Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-13
CHAPTER XIV.
A horse never knows how fast he can
run till he gifts lick with a whip
The Log Book of The Lyddy.

The Log Book of The Lyddy.
The fire barrier amidships cut the habit
able portions of the Lydia Skolfeld's deck
in two. A roaring veil of dame and smoke
almost prevented Parton from even see
ing the group of panic-stricken men who
We're gathered forward about the mate.
Whether or not the mate was aware of
the dangerous quality of that dozen or two
of cases which were slowed amidships, and
which were entered on the ships manifest
as Chemicals" Parton did not know, but
that there was wild fright in the tones in
which the orders were given and wild haste
in the way in which the men obeyed them
there could be no doubt whatever. No at
tention at all was paid to the passenger
who stood aft, before the cabin companion
way, nor later to the sight of the two men
who Joined him there. Even as Parton
watched through the smother of the smoke
and the flashing of the fire, he saw that
the men forward had lowered the boats
upon both bows, and were tumbling rapid
ly over the ships sides and into them with
wild desperation
AT the stern of the Lydia Skolfeld were
overhanging timbers from which the small
boat hung when she lay in harbOr; but one
of the first duties after she had left port
was to take this little craft aboard and
house her on the cabin roof, just abaft the
mizzen mast. She was canvas wrapped
and closely dashed Parton presumed that
her We're in her having been placed
beneath the thwarts before she had been
overturned and housed. He called to the
two men to help him right her and get her
overheard. They worked with will. and
soon had her swinging from the ships low
stern.
Both men We're in her as Parton rushed
below to get the captain, but even he
dashed down the companionway a change
OF wind brought a binding gust of smoke
and sheet of flame across the narrow
door. which made it difficult and dangerous
for him TO enter. He shielded his face and
eyes as we'll as he could with his arm and
plunged through the hot swirl In the
cabin there was no flame yet, but the air
had become so thick and foul with smoke
that he could scarcely see, and every breath
filled his lungs with singing, choking
vapor.
The men had only partially dressed the
captain. and. SO far Parton could judge
from the hasty inspection of him which
was possible in the desperate circum-
stances, he had become wholly lifeless.
There was none of the babblng talk which
had been such an uncanny feature of his
prostration. The labored brea thing which
had alternately raised and lowered his
great chest during the days that had passed
since he was stricken had apparently
ceased. When Parton placed his arms
about him his body seemed limp and life
less, and Parton shuddered as the thought
came TO him that the shock had killed him
and that as he hurried from the cabin with
When he reached the deck he was greeted
by a binding swirl of smoke and red
tongues of flame curled toward him through
the murk threateningly. He could feel
quick flashes over his face, and he knew
that they meant that his beard and mus
tache had fallen victim to a razor more eff
fectiVe in its destruction than that which
he had welded that day in the Charing
Cross Hotel
He almost blinded. and the onslaught
of the smoke made his eyes smart with an
almost intolerable pain For a second he
was confused. He scarcely knew which
way to turn to reach the vessels stern.
And even when he had reached there his
state seemed scarcely better, for the low
hanging smoke mass so blinded him that he
could not have located the boat even if the
two sailors in her had been brave enough
to hold her close to the blazing. smoking
menace OF the ship.
Parton hesitated only for moment. He
laid the captain down upon the deck Then
he wrenched the three gratings from the
deck about the wheel. From the thwarts
about the base of the mizZenmast he des-
perately caught line, not stopping even
to unlash it. He made the free end of it
fast 20 the three gratings. passing it
through their bars, and tying most I'M
seamanlike knot to secure it on the last
one of the three. Then he cast them over
board.
BY the time he had done this he was al
most Incapable of sight. and it was with
the greatest difficulty that he found the
captain where he had laid him the deck
smoke which he had inhaled impelled
constant and convulsive coughing that
weakened and racked him so that he could
scarcely stagger to the rail with the cap
tain's body In his arms. Once there, he
precipitated himself from the ship with
no finite effort at a spring. 1t was mere
ly random plunge. but it was all of which
he was capable.
For a second he felt himself, still with the
captain tightly encircled by both arms.
wholly immersed in the cool water of the
ocean. When he rose to the surface his
head struck what he knew must be one of
the floating gratings which he had thrown
overheard
The plunge into the sea had cleared his
wits somewhat and with INFINITE difficulty
NJ managed to roll the captains enert body
over until ii rested on the gratings. Then
he made il fast there, temporarily, by put
ting about 1t half-hitch of the doubled
line.
The smoke pail was heavy on him at the
surface and he had much difficulty in
sufficiently controlling his nerves and mus
cles to make 1t possible for him to get his
clasp knife from his pocket with one hand
while with the other he held to the grating.
which rising and falling on the long swell
OF the Atlantic, seemed TO endeavor inteiIl-
gently to elude him.
But at last the line which anchored tn2
gratngs to the burning ship was severed
and with slow and painful strokes, ne
swan trying to force the raft out of that
dreadful pail of sitting smoke.
A dozen times he had to duck his head
A dozen times he feared that he had lost
the sense of direction and pushing tae
floating gratings nearer to instead of TAR
Their away from the burning vessel.
Bits OF sail and tackle flew blazing through
the air and fell him around him,
kissing they were eXtnguished by the
water of the sea. More than once with in
fir.ite effort he thrust some flaming bit from
off the PROSTATE and insensate body of
the captain.
II seemed to him that X must be that he
was swimming in the very course of the
smoke. which streamed with the wind
from the blazing vessel, but still he feared
that Of ne changed his course he would
take himself and his helpless charge back
so near to the wreck that they would DE
struck by falling spars or involved in the
general destruction which would come with
the explosion.
The tremendous defamation which would
tell that the fire had reached the Humber
lite he expected every moment. If 1t should
occur while they were near to the ship lac
knew that their escape would be practically
out of the question.
He struggled desperately TO make his raft
move more rapidly. WEAKNESS WAS telling
on him He tried to shout. but could not.