Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-09-29

when he got TO work that very night I
had 10 idea that what was happening
came from his hand and was the ont
come of 10 lnavish ingenuity.
had gone off watch at midnight,
had turned in and had been sleeping
some hour and half when the fireman
came TO rouse me.
He snid: shes half full of water,
sir, and one of tho bilge pumps is
broken down. It's two foot deep over
Our footplatcs already and coming in
like mill race. 1t II reach the fires di-
rectly, sir, and then it'll be u case cf
golden shore for all hands if we dent
look out. Sho must have startod plate
as You said, sir, when she took tie
/ ground i'll the PASS yondcr."
OF course the yarn about tho plato be-
/ ing started when sho struck on the bar
ought to have given Inc hint but it
did not. When man is woke out of
sleep with news that tho ship is set
Ting under him, he has enough to think
Of in the present without bothcring his
head about things of that kind, and /
just slipped on II pair of boots and raj
to the engine room i'll pyjamas, just as
/ was.
| The chief and the third were hard at
| work at the broken bilge pump, but it
wasn't easy work, because every time
| she rolled down that side good ten
! foot of water soused over their ears.
/ The water was gaining, there was no
mistake about that; you could feel tho
| steamer grow more coldcn with every
/ roll, and it was clear enough that with
/ the one steam pump We bad working
/ we could not keep her aflGat another
two hours. The stokchuln was full of
steam from tho ashes falling into the
water, and presently the splashing be-
gan 10 lit the bottom of the fire bars
and tue steam grew worse. Then the
fires started to die, and the gauges fell
/ so that you could not sec them. We did
not stop the engines They slowed By
degrees and brought up Of themselves.
And then, like drowned rats, we went
out Oh deck. The chief and | were the
last to go. There was nothing else to be
done.
There was snoring breeze, with Il
| stiilish sea running. 1t wasn't cold, be-
cause we were in the thick Of tho gulf
stream, but the night was as black as
coal with driving rain and not bit in
wiling fer Il boat cruise. However, there
was no help for it. Knowles and tho
two other mates and the carpenter had
! got the two liteboats swung ont the
stewards and the cook were victualipg
them, and the hands were hidden to
tumble III without any more delay. a
tailor could have seen that the old Shah
had not got very much longer to float.
| wasn't going TO lose the things I
had bought out Of the slcp chest, so l
bad it i'll my mind to so below and pat
them together. | had got to tho head of
| the companion 70 do this when Captain
Blake cane ont of the charthCuae with
the light from inside shining full on
his face. He was as cool as fish and
smiling
"Ah, Mac" he said, "glad to sec
yon are Keeping your head. III remcm-
Der this in your favor afterward. Say.
just slip int; the charthousc here, Will
you, and tak- charge Of bag of bull
lion? Garry it with you to the port life
boat, and if you get it safely ashore you
Shall have 10 per cent as salvage for
yonr pains. Como right in.
stepped into the charthouse, tho
door closed behind nc, ard found my
sell face on to II curious sight. The car
penter was sitting on the captain S sofa,
and opposite him was one of the dccl,
hands, u fellow who had joined from
New Orleans when 1 did lingering u
nickel plated revolver.
Hello" said l, "what does this
mean"
at MEANS" says Blako from behind
me, that you've got to stay right hero
on this ship, Mac, ard be her chief en-
gineor whether you like it or not.
Now I've got a knifo in my hand this
minuto"-he laid the cold blade lightly
upon the back Of my neck for an in
slant and then whislyod it away again
land it would annoy mo very much
to kill you I've no time for long argu-
mcnt, Will you stay alive or will you
stay dcad?"
'I've got to save my life" said
you're sensible man, Mac. Just
sit beside Chips, on the sofa there, and
talk TO Mr.. Legrand. Oh, forgot to
Introduce you. Legrand is tho new
mate, And now l must be off to SEQ
that all the members of this ships COM
pany don't want go Off cruising So
Gladly together in the lifcboats"
Ho went out in tho dark, closing the
door on his heels, and | found myself
sitting beside the carpenter looking ut
the big, sallow faced creole who held
the revolver.
Man, l said, "the skippcr's gone
mad. I've just como from below my
self, and l know what it's like She
swamp in half an hour You're just
holding us here to drown"
"Shucksp' said he. "That's only
part OF the game to get the ship to our
selves and to scare or those we didn t
want. ="
What Go you mean?"
why, there have been couple Of
Gea cocks opened, that's all, and il you
want to Know who did 1t, here's the
man standing before you. did another
thing too 1t was mo that smashed the
bilgo pump
And who's going to work the ship
when tho crew have gomez
.'Oh, we'll have eight Of a crew a'i
told. counting in you and me and CHIPS
here and the skipper. Two Of therl
slowed away in the forchold ara two
signed on as coal trimmers