Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-10-27

the violence of the sea, and the knowl-
edge that he and John Shll We're tne
only two men felt on the smack ihaus
combination of difficulties that the
bravest man might we'll teaf TO CON
| template.
But Sir William Tankerlane, in that
hour of fear and peril, proved hllliseii
| worthy of the great name ina, ne
bore. He realized that John Shil was
blind and helpless and that the TASK
of saving both their lives rested en-
tireIy on his own shoulders. He was
ipnorant of everything connected WIFI
boat. he did not even know Where
he was. or where he had to make LOT
he was half dead with sickness, anu
could hardly stand. He did not kno"
what had happened to the boat, OF
why Plavle and Yardley had dlsap-
neared and all around him the wlnn
and sea roared through the darkness
and the smack lurched to and ITO. ike
drunken man.
Yet he knew that he must act anu
try TO bring the Hope and GLORY W
Conasea Island.
He let go the tiller and, stumbling
across the deck, crawled down into .nc
cabin and unlocked the lamp which
hung from the ceiling
whats up?" cried Shil as ne hear1
the sound of his entry
CTS all right, SIR" Tankerlane re-
nlied "Just you lie STILL There am
nothing to be afeared of. Wem IN
Darkwater now with the wind ana
tide behind us" 49,
He made his way back to the deck
and examined 1t by the light OF the
lantern, He saw the wreck of the
mainsail, and though he did not I'M
derstand what had happened, he reat-
lied that it had some connectlon WIN
the disappearance of Playle and Yard
ley.
..swept overheard" he muttered to
himself "What can I do? What can
I do? Perhaps they're still struggling
for life in that sea- He went aft and
pulled on the painter OF the dlnehs.
Then. as the boat came close UP to
the smack, he remembered that ne
could not row and that if he left the
smack he would probably never be able
to get back to it.
"Playle. Playle. Yardley! Yard
ley!" he shrieked, leaning over the
edge of the smack, and crying into the
roar of the waters. Then he STUN
bled for'ard with the lantern. clinging
on to anything that came within his
reach He saw that the jib was belly
| ing out before the wind, and he pre-
sumed that it was moving the boat
along. But as he looked at it the can
vas tapped and then filed on the other
side, and the smack began to turn
round.
81 must try and steer her. he said
to himself, and he went aft to the til
Ter. Just as he reached it a huge wave
broke over the stern and poured
along the deck. Gallons of water
found their way into the cabin through
the open hatch, and John Shil, not
knowing what had happened, cried
out to be led up on deck.
''You'm all right, sir" said Tanker
lane; III put cover on hatch, You,n
safe as in your own house. Well be
be at Con'sea in half an hour
He put on the cover of the hatch,
and took his place at the tiller. He
could see nothing in the darkness, but
he tried to keep the Black Spit Buoy
behind him. He had an idea that he
was taking a straight course Nup the
Darkwater, but as a matter of fact, he
was going from side to side, and even,
at times, round and round in circle
He knew nothing of steering, save
that if he moved the tiller one way,
the boat went the other.
But in the darkness he could not
even perform the simple task of keep
ing the boat on a straight course. He
knew nothing of the coast and, for
aught he knew to the contrary, it
might be surrounded with dangerous
rocks. The sea roared past him in
long steep breakers, and every now
and then the smack weighed down
with the wreck Of her mainsail. re-
fused to rise to the wave and torrent
of water swept her from her stern 10
her bowsprt.
Then suddenly there came jerk
which sent his feet from under him.
and the next moment The tiller swung
itself out of his grasp, and he fell onto
the deck. Before he could rise big
wave broke over the stern and washed
him up to the mast.
For moment he chung to the thick
wooden pole in a frenzy Of despair
and thought that his last hour had
come. Then as the water drained
away from the deck he rose to his
feet and gripped the jib ballard AS
he did so, there was loud thud
which vibrated through every timber
OF the vessel, and it was followed by
another. Even Tankerlane. ignorant
as he was of things appertaining 20
the sea, realized that the Hope and
Glory was aground.
Thank Cod he said to himself,
.'there'll be a little peace now" He
did not realize that the tide was ris-
ing and would float him off again.
He carefully crept along the deck,
and, christening the hatch, made his
way down into the cabin There was
an inch OF water on the floor but the
hunks were dry and comfortable He
hung up the lantern on a hook, and
splashed across the f1oor-boards until
he reached the whisky. The bott!s
was empty, and he had to open an
other. That empty bottle was the
cause of tragedy which had given
two more lives to the sea.