The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-04-06

Joey on the absurdity of things in gen.
eraI and the special righteousness of
such mighty combination of circum-
stances centering on one poor ship as
had foregathered to crush the Kansas.
Ever since he was aroused from sleep
by the stopping of the screw his mind
had dwelt on the unprecedented nature
Of the breakdown. Even before he dis
covered its cause he was wondering
what evil chance had contrived to Grip
pie the engine at such a moment-ir
the worst possible place on the map.
"Joey," he said suddenly. his
thoughts reverting to a chance remark
made to him in Valparaiso by IsobePs
father, what did Mr.. Barring mean by
saying there was a difficulty about the
insurance."
joey gave it up, but he cooked his
ears and looked toward the door
Christobal entered.
Boyle will recover" he said when
he had wiped the spray off his face.
He had a narrow escape. The knife
just grazed the spinal cord. The shock
to the dorsal nerves induced temporary
paralysis, and that rather misled me.
He is much better now. Under ordinary
conditions he would be able to get
about in few days. AS it is, he will
probably live as long as any of u.s."
Christobal waved a hand toward the
external void. He was not sailor
enough to realize the change in the
weather
THAT is good news" said Courtenay.
Il thought you would like to know.
How are things up here?''
Better. The barometer has risen an
inch in less than two hours. Possibly
nearness to the land has some effect,
but wind and sea are subsiding."
you surprise me, yet that is moth
ing. have had several surprises to-
night. What is the position? OF
course we must hit the South Ameri-
can continent sooner or later. Can
you fix an approximate timer"
We are making about six knots, l
fancy. If we are lucky and avoid any
stray rocks we should see daylight be-
fore we reach the coast. That is our
sole hope. The ship is in a powerful
tidal current, and it is high water at
$50 a m. At rough estimate Han
over island is twenty knots distant.
Now you know all. The outcome is
mere gUesswork"
"Why did the furnaces blow up?"
Il was cross examining Joey on that
point when you came in. He reserved
his opinion. My own view is that, by
accident or design, some explosive sub
stance found its way into the coal"
"Shem, Ham and Japheth! Explosive
substance! Do you mean dynamite or
gunpowder or that sort of thingY
Something of the kind. That is
only supposition, but when 1 whisper
ed 1t to Walker he agreed"
walker! Is he the man who speaks
SO queerly?'
IF you ever go to Newcastle, don't
put it that way. 1 told him to take
Miss Maxwell to her cabin. Did he do
so?'
eyes. have not seen her since, so
/ assume that the bromide plus the
wine was effective Well, l must re-
turn to my patients. Can get you
anything? am storekeeper, you
know"
'No, thanks
Nothing to eat or drink?''
Nothing. I shall be ready for a
square meal when / am able to come
below, not before"
Christobal smiled Though he was a
hn
optimism was out of place. Neverthe-
less he could emulate Courtenay's cool
ness.
Let NE know when you are ready.
l am an excellent cook" he said
Then the captain of the Kansas re-
sumed his smoking and humming. with
occasional glanceS at the clock and
the compass and the barometer. At 2
o'clock he felt the ship slipping from
under the wheel. The compass show
ed that she was heading a couple of
points eastward He helped her and
telephoned instantly to Walker:
go forward and try If you can
make out anything. Report to me
here"
AYE, aye, sir" came the reply, and
anon Walker appeared.
Its main thick ahead, sir, but I
think we-aw passin' an island to port"
said he.
81 thought so. You had better re-
main here, Walker. We have not long
to wait now for the dawn, and four
eyes are better than two"
Walker imagined that the skipper
was ready for a chat.
Things are in a dweadful mess be-
low, sir. 1 can't make head or tail of
the smash"
well, that must wait Don't talk.
Keep a sharp lookout"
The engineer could not guess that
the captains pulse was beating a trifie
more rapidly with q certain elation |
They were undoubtedly passing White
Horse island. It revealed its presence
by DETECTING the tremendous sea river
which ferried the Kansas onward at
III, -