PETER'S SACRIFICE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 237, 7 October 1933, Page 3 (Supplement)

PETER'S SACRIFICE.

(By Eveleen Rol>in.son, 3, ICaipai Ifrond Devonport: ape 16 years.)

Standing where the waves rolled up on to the sands was a stiirdy little fisher lad 12 years of age, who gtized with a. puzzled frown on his brow, far out to where tile snowy white clouds seemed to touch the sea.

Something was troubling the boy! What was it? Was it that his father and his little smack had failed to return, or could he ste a wreck out on the horizon? It was neither of these things that was disturbing and perplexing Peter Reid. A peculiar light glowed on the thick mass of clouds out at sea. Thtj sun had long since set, so lie knew it was not the light of the evening sunset. Suddenly a look of understanding passed over Peter's face when he at last solved the problem which had so troubled him. He remembered that his father had once told him that a'light such as this, was the sign of a terrible storm approaching. Leaving the sandy shore he hastened homeward to the little cottage on the cliff where he livod with his parents. On entering the house, his father told him to haul, the little dinghy, which was anchored to a rock in the cove nearby, up to the house at once as a bad storm was brewing. When he had done as his father, bade him, the family sat down to tea. During their meal low rumblings of thunder tilled the air, while the sea, so calm an hour or so before, was now a heaving, pulsing mase of seething white foam. The wind howled and shrieked like the pent-up fury of a thousand demons round the house.

Peter sat by the iiro and listened with awe to the raging tornado which seemed to shake the eartli with- its intensity. There was a short lull iu the storm, and the of the cottage hoard a terrible crash which filled their hearts with fear. They hurried to the window and peering out t'hiMugli the torrent of rain now descending, were able- to discern with difficulty, a huge vessel on the rocks. Distress signals were going up and the waves hurled themselves over the deck. The passengers, with their life-belts, on, were making valiant attempts to launch the boats, but all their efforts- were futile.

After gazing hopelessly for a few moments- at the terrible scene taking place in front of tlieir eyes, and knowing that they were powerless to help, the watchers in the cottage saw to their dcvlight that the storm was abating. The wind sank lower and lower and the rain almost ceased. Quickly donning their thick oilskin coats and helmets, Peter's father hurried off to the little village two miles away for help, while Peter hastened down to the beach, which was covered with articles of all kinds washed off the deck of the doomed ship. Suddenly, without any warning, the ill-fated vessel, with a mighty lurch, slowly sank beneath the foaming deep. As Peter watched with horror, he saw the form of a little eliikt tossed upon the crest of the heaving billows. Throwing off his coat, he plunged in an<l battled his way towards the form; then clutching hold of the child's clothes, the brave lad fought valiantly toward the shore, but the current was against him and he was knocked unconscious by a gigantic wave when only a few yards from the shore: When Mr. Rcid and the fishermen from the village arrived at the beach, they saw two small figures being tossed towards them. Launching a boat' they managed with difficulty to bring, two little bedraggled forms on to the shore. Great was their amazement when they found that one was Peter. They immediately set to work to restore eonscious-

jiess to tlic children by artificial respiration, and after some time managed to bring the little child back to life, but to their horror, Peter (whom they all loved so dearly) had passed over the Great Divide.

The parents, broken-hearted at the loss of their only Mrild. gloried in the memory of his bravery in sacrificing his life for another,, while the hardy fishermen paid their greatest tribute, by saying that, lie was tiie Ifue son of a fisherman.