The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-07-01


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 a mans brain an
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 wind
and sea. Iris knew the language of
poker. Nature was putting up huge
bluff.
Oh. dear! She was so tired. 1t de-
manded a physical effort to constantly
shove away an unseen force that tried
to push you over. How funny that
big cloud should travel up against the
wind And so, amid confused Won
derment, she lapsed into an uneasy
slumber, her last sentient thought be-
ing quiet thankfulness that the
screw went thud, thud, thud, thud,
with such determination.
the Sirdar bore away toward the south,
west the commander consulted the ba-
rometer each half hour. The telltale
mercury had sunk over two inches in
twelve hours. The abnormally low
pressure quickly created dense clouds.
which enhanced the melancholy dark
ness Of the gale.
For many minutes together the bows
Of the ship were not visible. Masthead
and side lights were obscured by the
pelting scud. The engines thrust the
vitals Of the storm. Wind and wave
gushed out OF the vortex with impo-
tent fury.
At last soon after midnight the ba-
rometer showed a slight upward move
ment. At 80 a. m. the change became
pronounced. simultaneously the wind
swung round a point to the westward.
Then Captain Ross smiled YEARLY.
His face frightened. He opened his
oilskin coat. glanced at the compass
and nodded approval. Then he turned
to consult q chart. He was joined by
the chief officer. Both men examined
the Chart In silence.
Captain Ross finally took a pencil
he stabbed its point on the paper in
the neighborhood Of IA degrees north
and 112 degrees east.
1--WE are about there, think"
The chief agreed. THAT was the To-
cality I had in my mind" He bent
closer over the sheet.
Nothing in the way tonight, sir" he
added.
Nothing whatever. 1t is a bit of
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 INF"
"a trifie better, think
81 have sent for some refreshments.
Let us have another look before we
tackle them"
The two officers passed out into the
hurricane. Instantly the wind endeav-
ored 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 to speak. The weather
was perceptibly clearer.
Then all three peered ahead again.
They stood, pressing against the wind,
seeking to penetrate the murkiness in
front Suddenly they were galvanized
into strenuous activity.
A wild howl came from the look out
forward. The eyes Of the three men
glared at 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
seemed to clear her nose from the
junk as If by magic
1t 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 on her elevated poop. She
was laden with timber. Although wa
terlogged. she could not sink if she
held together.
A great wave sucked her away from
the steamer and then hurled her bach
with irresistible force. The SirdaI
was Just completing her turning move
ment, and she heeled over, yielding t.
the mighty power OF the gale. For ar
| appreciate instant her engines stop
| ped. The mass of water that swayet
the junk like cork lifted the grear
ship high by the stern. The propeller
/ began to revolve in air. for the third of
ficer had corrected his signal to "ful
| speed ahead" again, and the cumbrous
Chinese vessel struck the Sirdar ter
rible blow in the counter, smashing of
the screw close to the thrust block an(
wrenching the rudder from its bearings
| There was an awful race by the en-
/ gines before the engineers could shu
off steam. The junk vanished into tn,
wilderness Of noise and tumbling sea-
beyond, and the fine steamer of q few
seconds ago, replete with magnificen
energy, struggled like wounded levia