Show the weather had be been en daik dark and gloomy in the little village by the sea not often 9 or r copiously bad had it rained but great masses masse s of blackest cloud rolled along the coast from headland tt headland often f ten fio near to the ocean that only the ex experienced perien ced eyes tit of the older 11 fishermen shermen saw where lay the dividing line between the dusky shades of the higher rocks and the low somber masses that were driving in before the rising storm it will come in with the tide exclaimed john brightman bright man as he hauled his dory high on the candy sandy beach what will como come in with the tide asked anderson the and he lie rested one side on the stranded dory then shielding anghis his sight by his open hand be looked under the shadow of its palm earn earnestly estly seaward the storm david tb the e storm dont you hear bear it coming in lu on the tide and the roar ot of the distant surf tor for the cove between the black eagle and the whale rock was smooth with fine f lr ke hard band sand the roar of the sea on the t b e rocks sounded in the ears like the thunder of the artillery of an opening battle only the breakers under the eagles eagle is wings the sea will cross the fox tracks to day thail A comber has barst on the whales back these expressions from three of the fishermen who were bowed nearly to the earth dragging the thai heavy net to tot the he upland the whale rock made one headland and the diack black eagle the other point of the little bay between them came the fishing boats from daily toll toil and by the ledge of short sharp rocks called the vox fox tracks one could ordinarily walk at half tide to the very beak of the black eagle but it was rare indeed that any of the men tempted the denizens of the sea thence the boys and girls of the village took their first lessons lesson with the hoogand hook and line spot spots and those of the neighborhood oft went there in fine weather fishing ashing it was nearly two miles over the sand and rock from the head lead of the beach along the fox tracks to the eagles WI wings as the projecting eides of the lofty black rock were called tile the fis hermans wife in the low cottage on the upland also heard the onward march of the coming storm did you over hear the pines moan so loudly listen bowl only hear bear the sighing between our house and Ander sens thus eho she addressed john brightman Bright mau ai he hung his oilskin clothing in the leanto shed at the rear of the kitchen that the pine woods vron woman ian the tide responded tho the husband in his superiority As lie spoke coming past tho the corner of the little garden swiftly moving over tha the soft carpet of pino needles appeared the form of mrs airs anderaon anderson have the children come she asked with just the slightest shade of trouble in her tones the chil children drent bhatt exclaimed mrs brightman 1 I knew my Autem rudolf d if was with yourl lannah tannah I 1 never gave them a thought bince where did they go to the black eagle fishing 01 to the black eagle such an afternoon ona onn rising tide I 1 john bright man advancing from his seat there comes rudolf rudolt now up u from the sands rejoined sirs mrs brightman hannah cannot be far off pt the boy walka beadily he be atily ill go and meet him the two women stood at the low stoop of the cabin door watching john brightman as he strode down th dlane Iane and picked up a lad idd of perhaps a dozen years 0 of age whom ho be brought to the bouse house and placed before the kitchen fire he wo ii is as wet as a fish flah and he tells an awful story be added as soon as lie here re covered hn breath he ile was wa washed hed ashore from tho the black eagle the tide has bas crossed d the F fox ox tracks and hannah Is on the eagles back 11 from a it child mrs anderson had beel brought up to bear ot of the sailor lost aisea at sea or ur pi p the crew of the fishing smack summoned to a common death by the chance collision but this the bravery of the youthful hero who had swum ashore yo lo 10 give the alarm was all forgotten and the woman sank into a chair with s iiii the hiie one exclamation oh godl my child my achild mc hild she told me to swim for the shore when tile wave took me off I 1 came just jut as fast ae as I 1 could and the pea sea helped me on besides protested the little bareheaded barefooted fellow as though be must excuse his ungallant desertion of mrs andersons daughter P pass theford the word along among the irl neighbors and ill go to the lifeboat stati station on said sald john brightman in low decided tones and bo be was yes out of sight ere the two women were ready to give the alarm there were yet four hortas of daylight and strong arm would make the distance short from the northern shore where w here lay the lifeboat to the beak of the black eagle such was the name of the projecting precipice at the end of the high overhanging rock andy reed the nearest member of the life crew was tas soon overtaken and at the news he joined his fellow in search bearch of the remaining tour four aye ayeal exclaimed andy as they ran would that it were anything but a southeaster for pull as we may the ugly sea strikes the boat three t points from frota the bow it will bo be a long hard pull said john 11 but it its three hours to sunset yet thank god godl the lifeboat station was to tho the northward half way between rocton and tho the next town far up toward tho the land laud that led out to tho the whale rock the women had therefore gone in an opposite dirce tion and from house to 0 bouser had passed along the appalling news Illan hannah nali aldemon Is on the black eaglet the sea Is breaking over the and has crossed the fox sill sl and tb the tide Is still coming fal oh what a the last response was super elnous forth for the a crowd were wera nearly to the shop of the and across the ledges which atlow tide united ho tall all rock to the land laud the fea thundered and broke III foaming surf that looked like masses of cotton bore here and there you at work oi on jour your old whaleboat when en your only daughter is like ilka as not now washed out to seal peal tauntingly cried one of the women as honest david A anderson n der looked up from bonic finishing to touches bo he was the of ot a boat L in hialard hia raid yard i no she Is not c carried off off yet exclaimed clinton abbott who from a pile of spars bad had gained a covered way aud and a swept w the horizon ath with a apt all q the villagers respected and loved clinton from his fathers shipbuilding yards pear near by he had often come them as a friendly visitor patiently listening to the simple story ot of their sorrow sorrows as a small capitalist liberally aidina them in their little ventures and later in travel had matured his character anaam and affliction imil had silvered eily ered his hair beba had d not forgotten the peaceful hamlet lie had bad S so 12 dearly loved in his younger days 1 I can see a womans comans dress blowing out clear and plain on the very summit of the eagles back hurrah I 1 hur hurrah rahl 1 shouted the crowd oil oh that the lifeboat were on this side the fox ox sill sl take the whaleboat boys take the whaleboat i shouted clinton as with one leap from the boat shed he be landed in the middle of the crowd ayel ayel the whaleboat beresh here she e is joined in david anderson in a low hoarse voice v ice at the same moment running out a pair pair of wheels on which she waa was tossed as if it she had been a feather by the too ready hands did ye see was the lifeboat cleared away yet added david in his rich scotch brogue addressing clinton 1 I could see a email small crowd at their house on the beach replied clinton but well not wait for them continued david allun hun the whaleboat well up the sands boys I 1 rejoined clinton for reply now to be under the eagles beak before the other crew can get half way there therel 1 the mind of the people whether wb ether in the masses of europe or on the beach of the fishing village recognizes intellect intellects and thence chooses its leader seven strong oars were in the bo boat at one more than needed to guard against acci dentandt den tand two dozen sturdy arms with cliftons Clin tons hand on the prow to gaule the way soon bad had the boat on the edge of the sea 11 the he farther up the sands the more to windward wind ward for the pull yet stay steady boesl now tor for the launch whoever is going make ready you david ye yes sirl interrupted david anderson giving a tighter roll to his sleeves around his muscular arm its the stroke e oar tor for me this time the stroke to andersonn Ander soni soul ryan take the bowl choose your places the resti exclaimed clinton abbott and the boat was shoved far into deep water b by v another halt half dozen men who kept alongside until the sea stood up to their waists and the rising surf broke at their shoulders S with cliftons Clin tons steady hand band at the tiller the whaleboat bea headed dedwell well up to the windward when she left the beach for to full fall to leeward then on her way out to the black eagle would be to find herself pounded into splinters on the sharp rocky edges of the fox tracks will the lifeboat crew be there before ns us my boys demanded clinton abbott not if I 1 can help it sir replied david anderson as with a scotchmans Scotch mans firmness and his bis own sturdy muscle ho be gan gave 0 to his ills fellows the long deep stroke that went beneath the frothing sea the lifeboat men are out shouted tom ryan from the bow Seeber see her through that smooth spot in the tie tracks yonder he cried motioning with his head to where the deeper water for a short space allowed an unbroken view through tb the range of rocky points to leeward yes there was the lifeboat manned by six of the best rowers on the coast coming coining up to windward but the strain was terrible on muscle and on boat the distance was shorter but the wind and sea were such that at times the lifeboat seemed t to be standing on end with the bow high in air then she fell back helplessly into the trough of the sea and was lost loit to sight the rain had bad not yet come but the gale was upon them in nil all its fury and there would seem to be no limit to the height of the fast rising tide the eagles wings Wing sarp are near nearly lyall all asashi A few lengths more andee and we can let her go to the leeward I 1 can plainly see the girl now t ald raid clinton abbott purring spurring on oil his bis men perhaps john who commanded the lifeboat men also saw that the sea had nearly overflowed the rock for the boat had taken the wave crests more abeam and was making more be headway adway even although it were out to tho open sea when the life crew change their course again eald said tom ryan from tho the bow they will have an easier but a longer pull tor for the eagles beak but the whaleboat had bad already gained her and was now coming coining down wind like a sea gull pill with a powerful yet easy stroke from her six oars with great sens seas astern heaving heavin gher her a boats length ahead every time she rose on the wave crests the lifeboat has beaded inshore again boys and taken the wind and sea aport said clinton to his men aye sir sirl but she can never reach the tile beak before Us now almost savagely retorted david andersen anderson as he straightened himself out to bis ils oar with a force that followed by tho the rest shot the whaleboat to where the bow oarsman could have to tossed toed ed 0 ft biscuit on to the beak and anti all this time the men ran herand hit thither on the beach not an inhabitant remained la ili any one of ol the houses the children cried they knew not why and the women worried knelt not caring which won in the contest but joining with heart and soul the agonizing prayer of one of their number oh godi grall my childe my child may the boat crew crews reach the black eagle ere it be toolate 11 so far ae as arrival there that prayer prater was already answered tor for the whaleboat crew was off the point backing water with their oars to keep from being dashed to pieces on the outlying rocks to what purpose had been the race the tide had risen to such a height that rocky points which at half tide could have been seen and avoided now awaited treacherously just below the surface 6 ready to pound their sharp heads through the planking of the boat the lifeboat not now tar far distant ranst must faro fare worse for a very slight touch of those flinty edges would cut her metal metai and leave her more helpless than a log battering against the ledges of granite had both boats come to the rescue only to see the tide rise and the sea sweep th the e black eagle clear of the girl whose long hair and flowing robe streamed far out in the wrathful gale like the bignall of distress from a stranded there Is but one way cried clinton abbott and not a second to bo be lost pull up to the windward again and meet meat me on the other side of the eagles inner wine wing 11 and as be he spoke ha le plunged int into 0 the tile water and was borne swiftly alon along g under the beak men accustomed to tho the sea think and act quickly and the crew crow caught t the spirit of the plan the strong swimmer would selzo the girl la in bis ills areas at aud d tle two would be borne by the force octile atthe current around the tile rocki rock t through the whirl of the black waters into th the bay beyond the boat must pull around the outlying dangers and meet them there there was just one circuitous passage of 0 smooth deep water shaped like the letter S that led right under the eagles beak and with the wind at the southeast the wa waters entered just where the whaleboat was lying with backing oara oars and passed 1 out of 0 the swirl of a millrace to the bay w whre here in the lifeboat waa was coming up manfully with the wind and sea on her beam heading leading for the inner wing ot of the eale eagle As the av swimmer vimmer swept along this current the tile scotch brogue of 0 david anderson and erso a re sounded loud above tha th thunder of the burc burr drop hannahh drop child this instant I 1 tell yet shouted the father as with the same breath he gave the order to pull away from hie his daughter and from I 1 the struggling man but just now their ca captain jairl arc are aro drop p girl drop a tor for your hi ili dont touch me but let ale nio grasp you echoed the voice of Clinto in tonas ius he lie looked upward from the dark water to the gorai arvai projecting mass of rock that overhung hi bead and the surf rolling in on the opposite t e side of the black lagle gave one boom ani ant a that had bad well nigh surged over the whole surface of the rock hut but lis ith prey had bad escaped clasped in the strona strong arm of 0 clinton abbott hannah anderson was borne swiftly the curve that marked the deepest water past projecting rocks sharpened at their points by the surge of ages into was it safety beyond there waa was no swimming to bo be done the wind vind a and nd the tide bore the couple resist lessly onward it only needed clinto Clin tou u right arm to do the steering while with 1 t 1 1 his left he be pressed clos clo 6 4 to him the form 0 of the maiden but the had not yet rounded led the breakers for to them safety lay in a good offing and this must be by A pull dead to the windward ainest the coupie meantime antinio me be swept too far onward u until perhaps caught in the undertow thy would be carried on to the ledges of the fox tracks nol bof no rest quietly on your oars gal lant fishermen it there Is one among you that bears in his heart a deathless love foi the boat builders daughter the grim grini enemy shall not nt at this moment snatch her from you let tho the storm now come driving the two boat boats before it madly on oil to the candy sandy shore where the women still weep anduray and pray may alay the tide rise to lie its highest the safer will be the lana |