Evening star., 1907-11-04

one CareQ 10 dispute WIN nef, lSOOet Iett
that scream or two would be a relief.
For once. pride was hclpful-it saved her
from hysteria.
The curious sense of waiting, they knew
not for what, which dulled the thoughts
and stilled the tongues OF the small COM
pany at the table, soon communicated It.
self to the stewards. The men stood In
little knots. exchanging few words. and
those mostly meaningless; but the chief
steward. whose trained ear caught the
regular beat of the donkey engine, woke
them up with series of sharp orders
Switch on the lights he said loudly.
Clear the table and hurry up with tho
coffee. Get a move on those FELLOWS.
Gomez. Have you never before been IN q
ship when the screw stopped?
The Gomez thus appealed to was the
Englishman's second in command: he
acted as interpreter when anything out
of the common was required He NUT.
tered a few words in the Hispano-lndtan
patois, which his hearers best understood.
and the scene m the saloon changed With
wondrous suddenness. The glow OF the
electric lamps banished the gathering
shadows. The luxurious comfort OF tho
apartment soon dispelled the notion Of
danger. Coffee was brought The enok-
ing saloon was inaccessible, owing 70 the
closing of the gangway, but the chief
steward suggested that the gentlemen
might smoke If the ladies were agreeable.
| Under such circumstances the ladies al
ways are agreeable, and the instant re-
suit was distinct rise in the social
| barometer.
| The noise of the steam exhaust ceased
| as abruptly as it began. The ship WAS
! riding easily in spite of the heavy sea.
! Drifting with wind and wave Is a simple
thing for big vessel. There is no strue-
| gle, tearing asunder of resisting forces.
| Thus might a boat caught in the pttueSs
| current Of Niagara glide toward the brink
of the cataract with cunning smoothness.
And then. while the occupants Of the
saloon were endeavortng to persuade each
other that all was well. the loud wall Of
the siren thrilled them with increased
| forebodng. 1t was not the warning note
of a fog, nor the sharp course signal tor
the guidance of passing ship. but sus-
| tained trumpeting. which announced to
any steamer hidden in the darkening
waste Of waters that the Kansas was not
under control. 1t was a wild. sinister ap-
peal for help. the voice of the disabled
vessel proclaiming her need; and the an
swer seemed to come In q fiercer shrek
of the gale, while the added fury OF the
blast brought curling sea over the p0op.
The Kansas staggered and shook herself
clear The wave smashed its way on
ward; several iron stanchfons snappAd
with reports like pistol shots, ana there
was an intolerable rending OF woodwork:
But, whatever the damage, the powerful
hull rose triumphantly from the clutch OF
it's assailant Shattered streams OF water
poured off the decks like 50 many cas-
cades Loud above the splash of these
miniature cataracts vibrated the tense
boom OF the fog horn.
1t was a nerve-racking moment. 1t de-
manded the leadership of a strong man.
and there are few gatherings In Anglo
Saxondom which cannot produce Caesar
when required.
Say" shouted the American, his clear
voice dominating the turmoil. that gave
us shower bath. II we could just stand
outside and see ourselves. we should look
like an illuminated fountain.
That was the right note-belief In the
ship, contempt Of the darkness and the
gale. The crisis passed
There really cannot be heavy sea
said Elsie, cheerfully inaccurate. Other
wise we should be pitching or rolling, per-
haps both. whereas we are actually far
more steady than when dinner conn
menced
Il find these lulls In the storm most
trying" complained Isobel They re-
mind me of some wild animal hunting Its
prey, creeping UP with silent stealth.
and then springing"
II have never before heard a fog horn
sounded so continuously" said the mis-
sionarys wife, Mrs. Somerville. Don't
you think they are Whistling for assist
| ance?"
Assistance! What sort Of assistance
can anybody give US here? Unless the
ship rights herself very soon we don't
know what may happen
| IsobeI seemed to have a premonition OF
evil, and she paid no heed to the effect hee
words might have on the others. Al.
| though the saloon was warm-almost un-
comfortably hot, owing to the closing OF
the main air passages-she shivered.
| Mr.. Somerville drew book from his
pocket. "If that be so.' he said gently,
may suggest that we seek aid from
| One who is all-powerful? We are few.
| and of different religions. but In this hour
we can surely worship at common
altar"
"Rightw said the taciturn Englishman.
varying his adjective for once. The mis-
| sionary offered up short but heartfelt
prayer. and. finding that he carried his
congregation with him. read the opening
verse of hymn No 37o For Those AT
| Sea-"
The stewards. most OF whom under
stood few words of English. readily
grasped the fact that the padri was ask
we'll knew to be desperate. They drew
near reverently, and even joined in the
| simple lines:
oh. hear when We cry to Thee.
For those in peril on the sea.
During the brief silence which followed
the singing of the hymn 1t did. indeed.
seem to their strained senses that the
fierce violence of the gale had somewhat
abated. 1t was not so. In reality. A
steady fall in the barometer foretoid even
| worse weather to come. Courtenay. Is
sured now that the main engines were alb
| solutely useless, thought 1t advisable 70
get steering way on the ship by rigging
| the foresail. double reefed and trapped.
The result was quickly perceptible. The
| Kansas might not be popped again. but
she would travel more rapidly into the
| unknown.
Yet this only afforded another instance
of the way men reason when they seek
| to explain cause from effect. The hoist
| ing of that strip of stout canvas was one
| of the time-factors in the story or an
eventful night, for it was with gray
! faced despair that the captain gave the
requisite order when the second engineer
| reported that his senior was dead. the
crown of two furnaces destroyed. and the
engines clogged, If not irrettievably dam
| aged, by fallen debris None realized
| better than the young commander what
a disastrous fate awaited his ship In the
| gloom of the flying scud ahead ThefS
was faint chance ot encountering an
other steamship which would respond to
his signals. Then he would risk all by
! laying the Kansas broadside on in the ef.
| fort TO take tow rope aboard. Mean
! while, 1T was best to bring her under
some sort Of control. the steam-steertng
gear. driven by the uninjured donkey
engine. being yet available.
(To be Continued Tomorrow)
Dynamite Squad Quick to Respond.