The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1909-03-13
in THE
WORLDS
GATE
copyright. by shortstory Pub. Coz
By FRANK LILLE POLLOCK

49," Naa aAtN = NV
ing her way eastward through the
sluggish waters of the Suez canal She
was apparently in the most astonish.
ing state of ~disrepair and dilapidation.
Once she had been painted black, but
that was in the dim abyss Of time;
now her battered sides were of the
natural and uuashamed hue Of the
plates, diversified by broad blotches
and bands Of rust. The brasswork Of
her ports vas green. the funnel
sagged, rails and decks were greasy
and Clipped. The dock loafers had
jeered at her when she wallowed into
Port Said, and she had appeared in
the maritime intelligence of Trieste
a week previous as, str. Ukarine,
Trieste, l.. Passaro, master, cleared
for Zanzibar in ballast"
Half a dozen Levantines were
gambling on the decks forward, a
rufianly Maltese in a red cap held the
wheel, and a young man in a blue and
white yachting costume. much wealth
er-beaten and tanned. stood on the
bridge just outside the wheeIhouse.
They had reached a point midway be-
tween Kantara and Lake Timsan
when a dull report sounded heavily
from far down in the ships interior.
There was a disturbance and a bub-
bling of the water alongside, and a
strange and acrid odor drifted up the
forward hatchway. The young man in
the duck trousers sprang to the wheel.
snatehed it from the startled Maltese,
and with a quick twirl of the spokes
swung the vessels head round till she
lay nearly athwart the canal,
The object of this maneuver was
not apparent, but it seemed to have
been Intellectual. There was a sound
OF gurgling waters from below, and
the ship lurched heavily to starboard
A tremendous Kissing and a gush of
steam announced that the fires had
been flooded, and a moment later the
black and half-nude staff Of the en-.
gine-rooms precipitated themselves
on deck. Alongside, the calm waters
seemed to be rising with amazing "a.
pidity toward the rail, and in three
the keel touched bottom with
a perceptible thump. The canal is
&c feet deep, and the water reached
nearly to her lower deck. She lay
squarely across the fair-way, her awk-
ward bulk completely blocking the
deep-water channel. The great gate
between the two worlds was iammed.
The Levantines jabbered and swore
in a dozen dialects. but presently, at
the command Of the yachtsman, they
launched one Of the boats and rowed
of in the direction of Ishmailia. The
young man, thus abandoned, sat down
IN a deck chair, lighted a cigarette
and gazed across the desert. As the
.retreating oar-splashes of the crew
died out, the hot silence settled down
lnbroken.
But for the gigantic ditch alongside,
he might have fancied himself in the
nid-Sahara. The sandy and rocky
plain ran red and yellow to the ex-
limit of vision. Far to the
southeast FL Guisr thrust a jagged
peak against the spotless hori-
ON. The sun poured down fiercely.
The young man had time to smoke
many cigarettes, and to gaze to sa.
iety at the glaring monotony Of land
icape. But in about three hours a
yhirring electric launch shot up, the
aunch Of the canal patrol, and the
Ificer clambered aboard. He was a
imooth-shaven Englishman, wearing
he uniform Of the Canal Company.
Il say" he began sharply. "Who are
Tou? Don't you see you're blocking the
I'm sorry" said the man on board.
Have a cigarette-they're Manilas.
Ny name is Davenport, and this is my
yacht, the Ukraine, Of Trieste,
IS you a see by looking over the
stern, if all the lettering hasn't been
off"
Il say!' repeated the Briton, star.
ng. But this is no joke, you know.
How did you come to sink in this po-
ition?"
we just seemed to spring a Leak
.eturned Davenport, ch%eerfully. This
has been porous for some time.
IS for our peculiar position, that is
the fault Of the fool who had
lold Of the wheel. He swung her
round as she went down"
"F1l bring a diver to look at the
eak at once-at your expense"
aid the Englishman. III she can be
.lugged and pumped out, very well.
Ven give you "a hours. If she isn't
float at the end Of that time, wen
ave to blow her up"
The official removed himself rapid.
in the launch, but returned a little
sunset with an Arab diver. who
smoved his clothes and went under
Ike a frog. Davenport leaned over
rail and watched the operations
18th considerable interest. After half
q hours work. the Englishman came
0 board the Ukraine to report.
The diver says there is a hole in
sr side big enough to drive a horse /
he said. It's a most ex. ,
aordinary piece Of business, / must ,
". It would be absolutely impossible {