The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-31
By JOHN G. NElHARDT.

ter teeth Twenty he said
 Work lively with that wood there"' l snarled Hanway, again turning to the
 steam gauge The indicator had crept
 a hairs breadth across the danger mark.
 He set his teeth and held the valve down
 until the needle registered 541a. Shell
 stand itr' he mattered with a nervous
 grin She's good for 56!''
 As man who rides a thoroughbred in
 a race for life and loves the good brute
 for responding to the spurs so Hanway i loved his engine. Curously enough, he
 felt that he and the machinery were one being, and he caught himself gritting his 1 teeth and grooming with the intense strain
 under which the engine sobbed and
 whined
 The boat was now quivering through all I her timbers; so much so that the captain
 rushed down the aft stairs and through | the engine room door which had been left
 unbolted by the fireman.
 For Gods sake. Jimr' he grasped ] You'll blow us sky highi She's shiver-
 ing like man with the ague and run nnig like scared iaekrabbit, How much | are you carrying?'
 l Hanway turned haggard face upon the captain. "rm a licensed engineer, ain't i I2' he said This is the biggest race l of my life and I'll win if 1 don't blow LIS all to powder Do you hear that? Jim i Hanway is running a 1000-mile heat with l the winter.
 But Jim," pursued the captain. en- deavoring to reason with the engineer. for river engineers in the old days were very often autocrats below decks; fhow much steam"
 Hanway, who was again staring at the indicator. threw his hat over the gauge and grasping a stick of wood, turned , upon the captain. His face had nasty, malevolent look.
 "Go to hell, will you9" he snarled. His eyes had narrowed into two steely points of light in the dark sunken sockets that told of tense nerves and sleepless nights. The captain withdrew-and Hanway held the steam at 56 Morning erept in through the dirty little windows, and still Hanway stood with his hand on the lever and his haggard eyes fixed upon the gauge. When the second engineer came down to go on duty Han way eoolly knocked him through the door. Alter that the crew fought shy of the engine room.
 This is my first trip with the devil for engineer" explained the recently elected walking the deck and nursing a bruised jaw. But he's sure making the Jennie dancer
 All day Hanway stood at his engine. | carefully serutinizing every part and hold ~1g the steam up to the darger point The l boat tossed and groaned like a man with
 
 mand. he kept the weary firemen at work l fetching wood from the decks and feed l ing the furnace. Ever and anon he asked ] for the reading of the thermometer. The l mercury fell steadily 2i-25-4--22 degrees! His tireless pursuer was gaining upon l him slowly. surely. But a strange exal- | tation seized upon Hanway. The rage of 1 the born fighter mounted to his head like l a strong liquor, and a sense of super- 1 human might ran through his muscles 1 In a dazeo way he longed to meet his pltiless pursuer face to face and grapple ] with it. He would set his teeth in it's neckl He would crush it with his arms, l Then he laughed joyously at his strange l conceit. His adversary with an omnipo- tent Nothing-an intangible nerveless fearless, ptiless Everything-an icy Alb. straction, yet real as Death. And Han way felt transient thrill of joy at the thought that he alone defied this subtle terrible Something-this gigantic Foe that fought like coward. In the evining a fireman, tottering under load of wood, volunteered some information. Its down to 10 degrees. sir; and the ice is running a 1 biti'
 "Yohre liarr snarled Hanwav. lunging at the man with a savage l blow that sent him spra wing under 1 his load.
 Would she stand 57 pounds" ?" nut tered Hanway to himself; the last reading was 22 We've lost .12-12 what? Twelve years--no, F miles-no degrees"
 By curious mental process at which he himself wondered vaguely it i seemed to him that zero was death. Why zero? He didn't know-but some how, zero was death
 Turning to the firemen he ordered one on deck to see how the mercury then stood. The man returned sneak ingly.
 How is it?" asked Hanway.
 The bearer of i'll tidings withdrew to safe distance before he ventured to answer as one who confesses his guilt. Its no better, sir-it's worse sir-its dropped to nine. sir"
 Hanway seemed not to hear. His eyes were riveted upon the gauge. The indicator had iL>t touched 57
 At midnight the pilot bawled fran tically down the tube for less speed. Hanway stuffed a handful of waste into the tube. minute later there came a grinding, slushing sound. Then the Lucas shook herself, shrieking and grooming through all her timbers. reared like a frightened horse-and stopped stock still.
 Hanway was thrown to the floor. Tn dazed mechanical way he scrambled to his feet again, shut down the en- zine and released the steam Then vaguely realizing that the race was lost and his adversary upon him. his legs gave way and the light in his brain went out quickly like snuffed candle.
 When he awoke the dirty day was Altering through the grimy windows He was alone in the engine room He lay still for some time. blinking at the wan light He could hear voices ing of windlasses For a moment it dead and these were sounds above his grave. Then realization of the situa- tion came upon him. The Lucas was on bar and the crew was making ready to spar her off.
 He staggered to his feet and with mighty effort of his enfeebled muscles showed wood into the furnace. Then he set the pumps to work. They would need steam, he thought-steame for the cap stans. They would need steam. As for interest in the affair. He had fought a good fight and he had lost
 He tottered up the stairs and went on deck. Considerable ice was running. The bow of the Lucas was thrust far up onto a bar and the ice was already lodging about her. He went to the thermometer and found the mercury at degrees below zero.
 He grnned as it occurred to him that he had now been dead five degrees!
 All night the crew heard the grindino