Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-08-14
XV.-(Continued.)

nbort room. Laird was on the bridge
pross the second officer, on his way to
a 49, bridge to relieve or assist Laird,
-. foIIed at the door of the chart room.
" the instant required to drag the body
r. shelter and close the door OF the chart
.oon Captain Negley was overpowered
s 5r the blizzard of steam, gas and llV1d
..onp When consciousness returned to
8 ,iro he was lying across the body Of Plass,
8 .nd +ba ship was rolling like a runaway
D buoy.
The skiDper regained his feet. In spite
8 - terrible burns he felt little pain. His
8 limbs. below the knees, were like wood.
4 ufs left hand was yellow and inflated.
j Fire brands still screamed into the sea
outside but the day was returning. The
8 Indomitable NegIey was first to reach the
look the woodwork of which was burn
Ing in several places. He tried to shout,
4 INT his throat was closed by the hot dust.
The body of man was hanging over the
. railing of the bridge. 1t was Laird, with
his face burned away.
The shock of his burns was beginning
! n overp0wer the captain when Pugh, the
third officer, untouched by fire, appeared
from below. In horrid tongueless way,
Negley fired the other to act, and stag
gered into the cabin passageway. Pugh
\ shrieked up the hands and set to the fires
and the ships course. Out of the five
] sailors and three officers on deck when
PeIee struck, Negley alone had retained
4 the thinking faculty.
Miss Stansbury was hurled from her
chair. Appalled, by the dread fact of dis
solution, she lay in the primal darkness in
the midst of falling glass. Macready was
groping calling for her. That she was
unhurt seemed such a great matter to
him and entirely insignificant to herself.
Her lover had fallen. Their starry pa
vilion of the future was in blackness and
ruin 1t would have been better had
Pelee found them together.
Macready lifted her to a chair. The
ports were gray instead Of black, but
splashed with the big seas.
Your friend is dead, Denny" she said
harshIy.
What's this you're talkin'? TITS no
bit av geyser in a dirt pile as can tell
him how t come an go"
The screaming of the native women
reached them from the hold. Macready
opened the door, and a blast of terrible
heat entered the cabin. The woman was
clutching the arms of the chair and star
ing at him with the most pitiful eyes ever
seen in child or woman. The swaying
form Of Negley was in the passageway,
and something Of the extent of the disas-
ter broke upon the Irishman.
Bring him here !" she commanded. tax
ing Negley's arm. There, 1 can man
age him. Run and get oils and lint J"
He obeyed. The decks were covered
with a paste that burned through his
shoes. Black clouds were rolling out to
sea. Deep thunder of a righteous source
answered Pelees lamentations. The sail
Ors were fighting fire and carrying their
dead. The thin, shaken voice of Pugh
came from the bridge. The engines were
throbbng
Eight miles at sea! Eight miles at
sea-" Macready repeated. 9Th long
armed mountain-an' what mustn't the in
fghtn have been ~
In the store-room, he opened jars Of oil
and cartons of lint and bandages, for the
use of the men; then rushed back to the
for strong hearts that have lost their
heroes. Negley's cracked and twisted
boots had been removed, and the ashes
ceansed from his eyes and ears and
mouth. Another valiant nurse had emerg-
ed from a broken romance. The woman
who would have tainted yesterday at the
smell of burnt flesh was cutting away the
clothing from the captains shoulder.
When the ointments and wrappings had
oeen applied to the shippers wounds, she
helped Macready carry the unconscious
man to a berth.
lis rainin' evenchooalities out" he
muttered genially, noting that the work
was life to her
We must be nearly in-shore by this
ume, she said slowly.
DennyS efferveScence was now corked.
Pugh had been putting the Madame out
10 sea since he got control of her. The
freshman felt instinctively that the wom-
an would want to go ashore, which he
didn't propose to allow. On the other
hand, although he had nothing to do with
Tie running of the ship, he didn't like the
Idea of saving the Madame at the price
OF her owners life.
l dunno" he answered carefully.
lis har-rd t see fur tn rain"
His soft magic failed.
But the ship is moving!" she exclaim-
ed. Denny, open the door,!
Macready gave way. She heard the
steady beat of the engines, and the big
Seas driving past. She rushed out of the
paSsageway, regardless of the food, and
peered over the main deck railing There
was no smoke, no familiar shadow of
1iilS, but leaden, tumultuous sky and
Inc rollers of the open sea, beaten by q
forrential shower. She crossed the char
led panking to the starboard side, drench-
ed to the skin in an instant. There was
no Pe!ee, no Saint Pierre! Macready
Tried to draw her to cover, but she turned
upon him furiously.
You have let them put to sea-you,
us rlend-whiie he is held back there,
waiting for his ship?"
What could poor Dinny, that bosses
IN gaIleys, ma'am, do toward runnin' the
sup: Thin byes nd say, Cit back t
YOUR patty-OaDs Won wine . Rut I've