Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-01-27
BY
BUCHANAN

sible. Wait a minute"
! He sprang to the key again and with
firm, emphatic strokes drove an i'm
perative message.
whats that?" asked the captain.
"1 asked for his radius Of communi-
cation-how far he could send" ex-
planned Harling. He waited a moment.
and then the receiver began again it's
nervous, frightened clicking.
The face of the listening operator
frightened.
Sixty miles," he exclaimed, translat-
ing the clicks. "Why. we must be
within forty miles to get him at all
tonight. But we are going toward
him. We might now be within thirty
miles,"
The captain shook his head.
Yes, but where?' he said. ut may
be in any position. Anywhere within
a forty mile reach, ahead or on either
beam. and tonight we can scarcely
see a quarter mile with the search
light"
Again the receiver began a wild
tattoo. The light went out Of Har-
ling's face as he listened. Then he
turned almost ~piteously to the captain.
Gle says they're breaking up, sir.
For Gods sake''-
The clicking stopped suddenly. The
two men in the wireless room looked
at each other, and slowly each saw the
horror grow in the eyes Of the other.
They waited with blanched faces. The
receiver stayed still.
"They're gone." said the captain
softly at last. and outside the wireless
room the wind roared %triumphantly.
while the big waves pitched the ship
about in the teeth Of the gale.
Harling dropped back into a chair.
"Goner' be muttered stupidity.
Gone" And then. to his plain imag-
i%nation. there came the picture of the
yacht breaking up and the thirty going
they might be- closer: they might be
almost on them. Perhaps there was
still time, And then the thought. Sup
pose there are women. too. on board
came to the young operator.
Harling sprang to his feet.
mo, nor! he yelled loud above the
storm. They shan't be gone! We
will save them"
He sprang to the key and desperate.
ly, rebelliously. volleyed out into the
night a message of cheer and hope.
"We're coming. Well save you vet
Where are you? Hang on"
The captain laid his hand gently on
the young fellows shoulder.
"It's no use, I fear. boy" he saiF
softly. "They are gone. That's the
way it is at sea. You've done all you
could. boy. Make a full report and
transcription for me. If you should get
another call send for me at once"
Turning. the old seaman opened the
door Of the wireless room to fight bis
way along the deck to the lookout's
position. Inside the room young Har
ling dropped into a chair before bis
instrument and. bending over buried
his head in his hand.
Suddenly he sat up straight. tense in
every nerve and muscle. What was
that? Was it his imagination playing
tricks again? No. He could not be
mistaken. There it was again.
He looked. listened. then sprang tc
his feet. with a shrek Of joy. for the
little recorder in front of him began
again slowly. as though tired. to click.
"A-A-A-A."
He read it off aloud. with regret.
"Just some battleship." he said bit.
terly to himself. That's the navy
CALL"
Next his face lighted. and he laughed
call, but it came from the lrvessa. I'm,
patiently the operator seized the tele.
phone.
Captain, captain" he shrieked. 1--WE
got the irveSsa again, sir. Not Pinck.
ney this time. There's a man at the
key. We can get something from this
one. He can't send much. but he's all
there with his nerve"
He dropped the telephone again as
the receiver began to click:
yacht Irvessa aground on reef Pc
sition unknown. but within thirty miles
of you getting this message. 10 indi.
cate relative position storm center now
passing directly northeast of US. Heav.
lest lightning northeast by east. Can
you make out our position"
The captain had re-entered the wire.
less room by the time the message was
delivered.
"Tell him. exclaimed the officer,
1--WE can make out his probable posi-
ton. We are steering southwest by
west to find him. Ask him how long
he can last"
The answer to the message came
back slowly, with every dot and dast
absolutely distinct:
"Half an hour
"Tell him." commanded the captain
1--WE are twenty miles away probably
and can't make better than IL knots
an hour in this storm"
A terrific fash of lightning for one
binding instant lit up the mountain
Gus waste of waves outside.
12- -l--- AI-A