The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-06-05

brought up presently against some por-
ton of the anatomy of Tank with the
thud OF great bony hand that landed
like the kick of an ostrich
1t is but fair to Tank to say that he
had no thought Of himself or his pain
or embarrassment at the time He
even gave little attention to wish to
throw OF and whip his antagonist. His
one idea at the time was Of the danger
to his people through the burning ship
and through panic; SO that he regarded
his assailant more In the light of tor
mentor who confined him here and pre-
vented him from getting out to do his
duty.
In his struggles he turned till he
could look out, though to do so drew
the nails of the longshoreman deeper
into the gashes at the corner of eye
and mouth.
Horrors! The burning ship was
alongside. Her rigging or something
had caught in the rigging or upper
deck work Of the Admiral Btsbee and
she was being drawn through the
water with her In minute the Bis
bee would have caught fire, would be
aflame from stem to stern, and his
people, his men, the women, the young
people and the old-great God! the
children-would burn like rats in a
trap. He could save them. He knew
what to do. Nobody else would. But
for this writhing boa-constrictor that
held him helpless he would be out
there directing now.
He was making his last desperate eff
fort to shake off his assailant, but In
vain. Tom chung like leech.
Just then something like q shadow,
almost as thick as the shadow of a
man, appeared before the pilot house
A face pressed against the window
with hand on either side screening off
the light, and peering eyes searched
the interior curiously. 1t was Gimball
Gimball tried the door, 1t was
locked. Leaning back against the rail
that ran toward the bridge, he planted
his heel neatly in the corner Of the win
dow nearest the door. A triangle Of
glass gave way, and with perfect cool
ness but great CELEBRITY Gimball thrust
through hand. shot the bolt and flung
the door wide open.
This was all that Tank needed to get
rid Of his antagonist. He went
through the door into larger space with
leap, crashed the head Of the long
shoreman against stanchion, swung
the body with all his weight behind 1t
against the pilot house, came back
against the stanchion with sharp
crack that caused the human python
to loosen every hold so that with a
whirl Tank flung the struggling man
heavily downward onto the main deck
where he fell with a crash, but imme-
diately struggled to arise, and stood
looking dazed at the situation that con-
fronted him there.
AS for Tank, he balanced himself in
the outer air. clutching wildly at his
throat. It seemed that 1t would never
open, that his lungs would never fill:
but at last they did. With blood
streaming over his face, which was
white and purple by turns, with wild
disheveled hair and staring eyes, he
leaped over to the side next the burn
ing ship. His mouth was working con-
yulsively.
AS he took his position the cordage
that had bound the ships together
burned away and they drifted apart
But the Admiral Bisbee was blazing
along her whole length and the people
had crowded to the opposite rail, caus-
ing another heavy list. The speed at
which the vessels were moving famed
the flames Tank leaped back into the
room, signaled the engineer to back
her, and when he felt that signal being
obeyed, followed 1t with stop order.
A few minutes later the Btsbee would
be lying awash upon the bay. The
flames would have nothing but their
own motion to fan them.
AS the momentum impaired to the
burning ship carried 1t away and out
again upon the bridge and his great
voice was heard above the shouts and
shrieks and cries. bawling his orders
"Mears, you! he called Men
every one of you-keep still and keep
your heads! Do what say and do 1t
quick!
So great was the personal power of
the man and SO remarkable his capac-
ity to make himself heard and felt that
almost instantly there was semblance
of quiet. Then came the orders, short,
sharp. decisive.
"Mears. Take thirty men below, get
out the fire hose and go after the fire.
Do you hear?
Bet your life," shouted Mears, him
self deputy fire chief, who had al
ready begun to rally bunch of men
for just this service.
You, Halloran! shouted Tank.
megaphoning through his hands.
Take twenty men to cut loose the
boats on the burnin' side and carry
EN- over to the davits on the other
whfch'n be empty soon"
IA 'r-r-r-ight," echoed the peppery
Halloran, leaping to his task.
You. O'Hara and Egan and Ryan"
called Tank, picking out his men as his
eye caught them In the crowd, and
all the rest of you waterfront men that
knows about boats, swing them tubs in
the derricks Chat word "derricks .
betrayed the Landmarks blood in Tank
Swing EN- down to the decks edge,
then put in the women and children
with four men that caA row in every
boat. Orderly now, no hurry and no
time lost Don't smash no boats
against the ships side. The waters
quiet. And don't spill nobody out by
lowerin' them boats one end at a
time"