The Red Cloud chief., 1905-05-26
tCoNTINUED.1

good luck to meet such weather here.
We can keep as far south as we like
until daybreak, and by that time.
How did it look when you came in?"
"A triic better, | think"
Il have sent for some refreshments.
Let us have another look before we
tackle them"
The w officers passed out into the
hurricane. Instantly the wind endeav-
Orci to tear the chart house from off
the deck. They looked alOft and ahead.
The officer on duty saw them and nod
ded silent comprehension. 1t was use.
less to attempt 10 speak. The weather
was perccptibly clearer.
Then all three peercd ahead again.
They stood, pressing against the wind,
seeking to penetrate the murkiness I'm
front. Suddenly they were galvanized
into strenuous activity.
a wild howl came from the lookout
forward. The eyes of the three men
glared at n huge dismasted Chinese
junk wallowing helplessly in the
trough Of the sea dead under the bows.
The captain sprang to the chart house
and signaled in fierce pantomime that
the wheel should be put hard over.
The officer in charge Of the bridge
pressed the telegraph lever to 'stop'
and full speed astern," while with his
~disengaged hand he pulled hard at the
siren cord, and a raucOus warning sent
stewards flying through the ship to
close collision bulkhead doors. The
''chief" darted to the port rail. for the
Sirdar's instant response to the helm
seemed to clear her nose from the
junk as II by magic.
Il all happened so quickly that while
the hoarse signal was still vibrating
through the ship the junk swept past
her quarter. The chief officer, Joined
now by the commander. looked down
into the wretched craft. They could
see her crew dashed in a bunch around
the capstan OF her elevated poop. She
was laden with timber. Although wa
terlogged. she could not sink II she
held together.
A great wave sucked her away from
the steamer and then hurled her back
with irresistible force. The Sirdar
was just completing her turning move
ment. and she heeled over, yielding to
the mighty power Of the gale. For an
appreciate instant her engines stop
ped. The mass Of water that swayed
the Junk like a cork lifted the great
ship high by the stern. The propeller
began to revolve in air. for the third Of
ficer had corrected his signal to full
speed ahead again, and the cumbrous
chinese vessel struck the Sirdar a ter.
lible blow in the counter, smashing OF
che screw close to the thrust block and
~renching the rudder from It's bearings.
There was an awful race by the en-
gines before the engineers could shut
Off steam. The junk vanished into the
wilderness OF noise and tumbling seas
beyond, and the fine teamer Of a few
seconds ago. replete with magnificent
energy, struggled like a wounded levia,
than in the grasp of a vengeful foe.
She swung around as II In wrath t.
pursue the puny assailant which had
dealt her this mortal stroke. No longer
breasting the storm with stubborn per
sistency, she now drifted aimlessly
before wind and wave. She was mere
ly IA larger plaything tossed about by
titanic gambOls. The junk was burs;
asunder by the collision. Her planks
and cargo Uttered the waves, were
even tossed I'm derisiOn on to the decks
OF the Sirdar. OF what avail was
strong timber or bolted iron against
the spleen of the unclaimed and form
less monster who loudly proclaimed
his triumph? The great steamship
drifted on through chaos. The typhOOI
had broken the lance.
But brave men, skillfully directed
wrought hard to avert further disas
ter. After the first moment of stupO
gallant British sailors risked life ant
limb to bring the vessel under control.
BY their calm courage they shamet
the paralyzed Lascars into activity. 4
sea anchor hastily constructed as sOOl
as it was discovered that the helm wa
useless. Rockets fiared up into tn
sky Mt regular intervals In the fain
hope that should they attract the at
tention of another vessel she would fol
low the disabled Sirdar and rende
help when the weather moderated.
When the captain ascertained tina
no water was being shipped. the dam
age being wholly external, the collision
doors were opened and the passenger
admitted to the saloon, II brilliant pal
ace. superbly Indifferent to the wrec
and ruin without.