The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-22

circumstances with thoughtful interest
 Which leaves me and the green gilled tenderfoot," he unused. and was turning the situation in his mind and wondering how long the engine would run intended when the door of the wheelhouse was showed gently back and he looked down to see the lady standing at the foot of the ladder.
 Come in ma am he said, hospitably, and, clinging to his precious wheel with one sinewy hand, reached to assist hef with the other. !" Reuse me. but you see l got 10 keep her pintin' like she Is or you cant tell what might happen. Them waves is gettin' awful big
 She stepped in, swinging the door be- hind her. You need rot be so anx- ous' said she, and Masters WAS pug zled at the irony of her tone. They have turned back"
 Who? Oh. you mean the tug?" He laughed "I declare, I forgot all about her." He stared ahead.
 Where you going?' she asked presently.
 "That's what I'd like to know!" Ills voice was jocosely frank. i've got to keep her goin like she Is or she might swamp"
 What nonsense"' she answered sharp ly This Is a big. able boat; little sea like this could do her no harm!"
  ment. Little sea-ah you're jokn'.'
 Indeed. l am not! l am used to boats; my husband has a yacht about the size Of this. The waves seem big to you because you have never been on deep water: as a matter of fact, they are not at all dan- gerous."
 Masters stared at her in sheepish dis may. To see the delicate woman at his side view the appalling surroundings not only with utter lack of fear, but even with familiarity smote him with amaGe- ment and respect
 II reckon you're right, maam." he au- swered with a shamefaced laugh. "l kin der thought this was right dangerous. One of these big waves might come on board like" he glanced at her hopefully and with an odd shyness; 1t had never been his part to magnify possible danger. Tt would do no harm if one did, she answered. Indeed l expect that good many may break aboard when you turn around" She looked him steadily in tho face
 T hadn't thought much about goIn back. It seems like runnin' a fellows head Into a moose c am and deliberate, I reckon I got couple of them fellows last night. maybe" he pondered the lights on the sea painted by the glowing day
 You will not be running your head Into moose if you go back of your own ac- cord" she said. "I can testify that you did not attempt to escape-that you re- fused to have any part in Kidnapping a woman. Now that one of these men has been killed"
 Two" corrected Masters laconically. "The big fellow, him we called Salters. tried to get gay-wanted to lug you off up some erik and keep you there until your folk unloosened. l wouldn't stand for that-we At, and he got the worst of 1t AF,,f i,,ff ha n of N
 The woman shyered. "l ought to thank you" she said fevershly, but the other man-there were four, were there not 7 Cant you persuade him to go back. too?
 "Oh, he don't need no persuadin'; he aiut no account anyhow; why, he's sea sick down there in the engine room, answered the cowboy with infinite scorn. Hes just a ornery sort of sneak thief; he was telln' last night how he yanked some earrings out of a pretty gals years while she was a-wearin' them. Where l come from d boy that owned up to q thing like that wouldn't last as long as snake on hog ranch. Say, ma'am- just look wonder. Ain't that a sightY'
 The high north wind had been falling rapidly since the dawn, far seaward a lee set of haze was hung like a veil to dim the edge of the horizon; through this the great crimson sun hauled out in sharp and lurid outline and stretched across to paint the dying breeze d rosy pink. Above it, giant rays shot to the zenith.
 Masters stared In silent awe until the great disk had lifted clear of the sea; then he turned quietly to his companion:
 Say" his voice was slightly husned, "this thing is bigger than I am-makcs me feel kinder mean and ornery and no account Say, I'm a-goin' to take your straight back home"
 Lansing. the ex-clerk. listening at the little trap through which the wheernan might communicate with the engineer. heard the decision with snarl upon his white, drawn face. Thanks to the falling sea he was convalescent of his sea sick ness, but fresh paroxysm overcame hirn as the boat turned to meet the heavy swell head-on
 In a few minutes he returned cold 10 the bone, pallid, a-quiver to the seats of his feeble strength with fright of every racking impulse loose nerves a-tangle, yet sustained by the ratllke courage vuochsafed to the cornered coward.
 He slunk back now to his former posi- ton, although there was slight need of sinking. Lansing nevertheless slinked with stealth and a shaking diaphragm to position which brought his face against the little aperture. The wheel house was above and just forward of the