Johnstown High School - Spectator Yearbook (Johnstown, PA)

Page 18 text:

16 THB SPECTATOR the water's edge, but there all aid was sacrificed to new clothes. What! Quitters are you? shouted the volunteer oarsmen. The person might not be saved now, but at least the boat could pick him up. So my comrade and l, rushing into the water up to our knees, shoved the boat before us, when suddenly the keel stuck in the sand. We strained and tugged until at last the boat floated, we two marched out of the water, heroes already. In the meantime the life-savers were tiring, and also a complete story was circulating about the sea's victim. Yes, its Miss Brown, of Chicago. She went in by herself, when the undertow and ebb pulled her out to sea. The body could no longer be seen, but all hoped to have it found. At first the boat took the life-savers aboard and then cast about for the drowned person. After a few minutes reconnoitering, the boat suddenly headed for shore. Had they given up the search? lt so appeared to the indig- nant crowd until the boat grated on the pebbles, Then the mass quickly dissolved. The heroes, their new clothes dripping with salt water, with down-cast eyes and dejected hearts, slunk away thru the unused streets. That evening the Daily Reporter published the fol- lowing: TOP OF PILE MISTAKEN FOR DROWNING BATHER. This afternoon, during the lowest tide for weeks, an old log used for tying Hshermen's nets, appearing in the troughs of the waves, etc., etc. A Diamond Stratagem BY J oHN H. CovER, '11 ADR. CLUTCH, a retired business man and a lover of travel, lately related an interesting incident which happened during an extended journey in Africa. He was at the time visiting the Kimberley Diamond Mines which were in their infancy. A contention between two native tribes had made the route to Cape Town unsafe for the shipment of diamonds.

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THE SPECTATOR K5 Mock Heroes C. E. IG. '10 'IROT often does a person have an opportunity to save a a human life, but this summer while visiting a small town on the seashore, a friend and I almost had the chance to become applicants for hero medals. The whole incident took place on a lazy afternoon, when most of tne summer cottagers dozed away in their hammocks, chasing mosquitos and dreaming of home. We two heroes, humbly unconscious of the great events await- ing us, were bowling duck-pins in a little resort along the ocean board-walk. Now and then one of us would step out of the stuffy room to get a breath of fresh air, and to brace us for a change of luck. During one of these nerve treat- ments, my friend noticed a few excited people running down the beach, where only a few bathers were enjoying the surf in the afternoon lull. After spreading an alarm, he left the alley with me to find the cause of the disturbance. ln a minute, by straining our eyes over the sea, we descried a black speck bobbing up and down abouttwo hun- dred yards from shore. The tide had just reached its low- est point, and was beginning to flow, lf only the swimmer could hold out afew minutes longer the tide might help him in to shore. But now something must be done, and that on the moment, as the old captain of the life saving crew was not there, and as the boat lay 'way up on the beach, high and dry from the water, one of the younger life-savers, thinking it an easy rescue, dashed out through the breakers toward the helpless swimmer. A companion swam after, floating a life preserver before him. By this time the shore was lined with a helpless multi- tude. ln spite of their frantic arm waving and shouted directions, the life-saver could not locate the drowning person over the low waves. Just at intervals could the body be seen nowg the tide was advancing rapidly, the crowd despaired, but in one last hope my companion raised a cry for the boat, which had been forgotten- in the excite- ment. Finally when two young college fellows consented to row, a score of hands pushed the boat over the sand to

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THE SPECTATOR I7 A diamond of unusual size and quality had just been un- earthed. ln order that this diamond should reach Cape Town safely, as no guard would be sufficient to repel an at- tack ofthe savages, the company was obliged to resort to a stratagem. Being a friend of the mine foreman, Nlr. Clutch was admitted to the secret and permitted to help in its exec- ution. On the appointed day six armed men set out on foot to Durban. From Durban they could travel by rail to Cape- Town. One of these men carried a small box containing an exact model of this extraordinary diamond. Six hours later three men, equipped as tourists, andin- cluding Mr. Clutch, set out for Johannesburg on their way to Sofala on the eastern coast of Africa. All of this journey was made on foot and in the native chairs carried by negres. This party carried the real diamond which was apparently carelessly mixed with a large collection of shells and corals. The first party, as was anticipated, was attacked when but twenty-five miles from Kimberley and relieved of their burden by the natives. The second party reached Sofala af- ter four weeks of traveling, unmolested. Here they boar- ded a vessel and soon arrived in Cape Town with their treasure. g im