The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1907-07-25


left his fellows in the chartroom and
raced forward to where the Jagged lip
of the forehold hatch yawned to the
splashing brine. Without lantern,
without so much as q look before him,
he lowered himself on to the twisted
battens below, with the clean water
raining on to him from above and
muddy wavelets squirting up from be-
low. and then when the steamer gave
q heavy scend and the more solid wash.
from below smote him heavily upon
the thighs he loosed his grip and dived
like a stone through the brimming
shaftway Of the hatch.
Seconds passed, a minute, two man-
utes, and still he did not reappear.
Three minutes. Then the rounded out
lines OF something black rolled to the
surface and surged about Imply with
the swill OF the water.
For a while 1t staid so; then, swung
by a heavier pitch OF the steamer, was
washed to the back OF a stanchion,
meath ebbed steadily. The valve In the
steamers bottom had been closed.
During whole hour Patrick Cam
bel lodged behind that iron pillar, q
mere boneless mass of flesh and clothes
and then the pains Of life came into
him again with shivers and shutter
ings. The thin gray light OF the dawn
w
opening above when first the trembling
lids slid from his eyeballs, but for still
another thirty minutes he was a thing
OF no wit, breathing, truly, but caring
naught for all the world contained.
Then sucking, sobbing noise from
the depths of the hold far beneath
broke upon his ear, and the languid
brain began to work. With an EFFORT
he sat up. dizzily holding to the pill
lar trying to think where he was and
how ran recent history, and by degrees
the details strolled back to him. Be
fore, however, he had gathered all his
senses or a working quantum OF
strength he had visitor In the shape
or the donkeyman, who clattered up
over the decks with plate shod boots
and crouched at the top OF the gap
above OH knees and hands.
Have you been getting hurt, now"
inquired the newcomer
About nine-tenths drowned. fancy,
If that counts. But I'm about all right
again now"
"Ycu doE't look it." replied the dom
keyman candidly Barring the tan
you'd be blue and lard color about the
face this minute. But / feared there
was something gone wrong through not
seeing ye on the bridge, so / nipped
into the chartroom and pocketed a
whisky bottle that was lying conven-
lent In case-Pull at the small end,
sor."
The bottle was handed down. and
Cambel lifted II his teeth chattering
against the nozzle like castanets, but
the spirit drove color into his face and
set the sluggish blood once more on
Its appointed journey through his hands
and trunk.
What has occurred since left
your" he asked.
We'll, first, sor, the captain and my
self had little friendly discussion
about what's been happening, and came
to bit of financial agreement. But
Will say that figured me new terms
very low when understood 1t was q
thrifie Of conspiracy that We wanted me
to stand in at. And then, sor, we went
below ITO the engine room and turned
steam Into the bilge pumps to heaye
this nasty slop of water after which,
as chief, set about making a repair
to the low pressure engine. You see,
when that explosion took place a bit
OF q casting jumped into the crank pit
and got Jammed there hard before they
could stop her. I've had fair do at
elbow work cutting 1t put cold, but it's
clear now, and she runs as sweetly as
she did the day she left the shops. But
oh, Mr. Cambel. wish you could see
the old man. The sight OF that little
chap shoveling Goals and swearing and
TO make the ghosts of some dead fire.
men I know abo'-t grin and dances
and jigs in their raves"
The donkeyman was inclined to be
garrulous and evidently lusted for
considerable chat, but with returning
strength Cambers anxiety grew on him
igain, and he climbed out on deck
seen 70 be once more in action. His
tnees We're lottery, and the donkeyrnan
gave him an arm aft. But when he
had climbed up the ladder and gained
The bridge deck he stood for a minute
ttaring, then threw up his hands and
pitched forward onto the planking as
though bullet had smitten the life
h his brain -I
The big donkeyman also was startled.
Out or the morning mists OF the south
here had come up a small center
board schooner OF some fifteen tons.
In oysterman perhaps in the season
lnu now sponge gatherer or a mere
coaster She was coming down over
me seas as dry as gull, driving along
ander her boom foresail and jib. The
ionkeyinan's eye hung on her as she
Ipurged past the rust streaked flank OF
he steamer some twenty fathoms away
mot because the sight of little white
painted schooner was new to him. not
because he was impressed by the dan
ger to the Port Edes' enterprise IN her
oelng seen by any one, but on account
f the tiny vessel being handled, IN
what to her was distinctly ugly wealth
lr, by so extraordinary a person as a
Foung and pretty girl. No one else was
,n deck, and the girl sat on the coam-
ng of the cockpit, tiller in one hand.
iller rope In the other, as unconcern-
Idly as though she had been an ancient
mariner bred and aged in fore and
Alters.
She was q girl, too. with looks much
10 the Irishman's liking, with copper
ted hair whose ends blew out from be-
heath green Italian nightcap, laugh
hg, impudent features, with the color
whipped up into warm pinks by the
wind; figure OF pretty curves, and the
shapelist little brown fists In the world
jplayed on the tiller and grippling the
restraining tiller rope. She was pretty
much up to the eyes In her steering, but
she found time to throw an oeiliad to-
ward the steamer, which Mr.. Sullivan
answered with a yell intended to show
his complete admiration and a swirl OF
his greasy cap. 1t was then that Cam
bel fell and the donkeyman took his
Eyes from the schooner and picked him
HY. - A. =