Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-04-02


solicitude for the unfortunates wound
ed in the fight We're of any avail. His
mind was clear, the habit of com
mand strong in him. Not until the sea
claimed him would he cease to rule
The clank of pulleys, the cries of the
sailors heaying at the ropes, told hin
that the crew were at work. At lasl
he was free to go to the bridge.
He found the quartermaster in the
chart house on his knees. When the
ship struck, the officer of the watch
had been thrown headlong to port.
Recovering his feet before a tumbling
sea could fling him overheard, he haul
ed himself out of danger just in time
to take part in the fray on deck He
came back now, hurrying to join the
captain. Courtenay, standing in the
shelter of the chart house, was peer
ing through the flying scud to leeward.
The sea was darker there than it had
been for hours. Around the ship the
surface was milklike with foam, but
beyond the area of the shoal there
| seemed to be remote chance for al
boat to live.
Were on sort of breakwater, SIR
said the second officer.
Seems like it. Is the ship hard and
fast!''
| Il 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 in?
"1fr. 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, too?e asked Cour-
tenay.
ut is not much, but am losing a
good deal of blood"
sThe brutes the unreasonable
brutes!" muttered the captain AS he
! knotted the linen into rough tourni-
| Quet the other asked:
sShall l report to you when the first
boat gets away, sir?"
sNo need. shall see what happens
When she is clear I 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 a 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 I'M
broken swell within half a cables
leagth of the ship promised posi-
bility of escape. There was no tell
ing what dangers lay beyond. To his
reckoning, the nearest land was TWEEN
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 considerable
size. 1t was a throw of the dice for
life, but it must be taken. He indulg-
ed in monentary 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 off first,
and how could he entertain even a
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 a boat, when, amid
the sustained shrek of the wind and
the flashing of the spray, he heard
| sounds which fold him that fhe 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
e-,.onI ns,7 s.rrc+ax,a xr-tfr1 ogaaf.