Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-01-23


shouting through vast pillows OF smoke.
T'bo iron Mating round 1t buckled anu
snlit. and the whole steamer gave trohi-
hing. frightened leap. Presently from
the black, windy night above there zen
an avalanche of debris which smote the
steamer and the water round ike cahis'or
shot from a distant cannonade.
Then came humping jar from inc en-
cine room. repeated twice over, ana then
the engines stopped. my Godt' thougne
Kettle. Hes overshot the marx. II she
broken down, we're done for" but LOT
ali that no did not lose for an instant MS
nresence OF mind or instinct OF commahu'
hut picking himself up clapped stumpy
leaden whistle between his lips ana piew
shrilly.
Az first no one answered his summons.
From the forecastle, from the stoRehoia'
from aft, came the ships company max
inc Inv instinct for the high land OF the
bridge deck, and from his eminence the
little captain scowled down upon them
and swore. Il Is not wholesome sight 10
see grown men screaming through SHEER
terror, and the sooner they are dissoclated
either by words or blows from this frame
of mind the more they will be able subse.
uuently to respect themselves. by dlht Vi
a vinegar tongue and suggestive move
ments toward pair of implements whlch
bulged his jacket pockets Kettle drove
gang of five to set the mizzen trysall 10
keep the steamer head to sea. she was
rapidly losing her way, and If she broached
to beam on, with that heavy sea running
the lower decks would be filled with green
water continuously, and that with such
gaping rent where the hatch had been
meant simply a rapid swapping.
Then the captain looked round MIN
seemipply for messenger. The mate OF
the watch hung on to the handle OF the
engine room telegraph, which still pointed
to full speed ahead" looking dazed and
helpless. The quartermaster's hands were
mechanically saving at the spokes OF the
wheel but it was equally evident that ne
also did not know what he was doing. just
then Cambel raced up the bridge ladder
three steps at time.
"Ah," cried Kettle, NOW, you are q
man who can keep his head in bit OF
fuster, and, by James, you're the only
one on board. just tumble forward, VII!
you, and get down into that hold ana
see what's wrong" -,
Cambel nodded and turned to go With
out word From two or three OF the
men thin cheer rose as he passed them,
and before he had gained the bottom OF
the ladder ON to the iron lower deck haiI
dozen we're on the top rungs after MIN.
Sailors will seldom refuse to follow when
a superior shows the way, and besides
these fellows were getting over their first
panic and were beginning to be ashamed
Of themselves for giving way to 1t.
The mizzen trysail was not then set, and
because the steamers way had left her she
was falling off into the trough and rolling
bulwarks under to every sea. she was
shipping water fast The Dreaming, soiio
masses sluicing across the deckpiates
smote the men breech high with the
weight Of rams, and he who, wheh the
waters were upon him, left his hold would
have been swept like cork to ieeward.
But by the hatch coamings, the winches
and odd wet streamers of rope they claw
ed their way forward and covered round
the great hole made by the explosion,
holding there by the edge Of the twisted
riyen plates. The seas creamed over their
heads, falling In noisy cascades into the
blackness below, and from out OF that
darkness, above all the believing OF wind
and the changing Of iron and the other
din, came sodden whistling OF water
''Poh," said some one, trying to be
CHEEKY, that's only the small sup she's
shipped since the patches were blown of.
The bilge pumpsll soon kick that dror
overheard.
"Guess you lie" said another, with a
weary shake OF the head.
Then the ink Of the heavens overhead
was splashed with vivid fork Of light
ming, and the men saw Cambel, with his
face as white as his teeth, lowering him
self over the brink and gripping with his
knees twisted iron pillar below. The
light above snapped out, and within the
dim jagged outline of where the hatch
had been all was blackness And overhead
the thunder rumbled like the passing of q
Titan's gun train. The men shivered.
One of them, an old white haired able sea-
man, was physically sick. And mean
while the Port Edes rolled through AZ de-
grees, and the gulf water flowed green in
and back over each bulwark alternately.
The men hung over the dark abyss OF
the hatch listening intently, and above
the noises of the gale they could hear the
sullen wash of water in the hold growing
heavier and Eore sodden with every roll.