The Opelousas courier., 1903-03-07
BRED L THE BONE.

By VAUx.

tfnct seamPeFing of naked feet over
head. the deepening throb and thnd Of
quickened machinery took his atten-
tion. With q curse at his infirmities
Of mind and body he switched off the
light, staggered to tbs ladder, and
slowly claanbeFGd on deck. AS he
drew his legs out of the companion,
the boat made a steep dip: hastily
banging-to the hatch. Duroy grabbed d
lifeline and stared about him.
The night was heavy with the men
ace of storm. Though a myriad stars
cleaned ahead, the horizon to wind
ward was obscured with eluois. The
strong head-wind blew wet and sharp
with spray that stung the li%eutenant's
throat and nOstrils like fine salt. With
y start of surprise he saw the men
were standing by at quarters, and
a~midships torpedo gear was being rap
IDLY adjusted abeam. Gulping down
an exclamation-Was it of fear or
amaZement?-he staggered forward
to the bridge.
AS he climbed its ladder a sWirling
bunch of sea meeting the port bow
splashed over the forecastle and
bridge weatherclCths. Contact with
the chilly souts of spray restored Dur
eE's s~elf-control. The d%renched sub.
was clearing his eyes, when he OBJ
served him.
Hello, sir" cried he, in a voice
charged with excitement. would y
not be better below. She's THROWN
a lot of water aft. Bridges like a
mill-sluice-"
mo good drivin' her, I reckon. She's
}osin' more than she's maxim over IS
knots" Durey grunted. Why are
the"
tits cut an run. Look there" in
terrupted the sub, handing his binocu-
lars, and shooting an arm west-by-
south. -Four big boats. O~verhauling
us, guess, too. Well fight, though, if
it comes to that. Sorry didn't report,
sir. I was waiting till there's more
certainty about them.
Durcy steadied himself ana took a
oi5 1oOh at lAIC tiSldHC tIdISClS uedu-
ing down on their port quarter.
They're mono of ours. What are
they doing there? I just reckon the
leading boat S a smart thing, an II
take some lickin'," he snapped out,
quick as his heart was beating.
The acting lieutenant nodded empha-
tically. That's my way of %thinkin',"
he screecbed against the furry of
wind. "The look I got before that
streak of cloud came up, gave them
away. Guess the Alliance have run
out a flynn squadron also. Keen look
outs they must have. They've sighted
lis. They shifted nii.e points to the
wcst'ard, and put on speed. Looks as
if they know something about u.s."
They've taken tho pass as we
cleared the Caicos. Running for San
tiago and the Transports" cried Dur
ey, and snatched the binoculars out Of
the ~lieutcnant's hands.
As he stared at the enemy, envy,
vehement and d%espicable, swept into
him, for we'll he knew the Specdy's
commander was cool and collected,
while it was himself who was growing
Hurried and painfully ap~prehensiye.
Was he q coward physically as we'll
as morally, he asked himself, and in
stantly was eating his heart in bitter
moss at his Unborn p~usillanimity.
He was moving to the pinnacle When
q sliarp cry broke from tho acting lieu
tenant. "By tho Powers, they've opened
ire!' and the smothercd report al
most overwhelmed his voice. There
was q volcanic eruption Of red-hot
splintcrs and sparks anidship as the
night-spcnt proicctilc Topped against
the base Of the mainmast. crashed
through the deck, and wrecked every
thing in the after.part Of the vessel.
Durcy recovered himself from the
port hridgc-rails against which he had
boon hurled with the sudden topping
ri tho thraslled hull. The acting lieu
tenant lay In a bloody heap beside the
wheel. and from aft came shrill cries
and lloarse yaps of tortured bodies.
For the moment he WINGED, and felt
q hopeless feeling possess him, but
the next he was bending over his in
sensible junior. A second ~projectile
r~icochetted over the seas wide to star
board, sending UP great showers of
snowy brine visible in the night; a
third plunged short by 10 feet off the
! ort quarter. The enemy could play
a good game at long bowls.
Bear a hand, here, some of you
f~orecastle men," Durey ordered. "Aft.
there. report the wreck" as, with the
poor groaning lump of humanity in
his arms, he tried to stanch the flow
of blood from the mangled arm and
ribs. Jagged segments and splinters
of steel make ugly wounds.
Warm, sticky blood smeared his
hands and wrists; it made him feel
very sick. Disgust swept through him
at his own weakness, and with tender
but shaky handle he bound up the
Ghastly decorations. Only a little more,
and the acting lieutenant would have
been ev~iscerated.
As Durey turned from assisting the
scamen to lift him down the ladder,
the tight feeling in his throat became
more choking when he realized that
the enemy were visible to the
nailed eye. The flashing from the
foremost vessels bow chaser struck
his senses like a blow. though not an
other shot hit his vessel. Between
800 and COCO yards distant he was
from the leading cruiser. Four points
off the bow Great Anagua began to
loom low and indistinct in the dark
ness for the snuallY VIM chnnnino