The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-02-09

| Inc henluckldn tnOuSnIIuliy COnSiU-
cred this grim alternative. The threat
of placing him in irons was of little
moment; but the thought of not being
present on the New York dock when
his man landed was dire calamity.
IAN right" he answered; I'll prom
Use you faithful TO keep my fingers off
the puppys neck till we gets to land.
An all ask of you is jes' two things.
frs, you got to make his lordiets
keep on the starbOde side of this here
boat, whilst / scuffle along on the pote.
The secon' one is that you give me an
| equll chanst with him to bolt acrOst
yo' gangplank. If that all right?"
| Agreed" sighed the captain, but
without smile, and cut the prisoner
| bonds.
! Thus the trouble, for a time, was
! settled. the Englishman remaining on
the Afric's starboard side, while the
American occupied the port, the latter
, stamping up and down in restless
eagerness to land on freedoms shore
and likewise on the point of certain
| aristocratic jaw. Then another acct
| dent occurred.
! On the third night out the storm in
| creased in violence, driving the steam
| er far out of her usual course, and in
the morning there fell fog so dense
| that Joe could scarcely see the bowl
of his corneob pipe. All day long the
/ wheelman CROPPED his cautious way.
while the passengers grew to loathe
| the leadsman's drOning cry and the
| rumbling scream of the Afric's warn
| ing blasts From away off somewhere
| came another hOarse mOnitiOn of the
| deep, now near, now far, but from
| what direction none might say, and
| the fog grew thicker every instant
Joe Rupert was leaning against the
| forward rail, watching for a glimpse
/ of this other ocean wanderer, when
| suddenly his curiosity was more than
! satisfied. Like a great white duck
| United States warShip dived from out
| the mist and buried its beak in the
Afric's big, fat flank. The steamer
reeled beneath the shock, shuddered
and heeled far over. while the rail on
which the Kentuckian leaned was peel
/ ed away as by some giants carving
knife. Flung headlohg into the sea,
Joe swan with all his speed to avoid
the topping smokestack which seemed
to be hunting for him in its fall: bul
by the grace of chance and the dis
! lance of half an inch he escaped I'M
! harmed.
At his hand was a sDlintered boom
! some eight feet long, with cordage and
a tattered shroud attached. and on this
! Joe climbed to look about him. Some
/
outlines of the two great ships still
locked together, while on his ears fell
4 tumble of excited cries. the rasp of
sharp commands through a naval meg
aphOne, and the screams of women
praying to be saved. Then came "A new
development. Through the breast of
huge green roller prOtruded a human
hand, which the young Kentuckian
seized and pulled with heroic power.
lie Of NJ -
water appeared a hideous plaid cap.
and beneath it rose a crystal monocie
still tightly affixed in a noble eye.
We'll, I'm damned,i' said, Joe and
assisted the balance of the strangIine
lord to perch beside him on the
boom.
Thank you" began Lord Cranton
when mOuthful of bitter water could
be exchanged for speech. "Uncom-
monty decent of you, really, and L,
want to say
Shut up commanded Joe, and his
lordship tactfully obeyed.
In his rescue the American had lost
his bearings, and the ships were no
longer visible. while the sounds of tu-
multi, though still in evidence were
less pronounced. This proved two
facts. First. that the steamers pas
sengers were being transferred to the
battleship: second. that the castaways
were drifting farther and farther from
the hope of life
Four an hour the two men shouted. /
slngly and in unison, but without re-
suits. while the fog grew thicker. min
Cling with the shades of night. AT last
brisk wind rose, dispensing the mists /
and cleaving path for the glow of a /
million stars. A league TO the north /
a flashlight beat the sea in sweeping
circles. then winked away across the |
rim of cold, black waters. To the
shipwrecked travellers came the echoes /
of one hOarSe, derisive snort from a /
comfortable battleship, and then they
were left alone with the spirits of the /
clammy deep.
'Aw, hell" observed the young Ken
tuckian i'm low-voiced fervor.
'Right-O.' echoed the moist Lord
Cranton from the other end of the
Wabbly boom, and a mutual silence fell
between them.
Twas splendid joke of fate. this
flinSinS together of two erstwhile enc
mics, the patrician and plebeian. each
seated a-straddle on his respective end
of a floating timber. drifting 70 no.
where in particular through the solemn
night. This lasted for several hours.
when suddenly the Kentuckian's ear
was caught by a sound which caused
him to cock his head in the manner
OF setter dog as he scents his game.
AT first he was uncertain. but after
time the sounds became more distinct
and the faint but steady pounding of
a surf could have but one meaning
land,
Good Joe clblckled. and the shiv-
ering Briton echoed a faint yet cheer
full jolly"
Slowly they drifted toward a dry re-
treat. while the roll of the waves in
creased till it mounted to an awful.
roar. They swept past a
spine of sharp, black rocks where the
waters rushed, recOiled. and flung [:
themselves on high, to fall in a SPRAY
IF binding foam. At last the boom |
vent spinning through the breakers.
ms the two men chung to the cordage
desperately, choking. submerged. but {
1attling for their breath and life. Then. ,
taught in the grip of monster roller. ,
hey were tossed with one last, tooth
oosening bump on the bosom of a /
andy beach. IN
f-What luck!' eoughed the English :
nan, kicking out his legs and wiring
ng water from his ugly greatcoat. 5
Luck nuthin',' his fellow marooner ,
'rOwled. IT'S PROXY -dence, L tell YOU. I
IN a blame big chunk of it. at that.