Winner Stories

Next Winner (44) | Previous Winner (42)

brawny arms.
Would you now! said the coast guardsman, with a superior and
sardonic smile. Well, in my 'umble opinion, drowning's too good
for him.
With which humane utterance, the coast guardsman walked off,
singing of Tom who
Never from his word departed, Whose heart was kind and soft.
Well, I, for one, will lend a hand to help them. Now then, mates!
Which of you is going to help to cheat the devil of his due? said
the man with the earrings.
Three men proffered their services, but the old seaman with the
telescope checked them.
Bide a bit, mates, bide a bit; I'm not sure you've a call to go.
He wiped the glasses of his telescope with a red handkerchief, and
then looked out seaward once more.
In the meantime, while their fate was being discussed on the shore,
Raeburn and Erica were face to face with death. They were a long
way from land before the wind had sprung up so strongly. Raeburn,
who in his young days had been at once the pride and anxiety of the
fishermen round his Scottish home, and noted for his readiness and
daring, had now lost the freshness of his experience, and had grown
forgetful of weather tokens. The danger was upon them before he
had even thought of it. The strong wind blowing upon them, the
delicious salt freshness, even the brisk motion, had been such a
relief to them after the pain and excitement of the morning. But
all at once they began to realize that their peril was great.
Their little boat tossed so fearfully that Erica had to cling to
the seat for safety; one moment they were down in the hollow of a
deep green wave, the next they would be tossed up upon its crest as
though their boat had been a mere cockle shell.
I'm afraid we've made a mistake, Eric, said Raeburn. I ought to
have seen this storm coming up.
What? cried Erica, for the dashing of the waves made the end of
the sentence inaudible.
He looked across the boat at her, and an almost paralyzing dread
filled his heart. For himself he could be brave, for himself death
had no terrors but for his child!
A horrible vision rose before him. He saw her lying stiff and
cold, with glazed eyes and drenched hair. Was there to be a yet
more terrible separation between them? Was death to snatch her
from him? Ah, no that should never be! They would at least go
down together.
The vision faded; he saw once more the fair, eager face, no longer
pallid, but flushed with excitement, the brave eyes clear and
bright, but somewhat anxious. The consciousness that everything
depended on him helped him to rise above that overmastering horror.

Next Winner (44) | Previous Winner (42)

Winner Index