Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-03-11
DAILY SHORT STORY
How He Landed a Prize.
IOriginal.I

same girl DuttOn had won This
would have made them enemies had il
not been for a remarkable sense of
justice, an absence of meannesS, on the
part of Collins
Here is my hand, Jack" he said
when he learned of his friends sue
cess I'm no dog in manager, and
1 wish you joy. Whatever she wants
am glad that she shall have"
Collins was first, Outton second, mate.
Soon after the Dutton marriage the
Sheridan started on her outward trip,
reached port without adventure and
when the year 1903 was nearing its
end started back for America. the crew
expecting to spend the Christmas holi-
days at home. But December is liable
to be "a tempestuous month, and the
ship encountered one gale after an
other. Then began IA run of bad luck
for the crew. Two seamen were
washed overheard, one died of heart
disease. one fell from the rigging to
the deck and was killed, while his
mate, who was aloft with him, fell
into the boiling ocean and was
drowned. The captain, who stood on
deck for hours soaked in ice water,
died OF pneumonia. This closed the
death list, leaving Collins in command.
Dutton and two ordinary seamen to
work the vessel.
One day they met a derelict. 1t had
been cut nearly in two by another ship
and would have certainly gone down
had it not been loaded with cotton.
Collins saw the advantage of getting
her into port and made preparations
to take her in tow. Dutton and the
two seamen protested, on the ground
that they had enough to do TO get
themselves in. short handed as they
were, without towing derelict which
might sink at any moment. In vain
Collins pleaded with them, holding up
the promise of prize money and as
surfing them that the cotton would
keep the dereIict afloat. They fatty
refused TO be further handicapped.
Every well. Jack" said Collins. You
take the Sheridan in, and I'll go aboard
the derelict and stay there till / get
picked up by some vessel with a full
crew"
Neither the hope of reward nor the
shame of leaving their captain in u po-
sitiOn they considered almost certain
death could induce any one of the crew
TO give in. So Collins, taking plenty
of provisions. went aboard the derelict,
and the Sheridan sailed for home. The
weather moderated, and the lone mari
ner managed to get up a sail that gave
the hulk some Roadway. Then lie got
up another and another and, aided by
the ships instruments. put her head
toward home. Every day he hoped lie
would meet a vessel. and every day he
was disappointed. There came another
storm that blew him far to the east
ward. After that there was Il long
spell of good weather, and about the
middle of January he sailed his prize
into the harbOr of New London.
His first question was, HAS the Sher-
idan arrived?" and when he learned
that she had not he was troubled. He
feared she had been caught in the last
storm and lost.
But there was a different kind of
buoyancy in cotton that Collins had not
calculated upon. The day he made
port cotton was quoted at IL cents
pound, and his prize was worth nearly
twice what it would have brought or
AoAllnS SuCCCC0Cu III Inv AL6
the price fixed by the admiralty court
at 1872 cents. nearly the highest price
during the boom. When it was all
over he went to see Mrs. Dalton
Jennie" lie said, whether you are
to have your husband back 1 don't
know. At any rate, you will be COM
Portable for the rest of your life. His
share of the prize money
His share? 1 thought it all belong
ed to YOU
mo: it belongs TO me and Jack and
the two seamen who discovered it. 1t
was agreed that they should stay
aboard the Sheridan while r.
Something in the mans hating man.
ner convinced her that he was making
up a story.
Bob" she said, you are not speak
ing the truth"
Anyway. Jennie, I'll only take my
share OF the prize money, total OF
100000 Whatever the seamen's
share is shall go to them. and Jacks
share goes TO you"
Bob she said. looking at him i'm
pressively. her bosom heaving. Il won't |
have a cent of ii. You brought in the |
vessel. 1 have talked about the mat
ter with those who know. and they say
that finding a prize is nothing. but |
bringing it in is everything"
But, jennie
Wait! If Jack is spared to confirm
your story and says it was agreed that |
he and two men should remain aboard |
a good ship while you alone were to |
take the chances on a derelict all shar |
Ing in the prize money, you can pay |
bis share to him."
This ended the conference for the |
time being. One day a steamer came |
into port. and it was teIegraphed ali |
over the land that she had picked up |
4 boat with the name sheridan" paint |
ed on the stern, containing the bodies
Df three men. They proved TO be the |
Sheridan's crew. but the story Of the /