The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-06-17
come here at once. | want to speak

EN
for breath. for the captain was one
OF the hottest tempered and one of
the most dignifed men on the Red
Crescent line But they gasped again
when he left the bridge and came TO
Alexander. quite as if It was the most
ordinary thing in the world for boy
to call him down.
What do YOU want. young man?
said he in an amiable tone.
The bishop, who had expected TO see
Alexander thrown into the sea, heav-
ed a sigh of relief and opened his
eyes as wide as he could. for he eN-
peeted to be astonished for the next
few minutes. and he wanted to be pre-
pared.
| Il want to go to Paris direct, but
they tell me it is physically impossi-
| bic. so | want You to let me out at
Havre. I've made a mistake in the
steamer. Just let me out at Havre;
/ that's all"
All right said the captain. 81
| feel that | am putty in your hands.
But ! ann likely to lose my position il
/ do it
Not if see your bosses. whoever
! they are" said Alexander, simply.
/ You'll be pleased to know that Bish-
op Durham has offered me his upper
| berth"
pleased but not astonished. III
you hold up all The passengers won't
be at all surprised
! Alexander flushed. Il am as honest
| as you are Don't let me keep you
from your duties. Tell the men that
runs the rudder to change our course
before you forget it, or we may go to
Southampton after all"
The bishop expected trouble from
| the passengers. For himself as he
was only going for the sea voyage. il
did not make so much difference 10
| him. but he looked to see the rest OF
| the passengers make great to do.
| But in this he was mistaken. The
news quickly spread throughout the
steamer. and in about half an hour
| the passengers assembled and gave
three ringing cheers for Alexander.
whats that for? asked the boy OF
the bishop.
why. it seems that Won have mad
vertently done them q favor. They
were all going 10 the exposition, and
none of them was able to get passage
on the French lines, and you have
saved them at least q day
After that Alexander was a great fav-
orite with all on board. Even the cap
tain felt that a boy with such a wonder
full will could make it right for him
and as he was the only one responsible
to the agents. thS rest of the crew
| did not care at all. They were glad
of change in the route.
But the captain had forgotten one
! thing. and that was that to him the
route to Havre was a strange one.
| That is why at noon on the sixth day
out there was a terrible shock that
| told every one that the ship had struck
| something. lasu
All was confusion in an instant.
Passengers shrieking, sailors com
handing GOODNESS, and the captain, as
pale as death. but perfectly calm.
Alexander and the bishop rushed
from the stateroom together. The
boy kept on until he had reached the
bridge where the captain was stand
ing.
''Boy. this is your fault. Can yop
make this right with my bosses as
YOU call them? We arc surely lostGl
Alexander hung his head. For a
minute he was utterly cast down and
fully realized that he was 10 blame for
the awful disaster Fer it was rlain
that the ship could not keep afioat q
half hour.
4 large French steamer, the Vile
de Drevfus. hove in sight. She was
Just large enough to save the crew and
passengers of the Buncombe. But
she continued on her way. y groan
went up from the Bucolic's passen-
gers. The captain Strengthened his
| shoulders and prepared to accept
death like an English sailor.
Alexander felt that on him lay the
| responsibility for the affair. He seiz
ed a speaking trumpet that happened
to be handy and yelled: Come and
save us''
The French captain heard him and
recognized the authority of the tones
but did not understand what was
said. He continued to sail away.
'Say It IN French said the bishop.
"What is il in French?" said Alex
ander. II don't know a word. but
oui' and non
81 don't know much myself, but |
think it is 'Nenez, ct nous sauvons.
| Alexander had quick ear, and
without knowing what the words
meant by themselves, he shouted
what the bishop had told him.
1t must have been a villainous ac-
cent, and bad French, too. but the
| imperious tones had their due effect,
and the Frenchman hove to and res
cued the passengers and the crew OF
! the doomed Bucolic and not mo-
ment too soon. As the bishop and Al
exander and the brave captain stepped
aboard the Vile de Dreyfus the Blu
collie went from the sight of mortal
man forever.
Alexander learned more French be-
| fore he returned to America, but he
never said anything half as effective
as those four words. He did not have
to make it right with the captains
bosses, for the captain, who was an
elderly man, resigned and went to
! live at Portsmouth. Alexander and
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