Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 April 1893 — Pursued by the Tide. [ARTICLE]

Pursued by the Tide.

At the little town of Granville, in Normandy, there are treacherous tides, which suddenly overwhelm the low shore. One of the perilous Incidents resulting from their rising Is described in Henry Blackburn’s “Artistic Travel. ” Two friends were one day absorbed in examining the rocki at some distance from the shore, and in collecting the numerous marine plants which abound in their crevices, when suddenly one of the pair called out, “Mercy on us! I forgot the tide, and here it comes!” Turning toward the shore, they saw a stream of water running rapidly between them and the sand. They quickly descended the rocks, but before they could reach the ground “the sand was in stripes and the water in sheets.” They then ran for the shore, hut before they had proceeded far they were met by a fisher-girl, who called: “The wave! the wave! it Is coming! Turn and run for the rock, or you are lost!” They did turn, and saw, far out at sea, a large wave rolling toward the shore. The girl led the way, and the two friends strained every nerve to keep pace with her. As they neared the rock the wave was beginning to roll in, and for the last ten steps they were up to their knees in water; but they had reached the goal! “Quick! quick!” cried the girl pointing upward. “There is the passage to the cross’at the top: but if the second wave comes, we shall he too late!” She scrambled on for a hundred yards, until she came to a fissure in the rock six or seven feet wide, along which the water was rushing like a mill-sluice. With some difficulty they reached the upper rocks. There they rested for a moment, when another great wave rolled in, and the water ran along the little platform where they were sitting. They rose and mounted the rocky points, which are never quite covered with water, and clustered together for support. In a few moments the suspense was over. The girl pointed to the shore, where they could see people waving their handkerchiefs, and whence came the faint sound of a cheer. “They think the tide has turned,” 6 aid she, “and they are shouting to cheer us. ” She was fight; the tide had turned. Another wave rolled up and wet their feet, but when It passed the water had fallen.