the daughter of the keeper who was so
foully dealt with.”

“Ladies, my only regret is that I arrive so
late: allow me to express my sorrow for what
has passed and the belief that your troubles are
now over.

“Owing to reasons which I cannot explain, I
can only leave six men with you; but they will
serve to defend the lighthouse against any fur-
ther attacks, and as soon as I can do so I will
inform the department of these occurrences,
mid would ask that you mention them to no
one, should there be any visitors to this portion
of the sound.

“ It is always best to keep these matters secret
until action can be taken, in order that our ad-
versaries may not be informed of our projected
movements.

c i you
sure,

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
   

 
           
    
     
     
      
     
       
      
        
       
    
   
    
      
    
 
     
       
     
     
       
  
      
 
      
    
 
    
    
 
     
     
 
 
  
 
   
 
 
 
   
    
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
  
 
  
  
  
  
 
  
 
  
  
   
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
   
   
  
   
   
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
   
  
 
  
   
  
  
  
 
 
  
 
   
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
   
    
   
    
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
   
  
  
   
 
 
 
   
  
    
  
   
   
    
   
 
  
  
   
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
     
  
   
    
  
  
  
  
   
 
  
  
 
  
 
 
   
   
  
   
 
  
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
   
   
   
    
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
     
 
 
  
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
   
  
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
   
    
   
  
 
  
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“ I warned the captain and crew of the coaster,