[Selected Stories by Bret Harte]@TWC D-Link bookSelected Stories PART II--IN THE FLOOD 13/402
The shanty cannot have drifted far, and perhaps the family are safe by this time," says the coxswain, hopefully. We lift the old man up, for he is quite helpless, and carry him to the boat.
He is still grasping the Bible in his right hand, though its strengthening grace is blank to his vacant eye, and he cowers in the stern as we pull slowly to the steamer while a pale gleam in the sky shows the coming day. I was weary with excitement, and when we reached the steamer, and I had seen Joseph Tryan comfortably bestowed, I wrapped myself in a blanket near the boiler and presently fell asleep.
But even then the figure of the old man often started before me, and a sense of uneasiness about George made a strong undercurrent to my drifting dreams.
I was awakened at about eight o'clock in the morning by the engineer, who told me one of the old man's sons had been picked up and was now on board. "Is it George Tryan ?" I ask quickly. "Don't know; but he's a sweet one, whoever he is," adds the engineer, with a smile at some luscious remembrance.
"You'll find him for'ard." I hurry to the bow of the boat, and find, not George, but the irrepressible Wise, sitting on a coil of rope, a little dirtier and rather more dilapidated than I can remember having seen him. He is examining, with apparent admiration, some rough, dry clothes that have been put out for his disposal.
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