The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-07-19

being u iAan u stpge. | can't help be-
in8 thrilled with the majesty OF the
moment tho sublime vagueness Of my
knowledge Of what VIII happen when q
current flashes through these wires.
I'm not q coward, People who write
about other mems feelings when death
Is beginning TO paw them on the hould
CT. write mostly from b Imagination,
and 30 far as Pve seen they all do
It wrong I've been there, I've felt that
pony touch more han once and SO /
know. A man isn't Of necessity terri
fed Phantaslns OF his r,est deeds do
not Invariably fash before him, nor
ooes ne always lose his nerve and move
as a antona1on / can't speak
for othera. but what / personally have
felt has been a dull carelessness for
what Is going 10 happen and a cur
:osity about what will come afterward
II seems to me that @ thinking man
with the ambition OF a mouse, should
never fear death. because, once dead,
be becomes wiser than all the living
OF the human race
There arr men / know Whom ply
stca danger turns INTO a helpless mass
Of FACILITATING nerves. Shelf, for in
stance, is n OF hose. BY jove!"-he
Smiled gri,nly-"by Jove. I'd give a
SHOES just now and force him to couple
these wires and spring the mine with
his own fat, white fingers. / believe
yes, l verify belIeve-the experience
would turn him honest. Ah, there goes
0' fh RolEi; 4 ! iali IL lie vim the tenor
clang Of the ships bell came down
to him. and on its heels. more dimly,
the lookout's dissyllabic assurance in
the dismal minor key that he was
awake and had nothing to report.
Then Patrick Catnbel made n
ton and sent through the green. silk
covered wires a current direct from the
Gamer. dynamo, n on that moment
vas thrown against the iron roof of
the stateroom as though the Internal
machine had exploded beneath his very
feet
The oampstool was kicked nto the
air. h wet canvas dodgers shed water
in streams, and Captain Owen Kettle
fell spread eagled on the planking Of
the bridge. From the hatch in the fore
deck before him had sprung a volcano
OF rudy flame, spouting through vast
pillows Of smoke. The iron plating
round 1t buckled and split. n the
r tsh steamer 1 gave a trembling.
black. windy night above there fell an
avalanche Of debris which smote the
steamer and he water round like cam
lister shot from a distant cannonade-
Then came a humping jar from the
engine room, repeated twice over, and
then the engines stopped. "l1y God!"
thought Kettle He's overshot the
mark. 1t she's broken down, we're done
for" But for all that he did not lose
Tor an instant his presence OF mind or
instinct of command. but picking HIM
self UP clapped a stumpy leaden whistle
between his lips and blew shrilly.
AT first no one answered his sum
mons; From the ~forecastle, from the
stokehold, from aft, came the ships
company, making by instinct for the
high land of the bridge deck, and from
his eminence the little captain scovled
down upon them and swore- 1t is not
a wholesome sight to see grown men
screaming through sheer terror, and
lhe sooner they are ASSOCIATED either
~, ~ words ,T or blows from this frame of
Nllnd the more they viii be able subse-
quenty to respect themselves. BY dint
OF a lnegar tongue and suggestive
movements toward a pair of imple-
ments which bulged his jacket pockets.
kettle drove a sang of five to set the
hlzzen trysall to keep the steamer head
TO sea. She was rapidly losing her
way, and if she preached to beam on
with that heavy sea running, the lower
decks would be filled with green water
continuously, and that with such a
gaping rent where the hatch had been
meant simply a rapid swapping.
lheh the captain looked aroun him
see!ningly for a messenger. The mate
OF the watch hung on to the handle of
Gle engine room telegraph, Which sttll
pointed to full speed ahead" looking
dazed and helpless. The uuarternass
csr's and We're mechanically saving
at the spokes of the wheel. but it vas
'mualiy evident that he also did not
Khow what he was doing. lust then
AsLiilDS! 12cnIE jlSN fha -,1.- -,
talfee steps at q time.
an, cried Kettle, nov. you are n
man Who car keep his read in p hi Of
d Nuster, and, by James. you',e the
only one on board. just tumble FOR
1 mafa, WI you,,aad get down into Llat
hold n see what's wrong
Cainbel nodded and turned 70 ca
Without a word. From two or three Of
NE Ilea a thin cheer rose as he passed
she-1a' ahd before he had gained tho
bottom of the ladder on to the i,.no
lower deck half a dozen were on tba
ap ruIss after him Sailors will sell
dosn refuse to follow When q sI,nor,a-
shows the way, and besides tbosa ~
lows we're getting over their first panic
ana We're beginning to be asha,,ad ~
themselves for giving way to it
ZIG inlGaen trysail was not then cot
alld because the steamers way had lerf |
sle was falling off into the trough
- IVA AS ullGgT to eyar,
she was shipping water fast, Thss
creafslhg, solid masses sluicing arross
aeckplates smote the men brnoohb
9 with the weight of rams. ana ha
"ao. When the waters We're ,non IT.,
-SIt MS bold would have been sn.ar We
Ike a cork to leeward But hy IL
latch coamings, the winches annSS ns
stfeaIners Of rope they Glazed +bata
forward and covered roma mn
Node made by the eSnloston
loldlng there by the edge OF The t,,so.'
q IlVer plates. The seas reanlas -
i.eir aeacs, falling tn noisy cacoass
tp .he ~blackness below, and go
'ut OF ina darkness. above all tha ~ a,
owing or wind and the c]lang;nn pe.
ara the other din, came q 49, "
Of water which saa,,e1 14en
onflrm the worst. fears. 10
Poh. said n one, trvtn, 10 10
a only the small sun sbap. s
p SINCE the matches were Mo-
Inc h1lge punpsil soon kicL th"at
rop oHerboard.- NC" d1at I.
Guess vol lie" said another VIII, :
cary snake Of the head. VIZ" d /
IheA the Of the heaven o,o. !,
ead was splashed with . vivid son,- 3
ilsntnlng, and the men saw Ca,l lpah +
Wering himself over the bring an All e
,l,pplns with his knees a twistad irnn :
mar below. The light above ned i
ana within the dim Jagged antt1Hiaa ;,
"ieio inc hatCfl had been all ru,s u