Evening star., 1907-11-08
CHAPTER Y.
The Kansas Sustains a Check.

The Kansas SuSta1nS a CheCk.
Once. In early days. when Courtenay
was a MILDLY on a destroyer, his ship ran
ashore on the Manacles. After a bump
or two. and a noise like the swapping of
trees during a hurricane. tho little vessel
broke her back and the after part. with
the engines. fell away into deep water.
Courtenay happened to be on the bridge:
the forward half held intact. so he and
the other survivors Ciambered ashore at
low water
He waited now for the rending of plates.
the tearing asunder Of stauCh steel ribs
and cross beams. which should sound the
kneN of the ships last moments. But the
Kansas seemed to he in no hurry to IA!
in pieces. She strained and groaned, and
shook violently when a wave pounded
her. otherwise. she lay there like beaten
thing, oddly resembling the living but al
most unconscious men stretched on the
mattresses IN the forward saloon.
Courtenay did not experience the least
fear of death. Emotion OF any sort was
already dead in him. He found himself
wondering If an unexpectedly strong cur
rent setting to the southeast, had not up
set his reckoning If there were any
broken limbs among the occupants o, the
saoon-if Elsie had been injured by being
thrown down in his cabin. He looked at
his watch 1t was past eleven. In four
hours there would be dawn. Dawn! In
many minutes he might see the Day
that is everlasting. An! IernapS
not even four minutes The Kansas with
a shver lifted to the embrace Of a heavy
sea. lurched to port and settled herself
more comfort ably. Tho deck assumed an
easier angle. Now 1t was possible to walk
There were no rocks here, at any rate
C0urtenay at once Jumped to the COnClu-
sion that the powerful current whose sx
istence he suspected had cut out for itself
a deep-water channel toward the land
and the ship had struck on the silt of its
back-wash. Anyhow. the Kansas was
still living. The lights were ali burning
steadily. He could detect the rhythmic
throh of the donkey engine. He felt II
like the faint beat of pulse. In her new
position the ship presented less of solid
wall to the onslaught of the sea. The
tumultuous waves began to race past
wit hout breaking so fiercely. Had she
started her plates? Were the holds and
engine room full of water? II SO. Walker
and his helpers were already drowning
beneath his feet. And. when next she
moved. the vessel might slip away INTO
the depths.
These and kindred thoughts. thoughts
without sequence and almost without
number flew through his mind with in
credible speed They were lucid and rea-
soned their pros and cons equally dealt
With-he could have answered any queS
ton on each point were II propounded by
a board of eXaminers-and all this took
place within a few seconds. between the
impact Of one big wave and another.
A man rushed by or tried to do 50.
COurtenay recognized him as a leading
stoker who had temporary charge of the
donkey boiler and seized him Wrathfully,
his eyes ablaZe.
Go back" he roared.
"SenOr, The ship is lost
GO back and await my orders.
He could have strangled the fugitive in
his sudden rage. The fireman endeaVored
TO gasp his readiness to obey. Courtenay
relaxed his grip, and for a time at least
one member of the crew stuck to his post.
fearing the mad captain more than 0eath.
mob of stewards and kitchen hands
came in a torrent up the saloon stairs.
Courtenay met them, a terri ying figure,
and thrust a revolver in their faces.
Back he shouted, 'or some of you
will die here
Even in their frenzy they believed h4pn.
The foremost skunk away, and fought ~ a
new terror with those who would urge
them on. Gray, bleeding from a cut
across the forehead. knocked down a man
who brutally tore Isobel out of his path.
his back against the corner of the saloon
at the foot of the stairs.
I'm with YOU captain" he yelled
Courtenay saw that he had conquered
them-for the instant He raised MS hand
Behave like men," he cried You can
do no good by croWding the deck. | am
going to the bridge to see If it is possible
TO lower the boats Each boats crew will
he mustered In turn. passengers and men
! alike. II you are towards now you will
throw away what chance there is of Sav-
ing your lives
His voice rang out like a trumpet. His
attitude cowed while 1t reassured them.
Men turned from one to another t. ask
what the senior captain was saying They
understood much, but they wanted to