Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1907-07-20

That's excitement. l suppose; ex-
chement pure and understandable. Not
being a man Of stone. | can't help be
ing thrilled with the majesty OF the
moment, the sublime vagueness Of my
knowledge OF what viii happen when
current flashes through these wires.
I'm not a coward. People who write
Shout other mems feelings when death
IS beginning 70 paw them on the should
er, write mostly from the imagination,
and 80 far as I've seen. they all do
ii wrong. I've been thcrG I've felt that
bOny touch more than once and so l
know. A man isn't of necessity terri
fed. Phantasms Of his past deeds do
not invariably flash before him. nor
does ne always lose his nerve and move
as wayWard autoEnatOnL | can't speak
for others, but what personally have
felt has been dull Carelessness for
what is going % happen and a cur
iOSity about what VIII come afterWard.
II seems 20 me that a thinking man
with the ambition Of a mouse, should
never fear death, because, once dead,
he becomes wiser than all the living
remnant OF the human race.
There are men | know whom ply
SiCal danger turns INTO helpless mass
Of palpitauug nerves. Shelf, for in
stance, is one OF those. BY Jove! he
smiled grimly-"by Jove, Ia give
finger to have Theodore Shelf in my
shoes just now and force him to couple
these wires and spring the mine with
his own fat, white fingers. l believe
yes ] verify belieTe-the experience
would turn him honest. All, there goes
one bell. Times up"
Through a lull in the wind the tenor
clanE Of the ships bell came down
10 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 Cdmbel made COnneC-
tiOn and sent through the green, silk
covered wires current direct from the
steamers dynamo, and on that moment
was thrown against the iron roof Of
the stateroom as though the Internal
machine had exploded beneath his very
feet
The CampstooI was kicked into the
air he 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 ruddy flame, spOuting through vast
billOws Of smoke. The iron plating
round it buckled and split ana the
whole steamer gave trembling,
frightened leap Presently from the
black, windy night above there fell an
avalanche Of debris which smote the
steamer and the water round like can
lister shot from a distant cannOnade.
Then came a humping jar from the
engine room, repeated twice over. and
then the engines stopped. My God"
thought Kettle Hes overshot the
mark. It she's broken down, We're done
for But for all that he did not lose
for an instant his presence of mind or
instinct Of command but picking him
self up clapped a stumpy leeGCn whistle
between his lips and blew shrilly.
At first no one answered his sum
mons. From the forUcastle, from the
stokehold, from art came the ships
company. making by instinct FOR the
high land Of the bridge deck, and from
his eminence the little captain sCOwlcd
down upon them and sWOre. II is not
a wholesome sight to see grown men
screaming through sheer terror, and
the sooner they are dissoCiated either
by words or blows from this frame Of
mind the more they will be able SubSe-
quentF 10 respect themselves BY dint
of vinegar tongue and suggestive
movements toward a pair Of impIe-
ments which bulged his jacket pockets,
Kettle drove a gang Of five TO set the
mizZcn trysail 10 keep the steamer head
TO sea. She was rapidly losing her
way, and IL she brOaChed TO beam on,
with that heavy sea running, the lowe
decks would be filled with green water
continuously and that with such a
gaping rent where the hatch had been
meant simply a rapid swamping
Then the captain looked around him
seemingly for a messenger. The mate
OF the watch hung on to the handle of
the engine room telegraph which still
pointed 10 full speed ahead" looking
dazed and helpless. The quartermas-
ters hands We're mechanically saving
at the spollcs of the wheel but IL was
equally evident that he also did not
know what he was doing Just then
Cambel raced up the bridge ladder
three steps at a time.
All" cried Kettle, now. YOU are
man who can keep his head in a bit OF
huster and, by James. you're the
only one on board. Just tumble for
ward VIII YOU, and get down into that
hold and see what's wrong"
Cambel nodded and turned to go
without a word. From two or three of
the men a thin cheer rose as he passed
them, and before he had gained the
bottom Of the ladder on to the iron
lower deck half a dozen were on the
top rungs after him. Sailors win sell
dom refuse 10 follow when a superior
shows the way and besides these fell
lows We're getting over their first panic
and were beginning to be ashamed of
themselves for giving way TO ii.
The mi2Zen lrysail was not then set
>
her she was falling OFF into the trough
and rolling bulwarks under to every
sea. She was shipping water fast The
CTcamlug, solid masses SluiCing across
the deCkplates smote the men hreech
nigh with the weight of rams, ana he
who when the waters were upon him
left his hold would have been s,vent
like a cork to leeward 80. bv the
hatch coamings. the wirchos and odd
wet streamers of rope they clawcd their
way forward and covered round the
great holde made by the explosion
holding there b. the edge of the twist
cd riven plates. The seas crcamed over
their heads. falling in noisy cascades
into the blaCkness below and from
out Of that darkness above all the bel
lowing Of wind and the Changing OF
iron ard the other din. came a soddcu
Whistling of water which seemed TO
confirm the worst fears
'Poh,' said some one, trying to be
CHEEKY that's only the small sun she's
shipped since the matches were blown
OF The bilGe pumps'Il soon kick that
drop overheard"
Guess you lie" said another. with p
wary shake Of the head.
Then the ink of the heavens over
head was splashed with a vivid fork
OF lightning and the men say CambtI.
WltG his face MS white as his teeth
lowering himself over the bring and
gripping with his knees twisted iron
pillar below The light above snapprd
out and within the dim jagged outline
OF where the hatch had been all was
hluckncss. And overhead the thunder
rumblcd HE the passing Of Titan,s
gun ,raia. The men shivergd one OF
them, an old, white haired able sea
man. was physically sick. And mean
wahe the P3rt Elrs Io,led through AZ
degrees. ana the GGlf water flowed
CrSyn in and back over each bulwark
alternately.
Tne men nurg over the dark ahvss
q IL. l.. L..