Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-03-17

man reminds me of one Of those dunn
nv books you see occasionally, bound
In calf and labeled Gazetteer of the
! World When you try to open vol
ume you find that it is made OF
wood"
| So they nicknamed him "Mr Wood"
and Elsie once inadvertently addressed
him by the name.
/ "What do you think Of the weather,
Mr.. Wood?" she asked him at break
fast.
I He CHANGED to notice that she was
speaking to him.
| Rotten" he said.
| Perhaps he wondered why Miss Max
we'll flushed and the others laughed.
But in actual fact he was not far
wrong In his curious choice, Of an adj
jectiye that morning. DR.. Christobafs
dismal foreboding had been justified
on the second day out. Leaden clouds,
a sullen sea and occasional puffs of
singing breeze from the southwest
offered a sorry exchange for the sunny
skies of Chile.
Though the Kansas was not fast
ship, she could have made the entrance
to the strait of Magellan on the even
ing of the fourth day had not Cap
tain Courtenay wished to navigate
the most dangerous part of the mar
rows by daylight. His intent, there
fore, was to pick up the Evangelistas
light about midnight and then crack
ahead at fourteen knots, so as to be or
Felix point, on Desolation island, by
dawn.
This was not only a prudent and sea-
manlike course, but it would conduce
to the comfort of the passengers. The.
ship was now running into stiff gale.
Each hour the sea became heavier, and
even the 5000 tons of the Kansas felt
the impact of the giant rollers on her
starboard bow. Dinner therefore prom
ised to be meal of much discomfort,
cheered only by the knowledge that
as soon as the vessel reached the lee
of Desolation island the giant waves
of the Pacific would lose their power
and all on board would enjoy a quiet
nights rest
There were no absentees at the table.
DR.. Christobal strove to enliyen the
others with the promise of peace ere
many hours had passed.
PAY no heed to those fellows!' he
cried as the ship quivered under the
blow of n heavy sea, and they heard
the thud of many tons of water break
ing over the bows and fore hatch,
while the defeated monster washed
the tightly screwed port with a ven
omous swish. "They cannot harm us
now. Let us rather thank kindly Prov
Idence, which provided Magellan's wa
terway. Think what it would mean
were we compelled to weather the
cape"
A spiteful sea sprang at the Kansas
and shook her from stem to stern. The
ship groaned and creaked as though
she were in pain. She staggered an in
slant and then swung irresistibly for
ward with a fierce plunge that made
the plates dance and cutlery rattle in
the fiddles.
II suppose we must endure five hours
of this?" said Elsie brayely.
Il don't like it. Why does not Cap
tain Courtenay or even Mr. Boyle put
In an appearance? I have hardly seen
either of them since the day l came
aboard
"All ladies like to see an officer in
the salon during a Storm" commented
Christobal. II plead guilty to a weak
ness in that direction myself, though
1 know he is much better employed OF
the bridge"
A curious shock, sharper and alto
gether more penetrating than The
ThOr's hammer blow of huge wave
sounded loud and menacing in theil
ears. The ship trembled violently ant
then became strangely still The leas
experienced traveller on board knew
that the engines had stopped. They
felt long lurch to port when the mex
sea climbed over the bows. At one,
the Kansas righted herself and rode
on even keel, while the stress and tur
moil of her fight against wind ant
wave passed away into a sustained ST
lence.
The half caste stewards glanced a
each other and drew together in whis
pering groups but the chief steward
an Englishman, who had turned t.
leave the salon, changed his mind an,
uttered low growl of command which
sent his subordinates' attention If no
their thoughts back to their work. II
the strained hush the running alon;
the deck of men in heavy sea boot
was painfully audible. Water coult
be heard pouring through the soup
pers. Steam was rushing forth some
where with vehement buster. Thes,
: sounds only accumulated the extraor
binary truce in the fight of shil
against sea. The Kansas was strick
en- dumb If not dead.
: Something has gone wrong" sal,
/, Elsie in low voice.
l. DIR. Christobal nodded carelessly.
"a burst steam pipe probably. Sucl
!. things will happen at times. We ar
: hove to for the moment"
He traded on the ignorance of hi
4 hearers. The chief steward heard hi
explanation and looked at him fxedly
J, Christobal caught the glance.
Il suppose we shall lose an hour o