| Show II i fio How It Feels Feel to gown Drown T FALLS to tho the lot lol tit nt few tew t w nl I Im men m n to tu be by b DAy Davy Jones Jone and Anti yot t to iIIi through Ills his Such Suet nu nil Is III never to tu lie he forgotten for A bright blight Juno June sun was wall glinting ore nit tin tai lh choppy water waler tho ho rocky rock coast COIl t The rise local swimming club wile WAS with members their morning The spot spat I 1 lull had chosen for tor rny my 10 dip dtp tsar WB the lh Inlet to n It owe cave into Inlo which the lilt wives hr kc return realm IlIg In to n 1 swift undercut undercurrent rent of ot back backwash wash ten feet of ot Water dl di divided vided the rocky hanks of ot the Inlet which was nna the extent at or my nay m Hy fly H to 10 I 1 tuns Ignorant I of ot the tact luct that tho treacherous undercurrent lIt tho spot dangerous oven tor fur ex experienced ex 1 swimmers Sliding from the 1111 rocky rock hank bank I out OUI with all nil tho the confidence ot or Inexperience rl ence euce and In ht thirty strokes reached the tho bank bunk Splendid 1 I thought ns as I climbed up lip the rocks rucks The Tao shouts and laughter of ot tho the club men seemed to echo my 01 exultation aa ns aaI asI I surveyed the thu miniature I had crossed Swimming was tho the easiest thing In the world I thought ns as I t plunged In again to swim Swint back hack Hut tut this time I t struck deeper water Try T how I might 1 I could not nut keep time lIm with hands and feet Coet frog fn fashion ns as I had bad been told lold w as the art ot or swimming And even while I I was wad making this tits dill discovery covery y the tho opposite lodge ledge or ot rook rock be began beto gan to t slide literally before inc mc I vM being carried out to sea As tho the outermost peak of ot rock slipped putt t me nod BUll only open Soft sea ap all appeared between me and 1111 the tho pier In to the distance I grew frightened I all I toro tore and ant splashed at nt the yield yielding Ieh lug ing v water ater Wowing blowing hard for breath against tie the blinding spray slimy An Incoming wave Il lapped gently over overlee me lee overwhelming eyes ayes ears nose mouth llio Tho briny liquid stung my ih lat thumping Into my stomach with the tho weight weigh I of ot a n cannon ball In Ina Ina a second tho ho wave IVO had hUI passed and my m head was WIlS again water Half choked I gurgled and ond spat pat heavily helly ns nil naI I 1 began bc n that thai a awful tul struggle for fOl air all The heavy hel water rose roso and fell tell above my In eyes e s and un mouth muscle o f 1 my m l body ody bod was lighting desperately for or life But claw cias and kick an as I might my frantic served but bul to keep op my Iny head bobbing like a cork above the surface Tighter and mid tighter with the yielding heaviness lIe of or quicksilver tho the water closed me OIl J A anger of ot brutishness tilled my brain The rho water slapping me In Iho ho taco faco at my In passion The Tho strong brine my In eyes almost to lily My logs legs numb aul nil II powerless were veto ns as leaden laden lr ad II weights dragging mo me down Sly My II arms hung helpless from sheer fa tn fur tigue The seemed c un unAble Able blo to move and un my drooping limbs began to 10 drag dR mo No under underA A t glimpse of dd tho the distant bathers their naked bodies mere mero specks or tit white offered the proverbial straw to 10 which hope liopo might cling With Ith n a I 1 threw up till my tn arms to expand my chest for n a despairing 11 I shout shout hout A choking gasp g BP and all Ihl then I found fou l my voice But It was nna a n tee hie cry ory It was In an sutured by h my overpowering enemy eneny An Inrush of or water seized my m throat from within I was being strangled My fly I bursting stomach anti throat cried for tor n to very vel nerve In my body bOly but bul ho tho muscular 1 collapse pre prevented prevented vented any cerebral response In turn my overwrought nervous frenzy swamped my m faculties oven even ven vents ni ts the green water around mo me was all slowly sucking down own my m body boly ns IlS n a 1 P python thon swallows Its Ill living prey pre I was WIlS losIng A band na as I of r cold coU steel tightened around my 01 brain J I was WM dimly con COli scions of ot swaying and roiling help helplessly lessly as R I hid hla boon bee doing linin for Cor years for over ever The Tho fight was teas over o cr crIn In a Il flash h of nr I saw my mv mother gazing at me less with agony Tho instants vision faded Into ml mist t The faintest streak I of at light lanced danced anti lna hovered above the Iho yellow cl nw tog fog S In to which I tuns floating And then thun all wan WM over I was drowned How long I lav In the condition of ot I cannot tell Yot lot though I was dead to 10 all nil atlan 1 I afterwards recalled I at vivid moment when I J seemed to awake o with n ft start Something solid touched me mn An en energy ergy rr utterly beyond hoon mo me tilled filled the tho help helpless helpless less casement of OJ my body bOI A galvanic contortion c of every muscle shrivelled up my limbs mound the tho solid lollI sub still uh stance Tho The spasm wn was WIlK Infinitesimal In duration scarcely tho thu period of ot total lola i oblivion Dead Dently V y dead dea nn no a Il stone Poor devil Let mo me give gho a n hand Muffled like tho the voices In ft n fog the thc sounds are arc miles and mlles miles away awa Turn him over ver ng OIvo us a lit ml here liero you yon on sharply My hearing had returned dim and blurred with a dull aut stupor of or Irresponsibility Irresponsibility Pump him Pump him Harder harder l Koop It up boys boI for Cor heavens heavens sake sako Every J ct tone lone of or the voices was In fn cre cendo They were now close to me Sudan n a J sense of or agony ngon be II IIan began gan an to thrill me cropping creeping In ht every direction di direction direction through my m body b y Bang Bangi My head hM crushed ns as 1 If it In a n n vice seemed Eme to burst Flashes Fh II of red and llamas danced boror my m closed eyes Ies A stab pierced my m heart Another stab and of ot Rood Good heavens l Ills fils hearts start Ug lIa g nuh rub like grim death lenth All to together gether Over with him Steady there Keep JOI It up III for Cor all nil youre ouro worth Hurrah hes getting warm I nm of or lying 1 ln face down downward ward vard and amt can feel something rushing out cut of my 10 mouth Pump away cries orles crl s the tho voice olce I J already recognize It Il an nn familiar now How long IonS Is It Hour and a n I half Never mind mint Ien Iced It up Well Roll clI got hint him yeti yet My arms ire being putted pulled out of ot their sockets My t legs are nrc stinging with pain My smarting thighs hs aro are being seared scared ns nR with this hot root lr IrI rots iH Still warm 1 asks los Ios and It Ir you OU only keep It it up rep Tho The agony Is III departing and already nd H It faint glow slow seems stealing through my helpless frame Then as It If waking from t r feel t 1 a faint quiver and 1 I hear ilear myself sigh A J A yell ot or delight Bre greets ts the tho sound Tho The next moment my throat Is on fire The heat hent burns through to my breast and I feel my cheat chest heave Ages had passed since I J began to hear these voices yO Ices Even riven l Oll before I VS dimly conscious the tho sounds had beaten to it my Iny brain Indelible but unintelligible ible as the scratches on em the diaphragm of ot a 3 As my mental con can back to 10 life my first concrete thought Is la a realization rf of 0 utter helplessness I r am nm being rolled about anti and mauled to resist or even to acknowledge that I know what is 1 Is coins on about me Wipe WI po hla mouth here 3 Hub hl hi lips hard hart Then I con can Just recall a 3 ray of ot dull yellowish light Hes Iles op Mi d his eyes CIoS Bravo Brao Now O for tOI It Pour It down Once Onlo again a that I burning liquid scalds my The curtain of at yellow mist mint lingers for lor a n year yeal or two and as UI It II fades ndell lark dark ark outlines begin to 10 human shape lale A AA tense sense of ot mound me ina forms bending over mo me pulling ire ILe this way red and that pounding hauling stretching It Is 19 life lite Out cf et the chaos of ot sound und and motion notion around sense of ot animation Is slowly regaining possession of oC me 1 I 1 reube I am tm on dry dr land 1 I am nm tying on In my Lack on hard board There Thoro I Ir 11 a crowd around me A L pair pall of strong arms grip mo me from behind under the Shoulder should r More Moro brandy there plenty Tie Tha touch of 01 gins glas against my m lips liDS is isnow Isnow now nosy distinct as ns I J feel myself m being h help Ip u up In a sitting silting position My II teeth leeth close on the tho gln guts with a n bite bile Dont let him swallow that thai broken gins Klus Spit stir 11 Spit Salt hard hardI r I spate spat anti something sharp scratched my lips Tho action recalled the tho last list voluntary act of or the tho faraway life lito which had ended In that thai terrible struggle gle glo in ht the tho Green Grem water I opened my eyes eye to In find myself lying on tho the pier under a n hot hol noonday noonda sun un Never Nevor mind minI your clothes sue sir Well R 01 soon ROon have hac yo ye home now The bronzed waterman held tine the broken glass of or brandy to tn my m lips once more marc The rho two of ot y ye 0 was nearly gone gono sir Two Trio 1 I echoed automatically Yes cs The young fellow ellow that dived In filer r I yet yo ye YC tint him down ns nil he swim hl Y jt f Yo le was wag tight tJ ht round him like n a or a n devil devilfish fish Osla The fellow what saved yo ye both only saw tho the hand of ot tho the other young chap chall and he lie was waR mighty might scared him stilt when lie he found round two or of ye O Instead of or one The other chop chap come to an nn hour ago and Is hI nil right now as II yonn bo be soon sir sirI lr lrI I r I 1 have learned to swim since then Dr Sampson In time the Landon Dally Mall |
