The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-04-20
By CRITTENDEN MARRIOTT

"Oh!" she cried why did you waltz
told you not TO-" She slipped into her
seat T N so hungry she sighed
The hot coffee and the abundant meal
lgntened the spirits Of the tho in spite
OF the pTedlCament in which they found
themselves. WITH a snip. albeit a GRIP
pied one. under their feet and with
plenty OF food and water at hand, Il
was not human nature TO despair, es-
peclally as the sea had gone down 50
much that II no longer threatened them
To both Jackson and Miss Fairfax
the worst seemed TO be over IN a day
OF two some one would pick them I'D.
they InouEnt, ana all would be well
Howard alone wiser IN the ways Of
the sea, doubted He listened to the
others hopeful representations. but
said little
4 must study the situation before I
can say anything" vas as far as he
would commit himself, even in answer
TO direct question.
When they had finished their meal,
Dorothy rose
I'm clear away these Dishes" she
announced Il m sure you two have
more important things TO attend to.
Later. when Mr. Howard has studied
the situation, as he wishes, we viii hold
a council OF war
Howard bowed and went on deck
His first glance assured him that his
worst fears were true. The Queen was
evidently far within the SargassO sea.
and under the impulse Of a strong
breeze from the west was steadily driv-
Of weeds.
Wreckage was floating here and there,
mute evidence Of disasters that had
occurred. perhaps close at hand, perhaps
thousands of miles away. The pa SSage
Of open water that had trellised the sea
an hour before had disappeared, and
with them had gone whatever faint hope
Howard might have had Of rescue.
No skipper would venture into that
tangles no boat could move through it.
almost II seemed that one could walk
HHEn# NaaHw nd In
trusting 10 that deceptive frmness
would drown without even a chance
TO swim The weeds would coil round
him, soft, Shiny, but strong. and drag
him down
Like All who have sailed these waters.
Howard had heard many tales Of the
great SargassO sea, and had whiIed
away many an hour listening 70 the
sailors yarns Of the haven OF dead
ships buried lar within those tangled
confines haven in the middle Of the
ocean, a haven without q harbOr, a
haven where the ships. dropping TO
pieces at last by slow decay, must sink
for two miles or more before they
reached the floor OF the ocean.
And into this haven the Queen was
drifting, slowly but surely. Nothing
bur sinking could prevent her from
moving onward till she reached the In
neTmost haven.
What would It be ike? he wondered
Would the wrecks really be crowded
one 70 the other2 That there had been
plenty Of them borne in 70 make a very
continent OF ships he did not doubt. but
had they foated long enough 10 &C
emulate 20 any great extent2
The sailors declared that the sea was
as large a 3 Europe; that the weed was
IupeneITa1le over an area larger than
France that there might well Be an
area OF massed Treckage two OF three
hundred miles in diameter But these
were sailors tales Would they prove
s'Weu7"
Howard turned around. Corothy and
Jackson had come up behind him and
we're staring CuriOusiy over the weedy
sea 'Nelg' reiterated the latter.
Howard hesitated
I fear il is not well, . he answered
AZ last Our chances Of escape for the
present seem practically nil
Miss Fairfax paled, but Jackson
What are you givin' usT- he de-
nlanded roughly The ship amt going
10 sink, Is sheE'
around you he waved his hand 20
the weed-strewn horizon.
Jackson looked again. Welt What
OF itZ' he demanded
This, You see how thick the weed
is-thicker even than II was an hour
ago. I've sailed these seas long enough
70 Know what that means T means
that We have been Blown long way
inside the Sarsasso sea
No ships come here; sailing ships
would lose nearly all their speed. and
steamers would lose ali Of 4, for their
screws would soon be hoplessly fouled
No vessel viii come 20 rescue Us II
We are ever TO leave the Queen. Il must
be by our own Efforts
What can we do?'' asked Dorothy
quietly
That is it. exactly. What can we do7
Frankly. I don't see that we can do
anything at present We have no boats.
q M = Inc h.rrr
edged one at that. could make anv
way through this morass. And every
minute we are getting deeper in. The
current below catches our sl1nken bow
and the wind above catches our uplifteG
stern and both sweep Us eastward
toward the center Of the weed II We
took 20 2 raft we would move much
more sIOWly-but we would starve much
more QuiCSly-and OUT chances Of be
ing picked up would not be improved -
But what viii become Of uSg'
7 don't know. II seems likely that
we VIII be swept into the center OF The