The Wizard of the Sea | Page 8

dozen life-preservers were thrown overboard, but none came to
where the girl could reach them.
The judge wanted to join his daughter in the water.
Strong hands held him back.
"The young fellow will save her, judge."
"He's a true hero!"
Life-lines were thrown over, but even these did no good.
The steamboat swung around, but the run of the water washed the girl
closer and closer to the paddle wheel.

She now came up a second time.
Should she sink again all would be over.
Mont was swimming with all the strength and skill at his command.
At last he was within a yard of the struggling girl.
The maiden threw up her hands and went under. As quick as a flash our
hero dove down.
A second passed. Then up came our hero with the girl clinging to his
shoulder.
But now the current was apparently too strong for both of them.
"Help us--quick!"
Carl and Stump heard the cry, and immediately put about in their sloop.
Mont was swimming along on his side.
The girl was too weak to support herself, and he was holding her up
well out of the water.
It took the sloop but a moment to run up alongside of the pair.
Carl reached over and caught hold of the girl and placed her on deck.
In the meantime our hero caught hold of a rope thrown by the old
boatman and pulled himself up.
A cheer arose from those on the excursion boat.
"She is safe now, sure!"
The girl was too exhausted to move, and Carl rubbed her hands and did
what he could for her.

Stump ran up alongside of the steamboat, and a little later the girl was
placed on board.
The judge clasped his child to his breast.
"Go ahead," said Mont in a low voice. "I don't want the crowd to stare
at me."
"But the judge wants to thank you," began Carl; but our hero would not
listen.
He was too modest, and made Stump actually run away from the
excursion boat.
But five hundred people cheered Mont and waved their handkerchiefs.
And this was not the end of the matter.
The next day Judge Moore called at the camp, and insisted on
presenting Mont with a gold watch and chain. With this gift came a
sweet letter from Alice Moore which made our hero blush a good deal
when he read it.
After this, nearly a week passed without special incident. Link was
called home on account of the death of a relative, and Mont and Carl
became closer chums than ever.
One day Hoke Ummer was caught abusing one of the small boys so
greatly that the boy had to be placed under a doctor's care.
The boy's father had Hoke arrested. The case, however, never came to
trial.
The consequence of the arrest was that the bully was dismissed from
the school; and that was the last Mont saw of him.
"We are well rid of him," he said, and Carl and the others agreed with
him.

One day Mont and Carl went out for an all-day cruise on the bay,
taking John Stumpton with them.
When the two schoolboys started out with the hired lad they did not
intend to remain away longer than sunset, and not one of them dreamed
of the marvelous adventures in store for each ere he should be
permitted to see his native land again.
The start was made in a fair breeze, and it looked so nice overhead that
Mont proposed they take a short run directly into the ocean.
"All right--I'll go you," answered Carl slangily, and away they
skimmed.
By noon they were almost out of sight of land, and while they were
eating the repast Stump had prepared Carl proposed that they turn back.
This was hardly accomplished when it suddenly grew dark, and they
found themselves caught in a squall.
"By gracious! I didn't bargain for this!" cried Carl. "If we don't take
care, we'll go to the bottom!"
"Don't worry--yet," answered Mont. "I guess we'll get back all right."
Blacker and blacker grew the sky, until absolutely nothing could be
seen. Every sail was closely reefed, and the boys strained their eyes to
pierce the gloom which hung over them.
Suddenly Stump set up a yell.
"Look out; there is a ship!"
He got no further. A large form loomed up in the darkness. There was
one grinding, smashing crash, and then came a shock that split the
light-built sloop from stem to stern.
All of the boys were hurled into the boiling sea. But none was hurt; and,
coming to the surface, all struggled to cling to the wreckage floating

about, meanwhile crying loudly for help.
When they were picked up they were thoroughly