MISJUDGED.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 305, 24 December 1891, Page 2 (Supplement)

MISJUDGED.

(By Hilda Worsi , , Remuera.)

'What do you say to a clay's rabbit-shoot-ing in old Hart's scrub ?' said Harry Ford to hi 3 boon companion Max Tyrell. ' Capibal ! I'm on, let's make up a party of five or six follows and ride over.' ' I'll bob we'll bag ten bunniea ahead, afc bholoaat.' ' Right, I'll go now and bell the other chaps.' To-morrow at 10 o'clock, that'll do, wonfc ifc? . With this ho galloped off, leaving Max to his own resources. Max Tyrell, the hero of my story, was the only child of Capb. Tyrell, in command of the ship Pirate, just come into port after a yoar's absonce. Their home, Mokobia, was situated on the clifl's of Dolphin Bay, Easb Coast. It consisted of aboub three hundred acres of fairly good land, principally in grass, as there was no one to cultivate the place, Max intending to follow in his father's footsteps. It wanted about eight weeks to Christmas on the captain's return home, and they were to have such a happy time togethor, but things do nob always turn out as we expect them. The weather, for instance, had quite forgotten itself, and was behaving in a most unreasonable manner for this time of the year. Days of steady rain had now given way to a north-east to northwest gale, and the bay was in a tumult, great green crested waves leaping and chasing each other in their hurry to reach the shore, then breaking with a roar on the shelly surface, while ab the Crow's Nest poinb they lashed themselves into a anowy lino of foam. Overhead the gulls were wheeling to and fro, now dipping into the angry waves, then shooting upwards witli a wild, weird cry. Max, on leaving his friend, set off at a brif'k pace through the clearing which lod to the house. On reaching his room, ho looked round for his gun, intending to clean it, and make ready tor the next day's sport, but it was nowhere to be seen; aftor searching for some time he suddenly remembered with anger and disappointment that ho had left it on board the yacht which was anchored out in bhe bay. ' Well, here's a go !' he exclaimed ; ' and nob another gun in the house worth carrying.' Suddenly an idea struck him. 'I wonder if father would let me go out tor it ?' But at that moment a howling gueb of wind that fairly shook the house seemed to answer his question in the negative. ' No, I'm afraid he won't, unless this gentle zephyr has somewhat calmed.ibs ruflled spirits by the morning. At any rate, I'll ask him.' That evening, when the family were gathered in fcho pretty sitting - room, Mrs Tyrell busy with some needlework, the capbain enjoying his pipe of peace, Max put the question boldly to his father. ' Father, may I go oil to the yacht tomorrow morning, to get my gun? , 'Gooffin weather like this, boy? what are you thinking of ?' ' Well, I mu3D have it by ten to-morrow morning, a? I am going with the boys to old Hart's scrub, after rabbits.' 'Must is nob the word to use to your father, my dear,' put in hia mother. Nob heeding this last remark, he went on. ' J nsfc i»ay I may go, and I'll be ever so carafnl. Why, 1 cook! get Sam bo come and bring hi*"boat, that's guaranteed to live through an earthquake. . His father smiled, butcwickly recovering himself said, 'Mo, my lad, neither of you shall go while I have power bo prevent you. In f.'lain words you .',< re nob fco think of it while this weather last?. I don't want to lose you : father was never fonder ot son than I am of you. So ■ ' May I send Sam, then ?' broke in tho boy. ' Don't be foolish ! Go and ' Father, I will go.' cried Max, quite forgetting himself in his disappointment. ' You will go to your room, and .stay there until you know how to behave like a gentleman,' answered his father, gravely. ? With thie, Max slunk out of the room, angry with himself and everyone else. On reaching his room he locked the door, and {lung himself on his bed to vodoefc. ' I am ft fool,' said he aioud, ' to quarrel with the pater, when he has been away for a whole year. I shall apologise to-morrow, although I'd sooner cub my thumb o(s'.' Downstairs the captain and his wife were talking seriously over Max's strange conduct. ' I can'!; think what has come over the boy, bo speak to me in that manner,'he was saying. ' Nor I.' answered his wife ; ' but he will be sorry lor it by the morning, you may be sure.' At ten o'clock they retired, bub beforo doing so, "Mrs Tyrell knocked gently at Max's room, to say good-night, but; no answer ; then siio turned the handle, only to find tho door locked, Max by this time being fast asleep. Noxb morning; the J'uu rose upon a scene as wild as bhe previous night. At six o'clock Max nx-8, and having dressed, le"t the house very quietly, intending to walk along , tha beach, as far as Ford's, in order, to let Arthur know that he was unable to join them. As he looked out over the tossing waters he caught sight of a boat jusb weathering Cox's Point, übout three-quarters of a miio away on the opposite side of the bay. ' Now, who can that bo in this weather ? Why, it looks like Fred Sound's boat at this"c!isbance,' said Max, who, with the aid of his pocket glasses, had a very srood view. ' No, it is—yes—no, it's not Fred. It's quite a litMo ch.tp, whoever he is. Good heavens! what, is he up to now?' as the boy threw up his arms in a frantic, helplesa maanor, only for a second though, and

a second too long, as he was tossed astern of a fishing boat lying at anchor close by. With a long whisble Max closed up his telescope. 'Well,.if that wasn'b the closest shave I've ever seen. If only father were here he would go out with ma. I'll go for him. 'No, that'll take too long. I'll whistle for Arthur.' But without result; so he took oub his glasses again, and this time saw that the boy was in real danger and seemed to be quite exhausted. In his anxiety for the boy'a safety Max had forgotten his father's bidding, and his own danger waa cash to the winds, as with excited, hurried steps he made his way to the boab-house, intending to go out himself to the rescue. His own boat being a light sort of skiff, he took that, and seizing a pair of sculls pulled with all his strength out into the bay. When he reached the yachb he rested for a few minutes to take breath and look round for the boat and its helpless occupant. On turning hia head Max saw, fco hia great, astonishment!, that it was none other than Tahea, the little idiot, from the native settlement. His heartrending cries for help put an end to Max's rest, forcing him fco struggle on. When he reached the boy he threw him a painter, which he grasped desperately, without a word, only keeping his eyes fixed upon his rescuer. With'rhe boat in tow, Max made for Cox's Point (being the nearest), and when about twelve yards off from it, he shouted to the boy to let go. This he did, and, clutching his oars, pulled with all his strength toward the beach. Now was the struggle for my poor hero, who, battling with wind and fcide, turned in the direction of home. Exhausted, he reached the yachb again, his only resting-place, where, to his delight, he saw his gun, lying within easy reach. 'A minute later and I should have lost you,' said he, extracting his treasure from some fishing neb, that had held it securely, through all tho rooking and pitching of the boat, for the last week. ' Nott for some string,' said he, tearing the net in two, to make fast the gun in his own boat. This (lone, and very firmly, ho struck out again for home, pulling until the perspiration ran from his face, and the veins in his arms stood up like whip-cord ; bub for all bhat, his fraii crafb made little headway against the fierce wind, and heavy sea. What was that? as his righb scull comee away in hia hand, almost upsetting him. Oh horror ! he is almost paralysed with fear ; a sorb of stupor takes possession of him, as looking round, he sees, as in a berribledreum, that his outrigger has broken. His brain refuses to take in his position and he sits there, faint and dizzy, until a squall lifts the boat, and burns it over, and Max is left struggling in the cold cruel water. Desperately he fights to rid himself of some of his clothing, shouting meanwhile for help, bub the roar of the wind and sea deadens his cry. He strikes oub bravely, bub his sbrength soon fails him in bhe unequal battle ; he struggles on feebly, bub ab last gives up. It is no use, nothing can save him now. He screams for help with as much breath as is left him, but his cries are drowned by tho wind and sea. He grows fainter and fainter and his senses are gradually leaving him. ' Father,' he screams, ' why don'b you come bo me?' Like a flash all the events of the night before pass through his mind, his father's antrer, hia mother's sorrow and his own behaviour. ' They will never know how sorry 1 am,' he thinks in a dazed way, 'and will be sure I disobeyed bhom after all.' ' Father ! Mother!' ho cries faintly again, bub no longer sbruggles, his senses are almost gone. Dreamily, as through a dim mist, he sees a dark foam-tipped masa rolling towards him—a monienb later, and the cruel sea has swallowed up its brave burden, and Max's shorb bright life is e.'idcd. Ab Mokohia the maid is ringing bhe bell, for the fourbh time, for Master Max. The captain and his wife have almost finished and are just lingering , over the coffee. ' Where can the boy be?' exclaimed Captain Tyrell for the twentieth time, aa he rose from the table and walked over to the window. The bay lay before him, a dark surging mnfs with lines of white on its pullen surface. 'Surely he hap nobeone —' he began, bub did nob give further utterance bo the thought that perhaps Max had after all disobeyed him and gone out to the yanht. The day wore on, and ."till no news of the missing boy ciimo to the anxious parent?, and when evening came and still no sign, ponr Mrs Tyrell was fllmosb prostrate with grief and anxiety. Captain Tyrell did his best to cheer her, by I suffsresfcinsr that Max hr»d gone on bhe pro-1 posed shooting expedition, and hnd then gone home with his friend Arthur, bub even whilo he spoke, his henrt was heavy and his mind full of the greatest, fear?. Ib is nsoloas for me to try and describe bheir terrible grief, when bhe sea gave up its. dead that evemne ft "d remained of poor Max, bheir only child, wa* brought home to them. The boat , ., with the gun securely lnshod into i.. wa» thrown "D on the beach, and bhus added to the misery of the unhappy parents, who, of course, believed that Max hud lost his life while disobeying thorn, if they could only have known that they had indeed can.se to be proud of their beloved Max, who had lost his own life while saving that of. another. Bub the j only one who ought to have been ablo to throw any litrlit on tho pod event, was bhe poor libtJo idiot. Taben, whn.-e clouded brain, and feeble intellect, held no remembrance whatever of his own escape, and the fata of his brave young I'escuer.