Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1901-09-07

'He uHeyN uuu SlullpcIeu uoWu
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-Quick,"
And the boy brought 1t.
BLAST thcm!-oh. blast them"
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 I've 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: hIdeous. I'M
thinkable thought-the door could be
closed from the other side. He hung
Imply on the ladder. and in his mind
ragged n 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
We're shut, nll 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 chung to the
ladder ms a drowning man to n 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 Il place, and be saved.
He was so young; not old. like the
mate ana captain. They must give
him a place.
All at once he looscncd his hold and
ran blindly for the door. On the way
he tripped and fell heavily on his
hands and face, cutting and bruising
them. He lay half stunned for min
ute, moaning from the pain. then
raised himself and crawlcd the rest of
the way. He 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 lie done this? He did not know.
They would be saved now, but he
o! God, no more light ." ire for him!
His poo" Cry lips moved convulsively.
and his hands beat aimlessly on the
iron wall. He would go back. Hope
returned with 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 desOlateneGs
He unshot one bolt and fumbled for
the other Then. with 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
n coward to live. He could only die.
He would pray. But he could think
of nothing-nothing but the "This
night when l lie down to sleep" he
had learned Mt his mothers knee.
To slecp-oh. he would sleep long!
There was to be no waking this time.
How the water was creeping up!
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, tigh ting madly for
life. Then there was long drawn
sob, and then silence.
The Captain stood on the bridge, n
figure of stony despair. The land
could never be reached with water
pouring like torrent into the for
ward hold. He cursed his negligence
in overlooking such 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. but he could
not understand why she was not sink
ing more by the bow. She was VI
brating from the engines, pushed to
their highest pressure, for the firemen
stuck CALAMITY to their posts. Five
minutes went, and ten, and then. with
sudden shock, she took ground, and
all were safe.
Next morning, young Malcolm was
missing, and the sorrOwful news was
sent to his father. 1t was thought
he had fallen overheard when the
ship grounded, and he could not
swim.
A week aftcrward. the divers en-
tered the forward hold. and found,
to their establishment, that the bulk
head door, which they had expected
to find open. was closed
They forced it open. and against II
was floating the body Of a boy.
Old Captain Malcolm comes Otter
to the little graveyard by the sea. ID
1t stands cross, OH which are In
scribed the words:
"HERE LIES A HERO"