The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-01-18
CHAPTER xxxvII (Continued).

CHAPTER XXXvIII (Continued).
But what was wrong with Roger
Marske? That spasmodic working
of his jaw, that sudden pallor,
could not be due to his having been
partially scored off by the owner of
the valuable glasses. My expert
ence of the rending Of. human
heartstrings had been extensive
during the recent months, and l
knew that he was face to face with
a crisis that called for immediate
action.
/ This was the way he met the
crisis. \ IL
II can't stand this" he cried, for
! the benefit of the bystanders at
large. IF the boat is short handed
I'll go dis volunteer. l can pull
good oar" And amid cheers from
the wind riven, rain soaked crowd
he pushed his way into the lifeboat
house.
Heaven knows what instinct
prompted me, but the inspiration
came that II Roger Marske, the
soft living, ease loving sybarite,
wanted to be out there on the
storm swept Shingles, I ought to be
i there, too. My sluggish brain was
conscious of some new awakening,
though not till afterward did l
piece 1t all together and under
stand that it was the woman on
board the wreck who had called
me.
my lord. I am entirely in your
hands," whispered to the premier.
Have your permission to volun-
z teer also?"
Cut along" was the reply. ITO
me you are Mr.. Martin for the
next four and twenty hours-the
man who saved my daughter. He
does not need my permission for
anything"
was quitting his side, when he
laid his hand on my arm. "A word
to the wise," he added. II have
, been studying Marske for the last
half hour. I am beginning to think
that there may be something in all
this. He looks desperate. Take
care he doesn't hit you over the
head with an .aor--accidentally, of
course"
thanked him with a look, and
rushed away to offer my services
to the harassed coxswain, who re-
ceived them with a mighty growl
of approval. A minute later l had
donned a cork jacket and taken my
place in the boat. l was thankful
to find 1t was nowhere near my
enemy. He was in the stern. and l
was In the bow. so that after we
had settled to the oars I could see
without being seen by him. But
the glance he gave me as l passed
to my seat wo'ld have slain me If
1t could.
Too much precious time had
been lost already, and when the
boat had sped down the slip into
the turbulent sea, the coxswain
gave orders for quick stroke that
absorbed all my energy. | became
infected with the mad craving to
get to the steamer in time. In the
wild desire to save life, and in the
supreme physical effort, l forgot
for while the strange tumble of
events that had sent me, SEN
fenced convict, out on such an err
rand. For the moment l was a
lifeboatman, with ma use for any
one or anything but my own thews
and sinews.
AT first we pulled straight for the
wreck. but at some distance from
the shore the coxswain gave the
boat slant to windward, with the
object of getting the current to
help us. Abou this time roar
from him told us that the forepart
of the steamer, with the masts, to
which the crew were clinging, had
gone. All that remained was the
stern, with the wheel house.
The announcement drew a groan
from the brave fellows near me,
but Roger Marske turned In his
seat and flung at me glance so
full of malicious triumph that !
could not understand 1t, so irrele-
want did 1t seem.
But enlightenment was soon to
come, The coxswain had again
turned the boat straight for the
Shingles, and the wreck, and
guessed that he was searching for
open water to take the boat
through to the sheltered side, when
he loosed below that no storm
rage could drown.
There's a woman at the wheel
house window and a man at the
door. Put your backs to it, lads.
We did put our backs to it, with
such good purpose that our cum
ming steersman found the opening
he wanted-found, too, that It was
close to the battered remnant OF
the wreck, showing that had she
kept but hairs breadth to one
side she would have madel clear