The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-07-26
The P~1underers.
BY C. j. CUTLlFFE HYNE.
&$$&@&+4@ ~ ~ &&&@$%$<%%% ~ 1920 4&A4%4%@.

~ 01 ~. W ~
1t vas in this mood of mind that the
man on whose actions the very outer
air existence OF the Port IEdes depended
left his fellows in the chartroom and
raced onward to where the Jagged lip
OF the forehold hatch yawned to the
without so much as a look before him..
he lowered himself on to the twisted
battens below, with the clean water
raining on to him from above and
muddy wavelets squirting up from be-
low, and then when the steamer gave
a heavy scend and the more solid wash
from below smote him heavily upon
the thighs he loosed his grip and dived
like a stone through the brimming
-~shaftway of the hatch.
Seconds passed, a minute, two min
utes. and still he did not
Three minutes. Then the ounded out
lines of something black rolled to the
surface and surged about Imply with
the swill of the water.
For a while it staid so; then. swung
by a heavier pitch of the steamer, was
washed to the back OF a stanchion.
where 1T hung. The stopping water be
meath ebbed steadily. The valve in the
steamers bottom had been closed.
During a whole hour Patrick CAM
bel lodged behind that iron pillar, a
Aistoo " llColA IL OlIiS
ana then the pains of life Same into
him again with shivers and shutter
ings. The thin gray light of the dawn
was fltering down through the jagged
opening above when first the trembling
lids Slid from his eyeballs, but for still
another thirty minutes he was a thing
or no wit, breathing. truly, but caring
naught for all the world contained.
Then a sucking, sobblng noise from
the depths of the hold far beneath
tly,nL IYnnp Iyr Mas -.-l A. ----t
brain began to work. With an effort
he sat up. dizzily holding to the pill
lar, trying to think where he was and
now ran recent history, n by degrees
the details strolled pack to him. Be
fore, however, he had gathered all his
senses or a working quantum of
strength he had a visitor in the shape
of the ~donkeyman, who clattered up
over the decks with plate shod boots
and at the top OF the gap
above on knees and hands.
Have you been getting hurt, now"
inquired the newcomer.
About nine-tenths drowned, I fancy,
II that counts. But I'm about all right
again now"
You don't look it," replied the DON
keyman candidly. Barring the tan
you'd he blue and lard color about the
lace this minute. But 1 feared there
was something gone wrong through not
seeing We on the bridge, so 1 nipped
lnto the chartroom and pocketed a
whisky bottle that was living conyen-
lent in case-Pull at the small end
s6or."
The bottle was handed down. and
Cambe lifted 1t his teeth chattering
against the nozzle like castanets, but
the spirit drove color into his face and
set the sluggish blood once more on
its appointed journey through his hands
n trunk.
What has occurred since I left
you?" he asked.
We'll. first. sor, the captain and my
SCI sfal gag 3 little friendly discussion
to q bit Of financial agreement. But
u will say that l figured me new terms
very low when l understood 1t was a
thrifle Of conspiracy that we wanted me
10 stand IN at. And then, sor. we went
steam into the bilge pumps to heave
this nasty slop Of water after which,
-as chief, l set about making a repair
to the low pressure engine. You see,
when that explosion took place a bit
sot a casting jumped into the crank pit
could stop her. I've had a fair do at
elbow work cutting 1T out cold, but It's
clear now. and she runs as sweetly as
h did the day she left the shops. But
oh. Mr.. Cambel. I wish you could see
the old The sight of that little
chap shoveling Goals and swearing and
tumbling and burning himself is enough
to make the ghosts Of some dead fire.
men ! know about grin and dances
and jigs in their graves"
The dOnkeyman was inclined to be
yaTrulous and evidently lusted for a
considerable chat, but with returning
strength Cambel's anxiety grew on him
again. and he climbed out on deck
keen to be once more in action. His
knees were lottery, n the donkeyman
R- M SEQ Fl Nv, M o~~r, 90 D-A -
had climbed up the ladder and gained
the bridge deck he stood for a minute
staring, then threw up his hands and
pitched forward onto the planking as
though a bullet had smitten the life
Nm his brain.
Out Of the morning mists Of the south
there had come up a small center
board schooner of some fifteen IONS
an oysterman perhaps in the season
n now a spohge gafherer or a mere
coaster. She was coming down over
the seas as dry as a gull, driving along
under her boom ~foresail and lib. The
d~onkeyman's eye hung on her as she
spuTged past the rust streaked flank OF
the steamer some twenty fathoms away
not because the sight OF a little white
painted schooner was new to him. moi
because he was impressed by the dam
ger to the Port Edes' enterprise in he1
being seen by any one, but on account
OF the tiny vessel being handled. In
what to her was distinctly ugly wealth
er. by so extraordinary a person az a
young and pretty girl. No one else was
on deck, II the girl sat on the coam-
Ing OF the cockpit, tiller in one hand
tiller rope in the other, as
eddy as though she had been an ancien,
mariner bred and aged in fore and
alters.
She was a girl. too. with looks much
to the Irisilman's liking, with cope,
red hair whose ends blew out from be.
meath a green Italian nightcap, laugh
ing, impudent features, with the colo,
whipped up into warm pinks by thu
wind; a figure of pretty curves. and tn.
shapelist little brown fists in the worlt
splayed on the tiller and gripping tn.
restraining tiller rope. She was prett1
much UP to the Eyes in her steering. bui
she found time to throw an oeiliad to
ward the steamer, which Mr.. Sullivan
answered with a yell intended to show
his complete admiration and a swirl OF
his greasy cap. 1t was then that Cam
bel fell, n the donkeyman took hi.
eyes from the schooner and picked HIN
up and once more applied the whisk.
bottle. More drowned than 1 thoughi