The high banks seemed to fly past. Afterwards, in her dreams, she saw them always: flickering visions of yellow banks and dark green masses of wattle-trees. But at the moment she saw only what lay ahead: glancing water, and swift oars flashing, and Possum"s flushed, strained face; and the boat that rocked and fled from them with its tinyburden.
But they gained. As they swung round turn after turn, they crept nearer and nearer to the dinghy. Surely they must win! And yet, Possum was afraid. Looking at her, with senses sharpened by terror, the mother saw the fear in her eyes. She met Aileen"s glance with a forced smile, but it could not hide her fear. Her arms never ceased their rapid, mechanical strokes-under the thin blouse her muscles rose and fell as she opened her shoulders with long, powerful swings.
"Can you stand it?" Aileen whispered. "Oh, why can"t Irow decently!"
"You"re... far more use steering," Possum gasped. " I"m all right. See how we"re gaining.""Then why are you afraid?" Aileen cried.
Possum shook her head, and forced a smile-a smile that brought no conviction. Then Garth cried out again, something about " water," and " wet," and Possum"s anxious look grew sharper. Her voice was shrill and strained as she called back to the child.
"I know, dearie-sit still!"
"What is it?" Aileen gasped; and suddenly she knew. They were gaining rapidly now, but the dinghy was settling down in the water. The leaks! The wonder was that it had floated so long. Now the water rippled almost level with itsedge. For an instant Aileen lost her head in her agony of terror. She screamed, starting half up.
"Sit down!" Possum"s voice, stern in its anxiety, brought her to her senses. She flung a backward glance. "Near down," she gasped; "I knew, when we gained so quick."Garth"s voice came again, and this time with a sob of fear. The dinghy was almost sinking. For another moment the skiff spun through the water, rounding a bend, and there, ahead, lay the open water of the lake. Possum shipped the oars with a sudden jerk.
"Try and keep her straight"-she flung the words at Aileen. "There"s one chance--"Ahead, the dinghy seemed to stop. There was a slow, sickening swirl, and, even as Possum screamed to Garth tojump, the water closed over the little boat. There was a cry-a cry that choked suddenly. Then the skiff quivered and stopped a s P o s s u m d i v e d i n t o t h e stream.
The water lay blank and desolate before the woman who sat staring in the skiff- blank but for the wideningDrawn by Allan T. Bernaldo
"They saw the empty boat first."
ripples that spread across the
pathway of the current. So it lay for a dragging moment that was years, and then Possum"s head broke it, and, but farther away, Garth"s upturned face. They disappeared again.
When she saw them once more, they were together- Possum gripping the boy tightly, and keeping afloat with one hand. The skiff was drifting down towards them. Aileen grasped an oar and tried to bring it closer, loathing the helpless ignorance that made her efforts awkward. Close- closer, but still too far. She thrust the oar towards them, leaning over the side. It was too short.
The current whisked her away-still stretching vainly towards the two faces in the water, crying to them, calling to God. Then she flung herself into the water, striving, with desperate helpless strokes, against the racing tide.
A motor-launch came swiftly round from the lake, the two men in her talking and smoking. They saw the empty boat first, and the words died upon their lips.
"My goodness!" said Tom Macleod, and sprang to his engine. The launch leaped like a live thing tearing through the water. The skiff danced past them, rocking upon the waves.
"Can you see them?" he asked, between his teeth.
"One of "em"s close," Nick said. "Steady-starboard a little. Be ready to back if I miss." He hung over the side and clutched at the fair head near the boat. "Ah-got her. It"syour wife." His great shoulders quivered as he dragged herin, looking wildly ahead as he did so. A cry broke from him.
"There"s my girl-she"s got your Garth. Hold on, Poss!
Get on with you, man-starboard, starboard !"
He flung Aileen into the boat, and turned again swiftly. Possum was paddling feebly with one hand, almost done. She met his eyes and her lips parted.
"Take Garth," she gasped. But he took both, catching them with his great arms, and holding them out of the water until Tom could get to his side. He caught his boy from Possum"s tired hands and laid him in the boat beside his mother, while Nick O"Connor dragged in the girl.
From Possum, by Mary Grant Bruce (Ward, Lock & Co.)Author.-Mary Grant Bruce, a living Australian writer, has written many charming stories for children, including A Little Bush Maid, Mates at Billabong, Norah of Billabong, and From Billabong to London.
General Notes.-To recognize and understand the characters you must read the whole book. What is a dinghy? What do you think of Possum"s achievement? Talk about other stories of female heroism.
Lesson 23
ROmANCE
I saw a ship a-sailing, A-sailing on the sea,Her masts were of the shining gold, Her deck of ivory;And sails of silk, as soft as milk, And silvern shrouds had she.
And round about her sailing The sea was sparkling white,The waves all clapped their hands and sang To see so fair a sight;They kissed her twice, they kissed her thrice, And murmured with delight.
Then came the gallant captain And stood upon the deck,In velvet coat and ruffles white
Without a spot or speck,
And diamond rings and triple strings Of pearls about his neck.
And four and twenty sailors Were round him bowing low,On every jacket three times three Gold buttons in a row,And cutlasses down to their knees- They made a goodly show.
And then the ship went sailing,
A-sailing o"er the sea,
She dived beneath the setting sun, But never back came she,For she found the lands of the golden sands, Where the pearls and diamonds be.
- Gabriel Setoun