The suburban citizen., 1901-09-07

The Pride Of Asia had met her death
| wound At once all was noise and
| confusion. The emigrants came pour
ing up on deck. screaming and shout
ing with terror. Some of the sailors
| rushed to clear the boats, but a sharp
order from the Captain stopped them.
In n few seconds the Captain had
/ decided on his course. The remain
ing boats would not carry a hundred
and fifty people. There were more
than twice that number on board.
| On the other hand. the land was about
three miles of, and n sandy and pro-
tected beach meant safety. But could
| It be done with that hole in her side?
He would try. He changed her
course. rang Full speed ahead" and
shouted to the mate eco down and
shut the for'ard bulkheads, Mr..
! jones'
The mate ran forward, and with the
help of the carpenter tore off part
Of the hatch covering and sprang to
the ladder. As he climbed down
young Malcom peered aimlessly over
| the hatch
Bring down a lantern" cried the
mate, and Malcolm, galvanized into
activity by fear, seized lantern from
the alleyways and clambered down
into the hold.
The mate ran toward the iron door
in the bulkhead, which had been left
open. and pushed It to.
THE light here-quickw
And the boy brought it.
"Blast them!-oh, blast themw
roared the mate. They've put the
bolts on the wrong side. In five
minutes Wen all be in kingdom
come"
He stumbled for the ladder, and
Malcolm followed, wild with terror
Yes, every one would he drowned,
and he, too, with the cruel. cold water
sucking him down. He dropped the
lantern and began to pull himself up
the ladder.
Suddenly he stopped. An idea had
been born in his brain; a hideous, un-
thinkable thought-the door could be
closed from the ether side. He hung
Imply on the ladder, and in his mind
ragged a tornado of conflict.
Oh, to be out of this awful ship,
safe once again at home! But the
mate had said that all were lost. That
meant him, too. And If only that door
were shut, all could be saved. Great
beads Of sweat broke out on his fore
head. He groaned and writhed about
like one on the rack. Then he began
to descend slowly. He stopped again
on the last rung. He clung to the
ladder as a drowning man to a rope.
He could never let go. Why was he
not going up the ladder? There were
boats left. He had seen that He
could fight for a place, and be saved.
He was so young; not old like the
mate and captain. They must give
him a place.
All at once he loosened his hold and
ran blindly for the door. On the way
he tripped and fell heavily on Iis
hands and face. cutting and bruising
them. He lay half stunned for a min
ute, moaning from the pain, then
raised himself and crawled the rest Of
the way. lie passed through the door,
and with feverish haste shot the great
iron bolts. The boy was alone in
his tomb. He leaned against the
bulkhead, sick, sick to death. Why
had he done this? He did not know.
Trbory would bo covoJ pouy but Lo
o! God, no more light or life for him!
His poor dry lips moved convusivcly,
and his hands beat aimlessly on the
iron wall. He would go back. Hope
returned with n rush. He would die
in the open-with others around him.
1t would be good TO die thus, not in
this hell or darkness and desolatcness.
He unshot one bolt and fumbled for
the other. Then, with a low moan,
he cast himself from It, driving his
teeth into his lips in his agony.
1t was not to be. He was too great
a coward to live. He could only die.
He would pray. But he could think
of nothing-nothing but the This
night when I lie down to sleep he
had learned at his mothers knee.
To sleep-oh, he would sleep long!
There was to be no waking this time.
Long shuddering fits shook his fame
as he felt the icy fingers of death
rising inch by inch. He screamed and
raved, dashing his head against the
iron, that death might come quickly.
He plunged beneath the water only
to come up again, fighting madly for
life. Then there was long drawn
sob, and then silence.
The Captain stood on the bridge.
figure Of stony despair. The land
could never be reached with water
pouring like a torrent into the for.
ward hold. He cursed his negligence
in overlooking such n frightful blum.
der. 1t was going to cost two hun
dred lives, and he must not be among
the saved. The Pride of Asia was
getting low in the water, hut he could
not understand why she was not sink
ing more by the bow. She was vi