El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-07-21


drink. If he succeeded, then the profit
was his. If he failed, death would be use
full to him, and anyway there was the wild
excitement of the moment, which was
meal to be enjoyed, and one which moth
ing could snatch away.
1t was in this mood of mind that the
man ON whose actions the very outer air
existence of the Port Edes depended left
his fellows in the chartrooIn and raced
forward to where the jagged lip of the
forehold hatch yawned to the splashing
brine. Without lantern, without SO much
as look before him, he lowered himself
on to the twisted battens below, with the
clean water raining OH to him from above
and muddy wavelets squirting up from
below, and then when the steamer gave a
heavy scend and the more solid wash from
below smote him heavily upon the thighs
he loosed his grip and dived like a stone
through the trimming shaftway of the
hatch.
Seconds passed, minute, two minutes,
and still he did not reappear. Three min
rites. Then the rounded outlines of some
thing black rolled to the surface and surg
ed about Imply with the swill of the
water.
For awhile it staid so; then, swung by
a heavier pitch of the steamer, was washed
to the back Of n Stanchion, where it hung.
The stopping water beneath ebbed steadi
ly. The valve in the steamers bottom
had been closed.
During a whole hour Patrick Cambel
lodged behind that iron pillar, mere
homeless mass of flesh and clothes, and
then the pains of life came into him again
with shivers and shudderings. The thin
gray light of the dawn was filtering down
through the jagged opening above when
first the trembling lids slid from his eye
balls, but for still another 80 minutes he
was thing of no wit, breathing, truly,
but caring naught for all the world con-
tanned.
Then a sucking, sobbing noise from the
depths of the hold far beneath broke
upon his ear and the languid brain began
to work. With an effort he sat up, dizzily
holding to the pillar, trying to think
where he was and how ran recent history,
and by degrees the details strolled back to
him. Before, however, he had gathered
all his senses or working quantum of
strength he had a visitor in the shape of
the donkeyman, who cIattered up over the
decks with plate shod boots and crouched
at the top of the gap above ON knees and
hands
Have We been getting hurt now?'' in
quired the newcomer.
About ninc-tenths drowned, I fancy,
If that counts. But I'm about all right
again now"
'.Ye don { look it, replied the donkey
man candidly. Barring the tan yed be
blue and lar,, color about the face this
minute. But L feared there was something
gone wrong through not seeing We on the
bridge, SO 1 tipped into the chartroom
and pocketed a whisky bottle that was
lying convenient in case Pull at the
small end, sor.
The bottle was handed down, and Cam
bel lifted it, his teeth chattering against
ha I'm ia
drove up color into his face and set the
blood once more on its appointed
journey through his hands and trunk.
What has occurred since 1 left your"
he asked.
We'll, first, sor, the captain and my
self haG little friendly discussion about
what's been happening and came to a bit
of financial agreement. But 1 will say
that 1 figured me new terms very low when
understood it was thrifle of conspira-
cy that We wanted me to stand in at. And
then, sor, we went below to the engine
room and turned steam into the bilge
pumps to heave this nasty slop of water
overboard after which, as chief, 1 set
about making a thrilling repair to the low
pressure engine. 4e see, when that ex-
plosion took place a bit of casting jump
ed into the crank pit and got jammed
there hard before they could stop her. I've
had fair do at elbow work cutting it out
cold, but it's clear now, and she runs as
sweetly as she did the day she left the
shops But, oh, Mr.. Cambel, 1 wish you
could see the old man! The sight of that
little chap shoveling Goals and swearing
and tumb bling and burning himself is
enough to make the ghosts of some dead
fremen know about grin and dances and
jigs in their graves"
The donkeyman was inclined to be gar
rulous and evidently lusted for consider
able chat, but with returning strength
Cambel's anxiety grew on him again, and
he climbed out on deck keen to be once
moro in action. His knees were lottery,
and the donkeyman gave him an arm
aft. But when he had climbed up the lad
der and gained the bridge deck he stood