Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-03-09

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 1t Is high water at 5:30 Il. 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?"
 II 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 thing?"
 Something of the kind. That is only supposition, but when 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. I told him to take Miss Maxwell to her cabin. Did he do i so?"
 i Yes. I have not seen her since, so I assume that the bromide plus the wine was effective. Well, I must re- turn to my patients. Can I get you anything? I am storekeeper, you know"
 "No, thanks"
 i Nothing to eat or drink?" ; Nothing I shall be ready for square meal when I am able to come below, not before''
 Christobal smiled Though he was a brave man, he thought such persistent optimism was out of place. Neverthe- less he could emulate Courtenay's cool ness.
 Let me know when you are ready. I 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, put l think we-aw passin an island to port" said he.
 q 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 I 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 trifle more rapidly with certain elation. They were undoubtedly passing White Horse island. It revealed its presence
 
 which ferried the Kansas onward at such rate. In fifteen or twenty min utes Courtenay expected to find indica- tons of q more northerly set of the tide. and he watched the compass in- tently for the first sign of this return to the former course. If the ship cross- cd the current one way or the other she would certainly be driven ashore on some outlying spur of the island or detached sunken reef; hence he must actually guess his way, with some- thing of the acquired sense of the blind, because the slight chance of ulti- mate escape for the ship and her occu- pants rested wholly on the assumption that some ocean byway was leading her to deep water inlet, where it might be possible to drop the anchor.
 In eighteen minutes or thereabouts the needle moved slightly. Courtenay once more assisted the ship with the helm. She steadied herself, and the compass pointed due northeast again.
 Walker, though an engineer knew enough of navigation to recognize the apparent impossibllity of the captain being able to steer with any real knowledge of his surroundings. The wheel twisting therefore savored of magic. But his orders were to look ahead. and he Obeyed. Soon he thought he could discern an irregular pink crescent. with the con cave side downward. somewhere in the blackness beyond the bows. Speedily it was joined by two others equally irregular and somewhat lower Captain. dye see yon:" he asked ir . c voice tTemulous with awe. Yes. That is the sun Just catching the summits Of snow topped E'Ils. IL not only foSetelIs the clwn. but is a sign of fine weather There are no clouds over the land or we should not sec the peaks" Ere long a silver gray light began tO . dispel the gloom. The two silent watchers first saw it overhead. and tho . vast dome Of day swiftly widened . over the vexcd sea. The aftermath of . the storm spread low. dense cloak of . vapor all round. The wind had fallen . go greatly that they could hear the . song Of the rigging Soon they could . distinguish the outlines of the heavy . rollers near at hand. and COurtenay believed that the ship In her passage encountered in the water several mar