A SWIM IN THE NIGHT.
Meanwhile Gene Beavers had seated himself upon the ledge of rocks below
the cave and had waited, now and then glancing up, hoping that the "storm
maiden" might appear with a message for him, but the afternoon hours
dragged away and she did not come. Then, at last, to his joy, he saw that
the fishing boats were, one by one, leaving the Outer Ledge and sailing
toward home. Scrambling down the steep cliff trail, the lad ran along the
beach and went far out on the rocky point. There he stood eagerly
awaiting the approach of the boats, ready, when he believed that he was
observed, to signal to them. But, because of the direction of the wind
and the lowness of the tide, the fishing boats gave Windy Island a wide
berth. One boat did turn on a tack and for a moment seemed to be bearing
directly toward the point. Taking off his white coat, Gene waved it
frantically, but the lone fisherman was busy with the ropes just then and
did not look up. A second later the boat swung about on another tack and
Gene realized, with a sinking heart, that he could depend no longer upon
the fishermen to take him to the mainland.
Walking slowly around the island, he stopped suddenly, for he had heard
voices not far ahead of him. Quickly he stepped behind a sheltering
boulder, and none too soon, for it was at that moment that Cap'n Ezra had
risen and had announced that it was nearly sundown and time for the
evening meal. From his hiding place Gene observed all that happened. He
noted how troubled was the truly beautiful face of his "storm maiden."
Perhaps she was anxious about him. He almost hoped that she was.
The net was put away in the shanty and the old man followed the girl up
the steep steps. Some time elapsed before Gene stepped out from his
hiding place. Walking out upon the small wharf, the lad stood looking at
the dory which was anchored nearby. If only he could borrow that boat, he
thought. He could row to town and hire someone to tow it back. But even
this he could not do without appealing to Captain Ezra, who, a few
moments before, had shouldered the oars and carried them up to the
lighthouse.
As the lad stood gazing out over the water of the harbor the afterglow of
the sunset faded, the first stars came out and dusk gathered about him.
He shivered, for the night air seemed suddenly chill and damp.
Until then Gene had not been greatly concerned about his mishap,
considering it rather in the light of an interesting and novel adventure.
His host, Doctor Winslow, luckily, had planned being away all of that
day. "When he returns his housekeeper, Miss Brazilla Mullet, will inform
him that I did not appear for the mid-day meal, as I had assured her that
I would," Gene thought, "and he will probably be greatly alarmed. It will
be easy enough to trace me to the dock where I hired the boat at so early
an hour this morning, and as I did not return it, he will naturally think
that I have met with disaster. If only I could make the mainland within
the next hour I might be able to save mine host much unnecessary
anxiety."
Suddenly a daring plan suggested itself.
The summer before, Gene had won the championship of his athletic club in
a two-mile handicap swimming race. It was only one mile to Tunkett, and,
moreover, the wind, blowing gently in from sea, would aid him greatly.
Surely he could make it, for, if he wearied, he could float on his back
until he was rested. Then another thought came to remind him of his
recent illness. Was it not to regain his strength that he had come to
Tunkett, having left college at the beginning of the fall term? When he
had won that championship he had been in the best of trim. Shrugging his
shoulders, Gene Beavers argued no more with himself. There seemed to be
no other alternative, and so, pulling off his shoes and socks and
throwing them to the beach with his white flannel coat, he went to the
end of the small wharf and plunged in. As Rilla had said, the water was
icy cold, and the lad struck out vigorously to keep warm. It never would
do for him to have a chill.
On and on he swam, now and then lifting his head to assure himself that
he was keeping a straight course toward the town wharf, on the end of
which were three lights, two red and one white. How glad he was to see
them. The long, glimmering reflections stretched toward him and yet they
seemed farther away than they had appeared from Windy Island.
Gene was nearing the silent, shadowy anchored fleet of fishing boats when
he suddenly realized that his strength was failing rapidly. If only he
could reach an unoccupied buoy which he saw bobbing not far ahead of him.
For a moment he rested upon his back, but when he tried to turn again
that he might swim, he felt too weak to make the effort. Then he was
terrorized with the sudden realization that the tide had changed and that
he was drifting slowly away from the little fleet and out toward the open
sea.
Gene made another herculean effort to turn over and swim, and so great
was his determination, he did succeed. Luckily the rising night wind
aided him and just then a wave, larger than the others lifted him on its
rolling crest and hurled him up on the cask-like buoy, and there he
clung. He had little hope of being able to long retain his hold, as his
fingers were numb with cold and his arms ached. Too, he felt drowsy, or
was it faint?
It was at that moment that his "storm maiden" knelt in her open window,
and looking toward the starry heavens, asked God to care for her new
friend, Gene Beavers.
Meanwhile, as the lad had surmised, Doctor Winslow was searching for his
guest.