Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-02-01
midnight we should be behind it"

Down in the saloon the hardier pas
sengers were striving to subdue the |
ennui Of an interval before they sought |
their cabins. Some talked. One hard
ened reprobate strummed the piano. |
Others played cards, chess, draughts- !
anything that would distract attention.
The stately apartment offered strange
contrast to the warning elements with |
out. Bright lights, costly upholstery, |
soft carpets, carved panels and gilded |
cornices, with uniformed attendants |
passing to and fro carrying coffee and
glasses-these surroundings suggested
floating palace in which the raging
seas were defied. Yet forty miles away,
somewhere in the furious depths, four
corpses swirled about with horrible
uncertainty, lurching through battling
currents and perchance conveyed by
fighting sharks.
The surgeon had been called away.
Iris was the only lady left in the sa-
loon. She watched set of whist play
ers for time and then essayed the
perilous passage to her stateroom. She
found her maid and a stewardess
there. Both women were weeping.
"What is the matter?" she inquired.
The stewardess tried to speak. She
choked with grief and hastily went
out. The maid Numbered an explana-
ton.
"a friend of hers was married, miss,
to the man who is drowned"
Drowned! What man?"
Haven't you heard, miss? sup
pose they are keeping it quiet. An
English sailor and some natives were
swept off the ship by sea. One native
was saved, but he is all smashed up
The others were never seen again."
Iris by degrees learned the sad
chronicles of the Jackson family. She
was moved to tears. She remembered
the DOCTORS hesitancy and her own
idle phrase, 80 huge coffin"
Outside the roaring waves pounded
upon the iron walls.
Two staterooms had been converted
into one to provide Miss Deane with
ample accommodation. There were no
hunks, but cozy bed was screwed to
the deck. She lay down and strove to
read. 1t was n difficult task. Her
eyes wandered from the printed page
to mark the absurd antics of her gar
ments swinging on their hooks. AT
times the ship rolled so far that she
felt sure it must topple over. She was
not afraid, but subdued. rather aston
ished, placidly prepared for vague
eventualities.
Things were ridiculous. What need
was there for all this external fury?
Why should poor sailors be cast forth
to instant death in such awful man
ner? If she could only sleep and for
Eet-if kind oblivion would blot out the
storm for few blissful hours! But
how could one sleep with the conscious
ness of that watery giant laundering
his summons upon the iron plates a
few inches away?
Then came the blurred picture of Cap
tain Ross high up on the bridge peer
ing into the moving blackness. How
strange that there should be hidden in
the convolutions of mans brain all
intelligence that laid bare the pre-
lenses of that ravenous demon without!
Each Of the ships officers, the com
mander more than the others, under
stood the why and the wherefore OF
this clustering combination of wine
and sen. Iris knew the language O.
a poker. Nature was putting up hug
bluff.
Oh, dear! She was SO tired. 1t de
9 manded physical effort to constant,
, shove away an unseen force that triet
n to push you over. How funny that ,
4 big cloud should travel up against til,
!. wind! And so, amid confused won
derment, she lapsed into an uneas.
. slumber, her last sentient thought be
ing quiet thankfulness that TIL
n screw went thud, thud, thud, thud
with such determination.
n After the course was changed an,
!. the Sirdar bore away toward the south
west the commander consulted the ba
= rometer each half hour. The telltal
mercury had sunk over two inches Il
,, twelve hours. The abnormally Low
pressure quickly created dense clouds
!. which enhanced the melancholy dark
ness of the gale.
For many minutes together the bow
= of the ship were not visible Masthea,
and side lights were obscured by tn
pelting scud. The engines thrust til
; vessel forward like lance into til
. vitals of the storm. Wind and wav
- gushed out of the vortex with impo
:, | tent fury.
At last soon after midnight the bu
), rometer showed slight upward move
= ment At 80 a. m. the change becam
pronounced. simultaneously the win
swung round point to the westward
- Then Captain Ross smiled YEARLY
His face frightened. He opened hi
II oilskin coat, glanced at the compass
l. and nodded approval. Then he turne
IA to consult q chart He was Joined b
the chief officer. Both men examine
the chart in silence.
- Captain Ross finally took a pencil
L. He stabbed it's point on the paper i
" the neighborhood of IA degrees mort
- and 112 degrees east.
&c Eve are about there think"
q The chief agreed. "That was the Il
70 cality I had in my mind" He ben
. closer over the sheet.
ID Nothing in the way tonight, sir" b
added.
IN Nothing whatever 1t is bit G
good luck to meet such weather her,
q. We can keep as far south as we Xix
IL until daybreak, and by that time
How did it look when you came int"
"a trife better, think"
~ II have sent for some refreshments
o. Let us have another look before W
tackle them"
The two officers passed out into til
ne hurricane. Instantly the wind endea,
r. ored to tear the chart house from O
e. the deck. They looked aloft and aheat
t. The officer on duty saw them and NOT
ut ded silent comprehension. 1t was us,
less to attempt to speak. The weathe
ur was perceptibly clearer.
he Then all three peered ahead agail
They stood, pressing against the wine