The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1906-06-08

yarus at tine point" below me city AZ
they were needed. One day In the ear
Duncan volunteered to go up to the
bend I'm his stead and measure the coal
I'm a great feet OF barges that had just
arrived.
He found the barges unsafeiy be-
slowed and suggested to the captain Of
the Hallam yard tugboat that he
should tow them into a securer anchor
age As night was at hand. the captain
OF the tug refused, saying that he
would attend to the matter on the NOR
row.
That night the first storm OF the win
ter broke upon the river, flashing IL TO
fury and threatening with destruction
every species of craft that might ven
ture away from moorings.
About midnight one of Duncan's bed
room windows was blown in. scatter
ing glass and fragments of sash over
his bed and startling him out of sleep.
Instantly the thought of the exposed
coal barges flashed into his mind. He
knew that they were utterly unfit to
ride out a storm. being nothing more
than great oblong boxes loaded nearly
to their gunwales with coal. He re-
membered, too, the exposed position in
which they had been left for the night.
Hastily drawing on his clothing, he
hurried to the landing place Of the
yard tug. He found no preparations
making there for any attempt to save
the barges and their enormously rich
cargoes or even to rescue the helpless
men who had been left on board of
them. The engineer OF the tug. who
always slept on board, was there. and
so were the two deck hands and the
fireman, but the fires were banked,
and the captain had not responded to
the duty call of the tempest.
As the immediate representative and
chief lieutenant of Captain Hallam,
Gullford Duncan was recognized as a
man somewhat entitled to give orders.
On this occasion he promptly assumed
so much more of authority as did not
strictly belong to him.
He instantly ordered the engineer to
get up steam. He directed one of the
two deck hands TO go hurriedly to the
tug captains bedroom and order him
to come to the tug at once
AS he ratified off his orders for put
ting cable coils aboard, placing all
tenders in position, battening down the
matches and doing all else that might
render the tug filter for the perilous
service that he intended to exact Of
her his voice took on the old ring Of
battle and his commands came quick,
sharp and penetrating from his set
lips, like those of an officer placing
guns in position for desperate fight
The captain. who was also sole pilot
OF the tug so far obeyed the order sent
to him as TO come to the tug landing.
But when he looked ont upon the
storm dashed river he positively refus-
ed to obey Duncans order to go to the
wheel
"I'll never take the tug out in such a
storm as this" he said doggedly.
But think. man, There are twenty
men or more up there on those coal
bdi IS W AiO'' ~ - Sliiipig iluHl DC
ed. And there = hundred thousand
dollars worth coal there that may
go to the bottom any minute"
Il can't help that. | tell you the tug
couldn't live a minute in such
storm"
'In other words" answered Duncan,
with measureless contempt in his tone,
l. x.I..S
livered wretch whose life wouldn't be
worth saving If it were in danger. Go
back to your bed"
Then turning to the engineer and
the two deck hands, he asked hoarsely:
''Wlll you men stand TO your duty
while | go 10 the wheel2"
Continued nert 1Ueeb1