Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1899-03-02
CHAPTER XII.


thing for her life and that of every soul
aboard. Forging her way southwark,
she took the furious Bullets of the gals
Oh the starboard quarter-"the right
front, rs Turnbull would have put it
had he not been too i'll to care fig
where she was hit and only wished she
might go down if that would keep her
still. Sea after sea burst over the drip.
ping decks and tossed her like cookie
she'll upon the waters. Time and again
the bows would plunge deep in some
rushing surge and then, uplifting, send
torrents washing aft and pour cataracts
from her sides. Long before the dawn
of day the red eyed commander had or
dered the southwark course abandoned
and headed his laboring craft for the
opposite shores. Harbor there was none
north of the deep sheltered bay of La
Paz, but there would be relief from the
tremendous poundings of the pillows
when once under the lee of old Califoc-
MIA. Obedient to her helm, the Idaho
now met "dead ahead'' both wind and
sea- The rolling measurably ceased.
The pitching fore and aft continued,
but the passenger list by this time cared
no longer to discriminate 1t was all
one to all but one of their number
Loring of the engineers, thanks to
long weeks Of illness of another sort
was mercifully exempted from the
pangs of seasickness, but the sights and
| sounds between decks were more than
could long be borne, and making his
way forward shortly after dawn he had
succeeded IN borrowing spare SOU
| wester and pair of sea boots from the
second officer, and equipped in these
and rubber coat leaving nothing but
his nose and mouth in evidence, he was
boosted up the narrow stairway to the
shelter of the pilothouse Oh the upper
most deck-the Idaho had no bridge
and there he saw the sun come up to
the meridian and the sea go gradually
down as the steamer found smoother
waters under the lee of San Ildefonso.
Only lightly laden, the stanch little
craft had we'll nigh Jumped out of her
boots, as the jovial skipper expressed
it, and now, all brine and beaming sat
isfaction after his long hours of stormy
vigil, he clapped Loring on the shoul.
der, complimented him on his posses,
sion of a sea stomach and ordered
coffee served forthwith They were
steaming slowly along at half speed
now, taking a breathing spell before at
tempting the next round and the cap
tain waSe1 confidential
What wrong with that pretty lit
tie niece?' be asked She was bright
enough the day they came aboard OIL orr
up trip. Now, the steWardess tells me,
she tainted dead away and has been
begging to be put ashore all night
Loring couldn't say
But you helped carry her down,
you and Turnbull The stewardess says
you were both very kind to her, whurs
her own people neglected her | didn'
fancy that scrub Escalante. Do you
know anything about him or her OWL
people?'
"Nothing-to speak Of, . said Lori
Fernandez one Of those young
Guaymas swells, says the mother was
own sister to De la Cruz-marrieG
against his wishes when she was q
mere girl-died IA few years later, anG
that Don Ramon offered to adopt anc
educate her little girl, but only lately
would the Escalante give her up All
know is that she's too dashed miserable
about something else to be even seasich
like the rest of 'em You d "a been down
there with Turnbull if you hadn't JUS
had more'n your share of Illness, add
ed he, with the mariners slight disap
probation of the landsman who de1ie.
the limitations of Neptune
Very possibly" said Loring.
The purser tells me Escalante gave
him little packet belonging to her
very valuable-whicb he ordered KEEP
in the safe until their agent should cal
for it at Frisco"
"Indeedp' said Loring, looking W
in quick interest.
Fact, said the skipper Nov
have some more coffee. I'm going tt
turn in for 40 winks Let the steward
know when you want anything. No
body else will. We've got to face som,
mere rollers after awhile l dasn't g
inside Carmen island. .