The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-31

wheel-house. Other ferry boats were seen plow-
ing to and fro. like huge shuttles cast back and
forth, weaving the strands of life that connect
/ New York and Brooklyn. The weather was
bright but freezing; cakes of ice were jostling
and Jouncing about in the river, going seaward.
Otherwise everything was as usual
In the ferry house, too, everything was as
usual There was the huge dreary waiting
room walled with glass windows, its bare floor
gritty with dust from many feet There in the
middle of the floor, with its misleading air of
rlotous luxury, was the bronze gilt fountain
that never plays, and across the room conld be
seen the soda fountain that plays perennialy,
above the bloom of apples and the waste desert
of tinted popcorn. Cloaked and hooded men and
women came in, miserable, transitory and ex-
pectant as they always are at ferries. A pale
young man with Christian association side whisk-
ers stood by the door oStenSibly opening letters
and reading them with immense Importance
A man with an artificial leg busted himself by
walking to and fro, while the people with natu
raj legs carefully sat down on the bare, IRON
partitioned benches. His spurious limb at every
step sprang up, gave sideward shake and
Topped down methodically On the planks, its
owner bowling his head and regarding the per-
Torrance with grave attention. At the last mo-
ment Evelyn entered, dressed in simple braided
black, with blue veil over her face and blue
scarf crossed on her bosom. She was coming
home from an early call in Brooklyn. She knew
that this was Ions ferry, but she had made no
appointment with him, and he was not aware
The boat started sereney There was nothing
remarkable in her progress until she had gone a
third of the way. Then the bell from the pilot
house rang for her to slow down, so to permit
the passage of q tug with heavy barge in tow
The engine stopped and she lay waiting
The tug passed safely but was hindered by the
blocks of ice some distance down; her line to the
tow slackened. and before Captain Billy had
time to reverse the engine the barge-caught In
an eddy-veered toward the ferry boat and
crashed into her.
Now, the steamer was of the old fashioned
build, without compartments, and Captain
Billy knew that unless the leak could be
stanched she must sink. He ran for the stairs
to go below, and Lon was at his heels. They
plunged into the hold nearly together. HaSty
efforts had been made by the engineer and the
rest of the men on the lower deck to close up
the break with boxes, mating and whatever lay
at hand, but they could not collect enough stuff
to block the opening. A narrow space in the
midst of the impoverished barriers remained
vacant and unless that could be filled every
soul on the boat was doomed.
Captain Billy threw himself impetuously into
the gap among the torn and Jagged timbers. His
broad, burly figure filled it completely, and held
the greedy river back But. unfortunately, he
had thrust his right arm out of the opening.
And he was forty six years old.
Dad oh. dad! Get out of here. Let me
take your place. Get out, say!'
So rang Ions cry, and Lon took hold of mis-
father to wrench him away.
Captain Billy answered:
Lon, you fooll Don't you see we're safe2
can't get out of here thout letting her sink.
Take the wheel, Lon. You know how Don't
let her drift. Run her into dock"
All this while he was shaking off his sons
grasp. Lon fell back overpowered.
''I'll take her in, he cried, all aSre.
Right" gasped his father II was mistaken,
Lon. You're not a baby. You're man!'
Lon flew up the stairs and regained the pilot
house. He took the wheel. BY this time the
tug had freed herself and was out of the way
with her tow Lon started the engine, and with
steady hand and eye alert guided the heavy
ferry-b up stream into her course. then across
and then downward, with the swing of the tide,
adrolty accurately into her landing place. The
bell rang to slow; again, TO reverse; once more,
to UNLOCK; then, to go forward by hand; finally.
to stop. Then the boat was docked as by the
skill of master. But while al! this was pro-
ceeding, Ions nerves tingled with the most hor-
rible shudders, because he knew that his father
was down there in the gap, stemming the death
cold water with his own body.
carpenter had come with some boards gath
cred at haphaZard. and some oakum. Captain
Billy surrendered his post to tine carpenter, and
was carried up the engine room stairs, faint,
half-froZen, with his right arm lacerated and
bleeding from contact with the floating ice. But
once on his feet he refused aid, and walked non
chalantly toward the Office. The rumor of his
bravery had preceded him, and an agent of the
ferry company met him at the door
Captain Rust said the agent blandly, ex-
banding with noble sentiment, 'fyou have be-
haved like a hero! The company will appreci-
ate your services and on their behalf will hand
you in minute or two a hundred dollars"
With his left arm still intact. Captain Billy
waved the agent imperiously aside. Hundred
dollarsi What do want Of thau Do you think
cared anything for your rotten old boatl She
might have sunk for all me, if it hadn't been for
| the women and babies on board! don't take
money pay for what any man ought to do"
And thereupon he strobe forth into the street,
blazing with indignation and followed by Lon.
| He had his ri ht arm dressed and bandaged and
! he formed resolution. which was to resign his
| place pilot
Meadows heard from his daughter that even
| ing the story of the accident and the fortunate
escape. But restless reporters had learned of
the affair, and the next morning all the particu-
lars were given in the papers
by Jovew called Meadows, not recalling at
once the name of his former sailor being the
same as the captains. What noble fellow
| that pilot was. / must hunt him up, Evelyn,
| and see if can help him somehow Why he
saved your life" The contractor almost gave
| way at the thought that, but for Captain Billy,
| he might have been sitting alone at his break
fast table, the light of his life gone out and his
| lovely child, Evelyn, dead. If I could meet
| that man I'd do anything under heaven for him!'
| he exclaimed.
Evelyn responded with enthusiasm, but she
| was very pale and her expression was inscrutabe.
| Meadows had not been long in his Office down
| town when Captain Billy Rust walked in and
said that he had come to answer an ADVERT Sc
| ment for an assistant in some submarine build
| ing work on the seashore. The captain stated
| his qualifications, ana said that he was expe-
| rienced. Meadows cross-examined him severely,
and decided to engage him.
'Ah-what is your name?n he asked, sternly
| like man whose function it was to catalogue
| the human race.
Captain Rust, sir-Wiiliam A. Rust"
Meadows sprang to his feet Handsome. tall,
| with long, high boned cheeks and a waving mus
tache, the ferocity of which concealed the real
good fellowship of his nature, he looked at this
| juncture the very embodyment of hearty kind
| ness. Captain Rust" he cried 'then you are
| the man who saved my daughters life yesterday
| on the ferry"
II don't know anything about your daughters
! life. said Captain Billy.
My dear fellow said Meadows, "Pm glad to
see you. had it in my mind to find you to-day.
| What can l do for you2 Consider yourself en-
| gagged by me, irons this moment. But isn't there
7 do In CHI