The Cairo bulletin., 1904-03-25

into the dory that had been rowing
astern He and Wilbur followed. Char
lie was left on board. with direction to
lay the schooner TO, The dory few
over the water, Wilbur setting the
stroke. In few moments she was
well up with the bark Though a lar
ger boat than the Bertha Millner she
was rolling in lamentable fashion. and
every iaboring beave showed her bot.
tom incrusted with barnaeles and sea
weed
Her fore and main topsls and to'gal-
lants'ls were set. as also We're her low
er stays'ls and royals. But the braces
seemed to have parted. and the yards
were swinging back and forth in their
ties. The spanker was brailed up. and
the spanker boom thrashed idly over
the poop as the bark rolled and rolled
and rolled The mainmast was work
ing In its shoe. The rigging and back
stays sagged An air of abandonment.
Of unspeakable loneliness, of abomina-
ton. hung about her Never had vii
bur seen anything more utterly alone
Within three lengths the captain rose
in his place and shouted.
Bark ahoyr There was no answer
Thrice he repeated the call, and thrice
the dismal thrashing Of the spanker
boom and the Tapping of the sails were
the only answers, kitchel turned TO
Wilbur in triumph. Il guess she's
ours he whispered They were now
close enough 10 make out the bark's
name upon her counter, Lady Lefty.
and Wilbur was in the act of reading
ii aloud when huge brown dorsal fin.
like the triangular sail of lugger, cut
the water between the dory and the
bark
shark said Kltchell and there's
another" he exclaimed IN the next in
slant And another, Strike mo, the
waters alive with ON. There's n stiff
on the bark, YOU can lay TO that" And
at that acting on some strange i'm
There was 10 response.
The dory was now well up to the
derclict, and pretty soon q prolonged
and yihratory kissing noise. strident,
insistcnt, smote upon their ears
whats thatf" exclaimed Wilbur,
perplexed The captain shook his head.
and Just then, as the bark rolled almost
toSher sctlppcrs in their direction. a
glinlpse of the deck was presented to
their view. II was only 4 glimpse,
gone on the instant. as the bark rolled
back to port. but it was time enough
for Wilbur and the captain to note the
parted and oren seams and the deck
hulging and in one corner blown up
and splintered
The captain smote n thigh III.
'Coalw he cried. anthracite coal,
The coal hot MP and generated gas, of
course no fire, " understand; Just gas
gas blew mp the deck-no way Of
stopping combustion. Naturally they
had to cut for it, Smell the gas, can't
YOU! No wonder she's kissing no won
der she rolled--cargo goes off in gas
and what's TO weigh her DOWN. | was
wondering what could n wrecked her
in this weather. But it's as plain as
ABC."
The dory was alongside. Ktchell
watched his chance and as The bark
rolled down caught the mainyard brace
hanging in blight over the rail and
swung himself to the deck Look
sharp no called as Wilbur followed.
1T won't do for YOU to fall among
them shark. SOM Just look at the bun
dreds Of EN-. There's stiff on board.
sure
Wilbur steadied himself on the sway
ing broken deck. choking against the
reek Of coal gas that Kissed upward on
every hand. The heat was almost like
a furnace. Everything metal was in
tolerable to tho touch.
She's abandoned. sure muttered
the captain. Look" And he pointed
to the empty chocks on the house and
the severed lashings. "Oh it's a haul,
son-its haul, an you can lay TO
that. Now. then, cabin first" And he
started aft
But it was impossible to go into the
cabin. The moment the door was open
ed suffocaung. pillows of gas rushed
cut and beat them back On the third
trial the captain staggered out almost
overcome will, its volume
Cant get in there for awhile yet
he gasped. but | saw the stiff on the
foor by the table. Looks like the old
man. He's spit his false teeth out. I
knew there was a stiff aboard"
"Then there's more than one" said
Wilbur. "see there Ftom behind
the wheel box in the stern protruded n
hand and forearm in an oilskin sleeve.
Wilbur ran NJ peered over the little
sraee between the wheel and the wheel
box and Looked straight into a pair of
eyes eyes that were alive. Kiteheil
came Up,
One left anyhow" he muttered,
looking over Wilbur's shoulder. Sail
or man. though Can't interfere with
our salvage The bark's derelict right
CROUCH Shake him out of there Can't
yen sac the lads dotty with the gasT'
Cramped into the narrow space of the
wheel box. like a terrified hare in a
blind burrow. was the figure of Young
boy. So firmly was he wedged into the
corner that kitchell had to kick down
L.. h Id