The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-12-13

the tug whistle blew four booming
blasts in the darkness-"strong ahead"
and five more that were Billy's fare
well to Mary If she was awaken
cared. She saw from her bedroom
window the tug steam through the
channel, sparks flying weirdly in the
wind, out to the open lake where no
light shone to mark the way for the 80
miles of desperate tussle with waves
that now at times buried the very
deckhouse roof. Again the five short
blasts as the starboard light turned
north beyond the pier. then was gone.
Here's hopin'," growled Billy as he
whirled the wheel over. He was hang
ing on grimly, for at times the tug
stood about on end. A sea smashed
one of the pilot-house windows and
he fixed it as best he could by the dim
pinnacle light. He dashed the wheel
In the blackness he could see only the
white crests of waves. The painting of
the tugs exhaust told him Kelly was
stocking like fiend and that O'Neil was
squeezing the last ounce out of his big
engine, 16 square. Ahead was black
ness, the maddened waters and the in
frequent flash of rockets.
1t was still dark when Billy saw, as
the tug topped great wave, ships
light ahead twinkle moment where
the whitecaps marked White Shoals.
At dawn he had line to the derelict
and the great seven-inch hauser was
going to her oversize; an hour later
they were fast by the forward towing
post. 1t would be easy in such sea
to trip on the hauser and turn turtle"
or to be snatched by great wave and
have the hauser break. The barge on
the shoal was an ore freighter loaded
to the waters edge, heavy tow.
With his hand on the bell cord to
signal to O'Neil, Billy muttered:
Here's for Mary and better"
He rang, the engines started, then,
crash! Billy's Christmas wishes were
cut short; the tow post was gone and
water poured into the hole in torrents.
1t was hours later when they got that
hauser again, when the tugs hoarse
whistle roared, "All right" and the
below of the stranded barge replied.
1t was dreary work and Billy and the
crew were gaunt with hunger and
WEAKNESS.
Again slowly in the teeth of the
wind they went ahead, jerked tremen-
dously at intervals when the waves
snatched the tow. When they were
getting into deeper water O'Neirs en-
gines suddenly stopped, and ten min
utes later the barge had drifted back
to the shoal. The eccentric had slip
ped; the tug was but driftwood; bad
business in such sea.
Billy Noonan and O'Neil kept her
afoat someway, and all the time Billy,
still clutching the wheel, was mutter-
ing of Mary and Christmas; he had
strange vagaries, but was still sane as
skipper. When at last the frantic
hammering in the engine room ceased,
near evening Of the next day, they
were still near to the barge that was
broke through the clouds, a red sun
near to setting beyond the tossing wa
tiers, the sunset of Christmas eve.
1t was never clear how they got the
slow steel barge to move so fast once
they got her off again. But in the
midnight hours when st. Nick, Kris
Kringel and all the Christmas fairies
were abroad on land, when the last
embers of the yule logs smouldered
coZily under lines of stockings in
many, many homes, the Alice Riley's
deep whistle sounded off the Charlie
voix pier. Capt. Riley still sat before
his fireplace, waiting hopefully-as
was his nature. But for the hundredth
time he looked about the room at
Mary's pitiful efforts at Christmas
decorations. Suddenly he heard, faint
but unmistakable, the bass call of the
Alice Riley.
Instantly he picked up his crutch
and raped on the door of Mary's
room. So quickly did she appear, sus.
piciously red-eyed but smiling, she
must have been awake, too.
Listen" he cried, holding UP his
hand.
Boo-oo-oom, boooo-oom, boo-oo-oom!
"All right"
Again, deep, full and growing less
faint, the whistle sounded, "All right"
THAT means Christmas for all of
us, Mary, in spite of the fish,"
Then there came a succession of
short, sharp toots and the captain
stared perplexed. With twinkle he
turned to Mary.
do you know what that means,
Mary?" he asked.
She flushed crimson, but before she
put her arms about her father with
hug that he understood she flashed
her answer from the bow window with
lamp. The captain, smiling, for a
long time sat looking at picture over
the mantel, the picture of her mother.
Merry Christmas" he said to the pic
ture, very softly. 81 knew it would
come"
Billy brought it-and Billy had it,
an unforgetable Christmas-with the
Riley's. When at last he rolled In"