Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-02-16

can shoot. This is too easy a target
for my comfort. let us back out while
we have the chance"
Captain Larry. as intent upon the
spectacle Of the strange ships as any
cabin boy. turned about quickly as a
man reused up from a dream.
y was thinking Of it before the
relief came alongside" said he; the
minute, doctor. We lie right under
their stern, however, and that is some
thing. So long as they don't send their
limelight whizxing-"
That is exactly what they are about
to do. captain. They are going to look
around for the unknown ship which
mas been sending them false messages
you may follow the story. That is the
first chapter Of It,"
l pointed to the deck Of the great
ship. whence the figure of my little
Joan had disappeared as mysteriously
as it came, and there 1 showed to
Larry q group Of men in earnest talk
with q newcomer from the steamer
which now lay almost alongside the
larger vessel. The quick movements,
the gestures of this company. betrayed
the curiosity which the strangers
words awakened and the establishment
that rightly followed upon 1t. Imagin-
ing myself to be a spy among them,
i heard. in imagination. every word of
that Hateful conversation. we sent
right enough" There's mischief
afloat."@ mo. we had no accident
what In thunder are you talking about
its a lie" So the new hand must
be telling the astonished crew. 1t need
ed no great precedence to say what
would follow after. Even Timothy Nc
Shanus arrived at it before I had An
ished.
would that be Colin Ross gone
aboard?" he asked me, wheeling about
suddenly.
I told him it would hardly be an
other.
Then he'll tell 'em the truth about
the cables. or I'm a liar."
He will tell them the truth about
the cables. and you Ire not a liar,
Timothy. He is doing so at this very
moment"
Faith. man. they'll be firing shots
at US, Them"
1T is possible. Timothy. If you are
curious on the point"
Curious? Would We have me in the
sea?"
keep a cool head, Timothy. they are
going to fire at us. but that is not to
say that they are going to hit us. Our
turn comes after. Neither today nor
tomorrow may see the end Of 1t. I
am only beginning with them, Timothy.
When I have done, God help some Of
them. 1mroth above the others. Now
wait for 1t and see. Here's the lantern
busy. They are putting the story to
the proof, you will observe. Let us
hope that their establishment may not
be too much for them."
So a commonplace chatter went. and
yet the mad intoxication Of that in
terval OF suspense had come upon us
all as a fever; and no man might
measure his words. There we were.
sagging in the trough Of the seas some
300 yards 1t may be, from the great
ships guns, our crew muttering in
hoarse whispers, the steam Kissing
from our valves, the smoke drifting to
the north in a dense, suffocating cloud.
Aware Of the few moments Of grace
possible to us, we had given the word
down to Mr.. Benson to go full speed
astern; and running thus for the half
Of a mile. we then swung the yacht
round and headed due south at all
the speed of which we we're capable.
NoW, indeed, the tense hour Of our
doubt began. We counted the very
minutes until the beams Of the mon
ster ~searchlight should us once
more. Brief ordinations. CHEEKY words
or hope flashing from man to man.
gave passage to that current of hui
man electricity which burned us as a
flame. Would the light never fall? Aye.
yonder 1t strikes the sea, and yonder
n yonder comprising the horizon
around in a twinkling, a blind glory,
a very Pharos of the unknown world.
And now 1t falls full upon US, and
man can o upon the face of man
as though he stood beneath the sun of
day; and all is stiffness, and silence,
and the unspoken question.
Far as We were away, a roar of tri-
umph could be heard across the sea
when Imroth's ship discovered US and
the great beams of the searchlight rest
ed upon us exultingly. In turn, the
smoke from our funnel forbade us any
longer to locate the enemy, or to form
an opinion as to his movements Ger
tainly, no gunshot followed Immediate
ly upon his achievements; and whenia
little gust Of the south wind, veering
a point or two, carried the loom from
our furnaces away. we espied the two
ships drifting as before, and even boats
passing from n to the other. From
US somewhat, and a great moon tenn
pered the ocean with its translucent
beams Of silvery light. Our safety Law
In our speed. We burned the precious
coal without stint. since our very lives
We're in the furnaces keeping.
What keeps them, Larry? What are
they waiting for::" I asked him pres
entity. He had deserted the bridge and
stood aft with me to watch the distant
steamers. McShanus, meanwhile, paced
the decks like a lion ut the hour Of
feeding. It vas his way Of saying he
found the suspense in~tolerable.
II don't think we shall have to wait
long, sir" the captain answered me:
you see, they would hardly be ready
to fre their guns, ana not overmuch
discipline among them, / suppose. II
tney hit us, 1T VIII - something by
way OF an accident" 80
MAnd vat ona tina snluAA A..-a.