The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1909-07-28
1t was late, and David must have

glance at the little nickel clock over
his bunk's head. 1t was long past
midnight, and he rushed on deck,
without putting on his heavy jacket.
He had the shamed sense of having
slept at his post, and 1t seemed to
him at the instant that Farquar
must be just outside the piers, sig
mailing frantically for the Josephine.
Strangely enough, the fancy and the
reality blended almost as soon as his
feet struck the wet planks. A flare
shot up out of the snow-misted dark
ness, and David only paused to note
the direction of the wind before he
dashed down the companionway,
shouting to Jacobs and McHarg.
THE wind'll be dead against 'er
in an hour" he warned, counseling
haste. Start the engine the minute
| it'll move 'er. If the Andalusia's S
driven out night like this, she's
done for. Well have the wind with
us till we come up with 'er."
ITS reesky, la'ad," McHarg
growled under his beard "A fool
head thot Farquar has to be abra-ad
the noight. Who'd ever "a drained
ov it." But David was out of hear
ing.
The Josephine was under motion
at last, wheeling sullenly from her
moorings. 1t seemed hours to David d,
though fortunately, the fires were
well alive, and the start was only a
matter of minutes. The tug forged
ahead briskly, as she fell in with the
wind, her lights cutting a narrow
furrow through the black night. An
other flare famed up, and another,
as though the Andalusia was grow
ing impatient of her plight, as indeed
she was. She seemed to have shifted
her position; possibly David surmised
drifting before the wind toward the
open lake. He had a boyish impulse
to plunge through the glass front of
the pilot house, and drag the Joseph
inc faster, faster than the grunting
engine was carrying her along. He
must not be too late-he, the fellow
who had waited for Farquar these
two days, and slept at his post like
land lubber at the last critical mo-
ment.
David was not too late, but it was
close shave. Once, the Josephine,
caught up a huddle of rollers at the
stern, threatened to transfix the An
| dalusia amidships. Once, the Anda-
lusia darted away like wild thing,
straight for the open water, but the
gust lulled to let the tug come up,
| and heave her cable; then, the stout
cable parted, between a mighty puff
of wind offshore and the strain of
starting the tow, and David held
what little breath he had left until
second cable was made fast.
1t was a hard pull after that, the
engine below grunting and snorting
and kissing, like a black giant in
pain; the Josephine splitting the big
rollers into thin spray on her wealth
er bow; and the new cable straining
and creaking, as though its first SER
vice might be it's last; but 1t was over
in due time, as the hardest things
are sure to be, and the few shippers
in port pointed wondering fingers at
the Andalusia next morning, as she
| lay at her moorings, veritable Ice
ship, coated from stem to stern with
the frozen spray, like an old veteran
bearing the scars of battle.
SO you waited for Farquar, eh?'
that eccentric individual inquired
later the same day, when David came
on board the Andalusia, by appoint
ment, to collect his fee for the tow"
wal, young man, if you hadn't, I
reckon nobody 'ud "a had the trou-
BILE O. waitin' for Farquar any more.
! amt what you might call reel
timid"-the stubby chin wrinkled
grotesquely at the suggestion-"but
I don't mind ownin at my back hair
begun to curl-some little"
Bad night" David admitted laco-
nically. 1t appeared small thing,
now it was all over. "Yes, did hold
back a day or two, though l didn't
much expect you'd put out after the
weather broke. No" - refusing a
proffered roll of bills-"just the usu-
al charge. We have to take the bit
ter with the sweet"
"Jud" Farquar was eyeing the
young face before him thoughtfully,
as his money disappeared from sight
in the depths of Davids wallet. He
was rather an undersized man, with
sharp, restless, beady eyes, and a lip
and chin which indexed his obstinate
self-will.
Were short man down below"
he began tentatively, jerking stub
by thumb in the general direction Of
his last nights adventure. zone O.
them big concerns swallered i'm up
a month ago, slick an clean, like as
Jonah did the whale" The remark
able comparison, apparently, gave
him courage to make the plunge, for
he went on briskly: "Bookkeeper we
called Simmons, though, 'twa'n't all
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