The Huttig news., 1907-12-14

du uHCOluLlOu crew, two uOuTS ldter the tugs whistle blew four booming blasts in the strong ahead" and five more that were Billy's fare well to Mary if she was awake-or 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 30 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 lashed the wheel to a course two points east of north. In the blackness he could see only the white crests of waves. The panting of the tugs exhaust told him Kelly was stoking like fiend and that ONeil 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.
 It was still dark when Billy saw, as the tug topped a great wave, a ships light ahead twinkle a moment where the whitecaps marked White Shoals. At dawn he had a line to the derelict and the great seven-inch hauser was going to her overside; an hour later they were fast by the forward towing post. It 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. It 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. It was dreary work and Billy and the crew were gaunt with hunger and weariness.
 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'Neil's en- zines 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 afloat 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 a 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 pounding on the shoals. The sun broke through the clouds, a red sun near to setting beyond the tossing wa ters, the sunset of Christmas eve. It 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 Charle- 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 rapped 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 a lamp. The captain, smiling, for long time sat looking at a picture over the mantel, the picture of her mother. Merry Christmas" he said to the pic ture, very softly. T knew it would come"
 Billy brought it-and Billy had it, an unforgetable Christmas-with the Riley's. When at last he rolled in" with Kelly, the fireman would have his joke-he called 1t Mary Christmas"