The Sauk Centre herald., 1908-05-07

beyond the area 'Of the shoal there
seemed to be remote chance for a
boat to live.
Were on a sort of breakwater, sir"
said the second officer.
Seems like it. Is the ship hard and
fastY'
81 am afraid So"
II think the weather Is moderating
Go and see how the barometer stands"
STEADY Improvement, sir" came the
report.
ANY water coming inY'
"Mr. Walker said he thought not"
perhaps it doesn't matter. Try to
get the first lifeboat lowered. Let her
carry as many extra hands as possible.
We have lost two boats. But do not
send any women in her. If all is well,
let them go in the next one. Take
charge Of her yourself"
would you mind tying this hand
kerchief tightly just here. sir?"
The second officer held out his left
forearm.
Were you knitted, tooY' asked Cour-
tenay.
1T is not much, but l am losing a
good deal of BLOOD"
"The brutes the unreasonable
brutesw muttered the captain. AS he
knotted the linen into rough tourni-
quet the other asked:
Shall report to you when the first
boat gets away, sir?"
mo need. l shall see what happens,
When she is clear l shall bring the la
dies to you"
Pride Of race helped these men to
talk as collectedly as If the ship were
laid alongside Thames wharf. They
knew not the instant the Kansas might
lift again and turn turtle, yet they did
not dream Of deviating hairs breadth
from their duties. The second officer
went aft to carry out the captains
instructions. Courtenay followed lit
tie way, passing to leeward of the
chart house until he reached his own
quarters. There was no door on that
side, but light streamed through a cou-
pie of large portfolios across which the
curtains had not been drawn. He
looked in. Elsie was leaning against
the table to balance herself on the slop-
ing deck. She held Joey in her arms.
She seemed to be talking to the dog,
who answered in his own way by try
ing to lick her face. The glass was so
blurred that Courtenay could not see
that she was crying.
Better wait" he muttered and turn
ed his gaze seaward again. Yes, there
could be no doubt that the almost un-
broken swell within half a cables
length of the ship promised a posi-
bility of escape. There was no tell
ing what dangers lay beyond. To his
reckoning, the nearest land was twen-
ty miles distant, but the shoal water
might extend all the way, and. with a
falling wind, waves once disintegrat-
ed would not regain any considera BILE
size. 1t was a throw of the dice for
life, but it must be taken. He indulg-
ed in momentary thought as to his
own course. Would he leave the ship
in the last boat? Yes, If every wound
ed man on board were taken of first,
and how could he entertain even q
shred of hope that his cowardly crew
would preserve such discipline to the
end as to permit Of that being done?
The answer to his mute question
came sooner than he expected. He
had been standing there alone about
five minutes, intently watching the set
Of the sea, so as to determine the best
time for lowering boat, when. amid
the sustained Shrek Of the wind and
the lashing of the spray, he heard
sounds which told him that the for.
ward port lifeboat was being swung
outward on the davits. The hurricane
deck was mass Of confused figures.
The two boats to starboard, lifeboat
and the jolly boat, had been carried
across the deck in readiness to take the
places of the port lifeboats. A lands
man might think that medley reigned
supreme, but it was not So Sailor.
like work was proceeding with the ut
most speed and system when an acci-
dent happened. For some reason new
er ascertained, though it was believed
that the men in the leading boat were
too anxious to clear the falls and fail
ed to take the proper precautions. the
heavy craft pitched sternforemost in
to the sea. She sank like q stone, and
with her went a number Of Chileans.
Their despairing yells, coming up from
the churning froth, seemed to be q
signal for the demoniac passions latent
In the crew to burst forth again, this
time in consuming blaze that would
not be stayed. Each man fought blind.
" for himself. needless now Of all re-
strictions.
The knowledge of this latest disaster
spread with amazing rapidtty. Up
from the salon came q rush Of stew
ardR and others. Overborne In the pan.
ic stricken flight, Gray, Tollemache,
Christobal, the French count and the
head steward, not knowing what new
catastrophe threatened. brought Mr..
Somervills and the almost inanimate
women with them, leaving to their
fate those who, like Boyle, were una
BILE to move. Some of the mob rushed
up the bridge companion; others made