Mountain View Union High School - Blue and Gray Yearbook (Mountain View, CA)

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17 hcfi tb? O 0at? THE great trans-Atlantie liner Washington slipped away iVoni her moorings in New York harbor, amidst a chorus of good- byes , from the crowd on the pier and those on board the steamer. Handkerchief and hat farewells were exchanged until the signal became indistinct with the lengthening distance. Among the passengers was a rather flashily dressed young nuui about twenty-five years of age. He sauntered about the ui)i)er deck with the air of an Alexander the Great . In liis right hand lie swung a cane while he puffed spasmodically on a gold tipped cigar- ette. His cognomen was Lord Archibald De Ray, late of England, more recently of America, his ambition, to gain notoriety through a heroic act of any shape or form. For this he had journeyed to America, thinking America ottered more opportunities for a hci-o. In this, however, Amei ' ica failed him, so now he was going back to his native sod. The Washington was five days out and was now on the last leg of her journey. At last the liner dropped anchor below Liver- pool and waited the arrival of the pilot. The passengers were stroll- ing on the decks when quite suddenly the air was split with the screams of women. Every heart jumped to its owner s mouth and every step was halted as if by magic. Away some hundred feet was a horrifying scene. A small ship belched flames while its fear nuid- deneil passengers crowded the rails. The life boats of the flaming ship were lowered and all piled safely into them and rowed away. Just as the life boats were about a quarter of a nule distant a woman appeared on the half burnt deck. She gave a terrifying look at the departing life boats and then shrang back. Her hands tore her hair while she cowered hesitantly from the flames and the bulwark, over which it was a di-op of thirty feet to the water. At last with one backward glance at the hungry flames, she mounted the rail and plunged feet foremost into the salty l)rine. In the nu ' antime a rowboat had api)roached the Washington ' s side and its sole occupant, a man, had megaphoned something to the captain, who was preparing to rescue the people of the burning. shi]i. This something, the captain communicated to his passengers and tile strain on them then broke, with the exception of De Ray, who paid not the least attention to the captain ' s announcement. They turned their gaze toward a raft on which was erected a huge sign. On the raft itself .stood three men, one looked as if he were describing a circle on the side of a cracker box while the other two iiawled orders of some sort. Lord Archibald stood nervously against the rail, intensely watching the launching of the burning ship ' s passengers. At last, ba Jove, ' ere ' s my chance. I ' ll save the young woman from ' er watery grave, he muttered, just as the deserted woman climbed the bulwarks of the flaming ship and jilunged over board. At this i)sychological moment De Ray flung off his coat and dived into the sea, sixty feet below. Xow De Ray was an expert swimmer, iiut that was the limit of his accomplishments. Straight he swam for the place where the woman had disajipeared, while he could hear the voices of the pass-

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16 Hr.rii AXI) C.KAV aiul aftiT tliree long days of weary waiulcriiig the Senior i ' alui has returned. It rests by tlie side of the hole it onee so neatly filled. Is there no loving arm to lift it hack? Ah, no. lint who are those who come with smiling faces, jesting gaily at our palm ' s plight? They are the valiant Underclassmen. He of the curly locks wields the pick, he of the bristly mane the shovel. In a trice the hole is cleared. With blithsome glee these sturdy sons of light undo the work of midnight visitants. -And thus, from the travel woi ' u. Our I ' alni once ludi ' c returns to Mother Earth to rest. Esto Perpetual ! ! ! Finis. — Llovd Johnson. ' 16. j ' |Jb?HE four short years have come and gone, to us S|p Like four short days without an hour to spare; ' For every da.y to us seemed half its length. So short the time since first we gathered here. Each year is likened to a season bright. In which we tilled and sowed and reaped until Within our minds and hearts we jdaced the seed We hoped to harvest soon in deed ami woi ' d. Then everything was new and fresh and bright And, as a plant that first begins to grow With feeble gropings upward toward the light. We reached for wisdom ' s wealth of truth and .joy. When Freshnuui young and green, as spi ' outing plants In springtinu ' lift their faces to the light To drink the dew of heaven softly shed. We eagerly did driidv from learning ' s foiuit. The second year a summer might be called. With springtime flowers blooming out in full ; Rut some were blighted by temptation ' s storm. While others failed and wilted by the way. The third year came, an Autumn, in its turn, ' Twas time to harvest all that we had learned. And eai ' e for future growth of blade and seed. That we might wisdom gain for future need. The fourth year. Winter, bleak comes in at last. And working, waiting, dawns for us the end, The springtime gone, the Autumn fields well gleaiu ' d Aiul garnered is our precious store with care. Our lives have grown enriched we know not Imw, From busy happy seasons of the past. Before us lies a futui ' e, sti ' ange and vast. We face it now with courage born of youth. — Fainiie Razck. ' 14.

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18 BM ' E AND CRAY ciiKci-s oil the Washington and the tliree nccupaiits of the raft yelling sonietliing iiiun1elligil)lc at hiia. Of a siuldeii. an unforeseen thing liajipeiietl. A man leapt from tile Inirniiig ship, into the water, neai ' where the woman was now afloat and spluttering for help. Lord Archibald saw the man as he hit the water and, not to be outdone for the honors at this stage of the scene, made an extra spurt ; a fraction of a moment ahead of his rival he grasped the hair of the fast drowning woman. He started to swim with his burden toward the raft which was then the closest object to him, when of a sudden his head received the impact of a sudden jar. Looking back, he gazed into the maddened eyes of his rival, who had just delivered a straight from the shoulder ' . His apparently exhausted burden suddenly came to , and simultaneously both the rival and the res- cued proceeded to maul the rescuer, treading water during the melee. This was certainly a funny turn in affairs for De Ray, who was sadly receiving the worst of affairs. At last, well nigh exhausted, he turned and swam. His assailants then jiursued him, but his fear lent him wings and outdistance them he did. The raft was his goal, it being nearest him. On it now danced three crazy men, bawling something or other at him. At last he grasped the edge of the raft and pulled himself half upon it, more dead than alive. Immediately Lord Archibald De Ray was seized by the three maniacs and without any ceremony whatsoever, was spontaneously kicked back into the water, while one gave him this parting shot: C!an t you read English, you blithering idiot, referring tc the sign erected overhead. You ve spoiled one of Pathe Freres two reel features. —Jack G. North, ' 16. unriBF on ttjf ioutitain |f PEW red streaks across the eastern sky And spreads o er the east like some rich dye Dispel the dim gray light of eai-ly dawn, . As if to bid the gods of night be gone. The canyons dim in purple shadows sleep. As though unmindful of the coming day ; While from the pine ' s dim shadows dark and deep A tiny warbler sings his morning la,y. A silver haze o ' er all the earth is spread. And echoes wake that through the night were dead. The dew-drops sparkle on the long green ferns; The hillside seems a lake of glist ' ning gems; The golden poppy to the sun her chalice turns, While hai r-bells nod upon their slender stems. The wild-rose sheds its dainty perfume ' round; A gentle breeze steals through the scented grass ; The brook glides o ' er the rocks with mur ' mr ' ing sound; The busy bees hum softly as they pass. Nature in all her beauty greets tlie sun. The night is past and a new day ' s begun. — Leona Armstrong, ' 14.