The weekly true Democrat., 1909-10-01

NAI 9AaH AH|l.t AuH hEaM ElaAN ~ aNIN~
bins his lungs. the while be swan On.
supported in an ethereal void Of bril.
lance. his mouth was full Of some.
thing that burned. q liquid hot, acrid
and stinging. ne gulped. swallowed,
slabbered. choked. coughed. attempted
20 sit %. was aware that be was the
focal center 0f q ring Of glarIng. burn.
ing eyes, like eyes Of ravening beasts,
and tainted.
HE next conscious impression was
Of standing up. supported BY friendly
arms on either side, while somebody
was asking him n be could walk q
step OF two.
He was partly seated. partly held up.
on the edge Of the cabin skylighi, en-
object of interest to some half dozen
men, seafaFing fellows an. By their
habit. clustered round between him
and the windward rail- OF their nun
Der one stood directly before him.
dwarfing BIS companions az much By
his afr Of command as By bis uncOm.
mon helght-tail. thin faced and sal
low, with holloW. weatberwOrn cheeks,
a mouth like a crooked cash from ear
to ear and eyes like dying Goals, with
which he looked the rescued up and
down IN one grim. semi-humOrous.
semi-speculative glance. In hands both
huge and red he fondled tehderly q
squat brandy Task whose contents had
apparently been employed as a frst
aid 10 the drowning.
As KlrkwOOd's gaze encountered his
the man smiled sourly. Jerking bis
head to one side with n singularIy de-
rislve afr.
"ni. mateyF he clustered. Cow
goes It nOwf FeelIn' 'appler. eighT
"SOme. thank you more like a
drowned rat" Klrkwood eyed him
sheepishly. II suppose you're the man
who threw me that liner I'll have 70
wait tlll my head clears up before
can thank you properly"
Don't mention IT," lie Of the Ian.
tern Jaws slowed the bottle away with
Jealous care In one Of his immense
coat pockets and seized KlrkwOod's
hand IN a grasp that made the young
man vince You're syfe enough now
My nyme's stryker. Capt'n Wllyum
Stryker Vets the row. LOOkln for
friendT' he demanded suddenly as
Klrkwood's attention wandered.
ayes; your passengers. ! presume
they're below
Passengers"
A hush fell upon the group, during
which Klrkwood sought stryker's eye
IN pltlful pleading. and stryker looked
round him blankly.
where's Miss Calendar the young
man demanded sharply. Il must see
her at oncer'
The keen and deep set eyes Of the
skipper clouded as they returned 60
Klrkwood's perturbed cOuRtenance
"Wot're you talkln' ab0utT be de.
manded brusWely.
II must see Miss Calendar or Calen-
dar himself or Mulready." KlrkwOOd
paused and. getting no reply. grew
restlve under Strykers Inscrutable re-
gard That's why came aboard" he
amended, blind to the absurdity Of the
statement. ito see-er-CalendaF."
"Well, I'm d--~di'
stryker managed 70 infuse into his
tone a deal OF suspicious contempt
"Whyr Insisted KirkwoOd. nettled.
but still uncomprehending
"D'you mean to tell me you come OF
wherever you did come from
intendln' 60 board this vessel and find
party nymed CalendaFT'
Certainly ] dld Why
"wellr' cried Mr.. stryker. rubbing
hts hands together with an air oppress-
lively obsequlous. "I'm sorry 10 hin.
form you you've come 10 the wrong
shop. STR We don't stock no Calen.
dars. We're IN the 'ardwarc line. we
are. You might try next door. or
dossay youll dud what you want at
the stytioner's round the corner.
glggle from his audience stlmulat.
ed him. "Tf." be continued aeldiy. I'D
guessed You was such a fool. blimmy
n wouldn't We let you drowudr
Staggered. Klrwood bore his sarcas.
TIC turbulence without resentment
calendar" he atammered, trying %
explain. calendar SAID
Il carn't 'elp wot Calendar said
Mebbe e dld myke 90 enRynement
with you aE' you've gune an went an
forgot the dyte. Mebbe lt's larst
years calendar yoe're thlnkin' Of
You. Johnny" Go q bout Of boy IN
fha orouu ~ saamonl-.tiVon run an