Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-03-26
The Argus Daily Short Story
The Rope and the Ring-By F. A. Mitchell.
Copyrighted. 1910. by Associated Literary

or within a few hours the ship would
be breaking up under the waves roll
ing on that coast.
An investigation was made. and the
rudder itself was found to be sound,
though the stock was shattered. leav-
ing the huge steel mass, weighing three
tons, swinging from side to side with
every wave and threatening to stave
q hole in the vessels stern. To save
the ship and the lives of those aboard
of her it was necessary that the rud-
der should not only be secured, but
that it be again converted into a
means of steering the ship. In other
words, there were two danger Of
equal importance-theb breaking of the
ships plates and being driven ashore.
The captain conceived a plan, but
owing to the rolling Of the ship did
not consider its execution feasible. 1t
was to make fast two chains, one on
each side of the stern. to a ring on
the outer edge of the rudder. Had the
vessel remained on an even keel this
ring would have been about four feet
under water. AS she pitched some
times it was high in the air, sometimes
far down below the surface. AT the
rudder's rise a man could be lowered
on to it in the hope that he might put
the chains through the ring, but before
he could do so he would be buried
many feet In the brine.
The captain lined the crew up on
deck. told them of his plan. admitting
that several men might be lost in the
attempt, and called for volunteers.
Half a minute passed before a man
moved; then the convict stepped for
ward and said:
I'D rather be drowned down there
than go back to prison. I'll make an
attempt"
eff you succeed said the captain,
you'll never return to your stripes if
I can help you"
One end of a rope was attached TO
the end of the mizzen boom. the other
end Deing topped under the conyict's
shoulders. Just before he was low
cred he said:
''Tell the world that I, Arnold Tur-
ner, convicted of a bank defalcation.
about to die, declare my innocence. /
know the guilty person, but decline, as
1 have always declined, to tell"
Turner stood on the gunwale and
as the stern rose was quickly lowered
with wire rope and. perching him
self on the rudder. endeavored to pass
1t through the ring. Before he could
do so the stern descended, bearing him
with it Necks were craned over the
rail to see, when the rudder rose again.
if be would still be there. Few be-
lieved that he would. But as the stern
ca ne up there he was, his knees press
ing Ihe vessels sides, his hands clutch
ing the ring.
A wave swung the rudder TO star
board, and the man on it would have
been dashed against the side of the
ship had he not saved himself by
throwing himself on the other side
Before it was swung in the reverse
direction down he went again toward
the bottom of the ocean. When lie
came up, holding the ring by one hand,
he tried TO pass the rope through It,
but the rudder was not still long
enough for him to do so. He was nor
only becoming benumbed with the cold
bath, but must be ever watchful to
avoid being banged against the side
of the vessel. which would, to say
the least. have dislodged him.
And so he continued to fight for the
lives of the fifty or more people slow
lE drifting toward the breakers. whose