Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-03-02
CHAPTER w1n.

"uipossiiS interest with winch l heard
them. Val Imroth escaped! All we'll
otherwise. since they asked us aboard!'
must board the Diamond Ship. AT any
cost l must speak with Joan!
Larry" l cried. shouting it out so
that those in the boat below could
hear every word of it, Larry. 1 am
going to help these men! Stand by
Tor my signal! If there is any treach-
cry. you will know what to do. Show
this man what we carry-let there be
no mistake about it. They sink or
swlm-noh half measure. Larry! So help
me heaven, i will send them to the
bottom In less than five minutes II
they so much as think a word against
me!'
Larrys answer was to command our
own crew to lower the launch and to
stand by the guns. Delaying only to
call Ckyada to my side, l followed the
strange ambassador down the gangway
stairs II began my voyage TO the
great ship.
Scarcely had I climbed the ladder
than the crew surrounded me imme-
dlately with UGH piteous entreaty to
come to their comrades aid that my
own lmperlous question sounded abrupt
almost to the point of ~harshness.
You have a lady upon this ship
| where is Sheo"
She has gone. sir"
"Gone-good God! how can she be
! gomez"
We knew what you would ask and
sent down to her cabin a quarter of
an hour ago. sir. She was not there.
Mr.. Colin Ross, him that commands for
Mr.. Imroth, he says he knows nothing
OF 1T. It's true as heaven, sir, the
lady's come to no harm by us, nor
would have one IL she had been
aboard here 20 years. There wasn't a
man that wOn1Gn'f h0yo rivon hj, liFo
for her. We don't know where she is,
sir, and that's gospel truth"
imagine the scene. I stood upon the
open deck OF the strangest steamer I
nave yet set foot upon-a steamer SO
splendidly fitted and furnished. as one
glance told me. that no Atlantic liner
Whatever company fioated her, could
have claimed a greater elegance. The
bridge above me had the neatness. the
shining brass. the white ladders of a
man-of-warsman. The guns were pol
ished to the last possibility. Every cab
in into which / looked appeared to
BOAST the luxury and equipment Of q,
state saloon on a passage boat. I per-
celved an immense dining hall aft and,
a companlonway not unsuited to a 1O,-
Ooo-ton steamer There We're boats
abundantly. safely rafts-the usual
and yet. in the strongest contrast,
something which differentiated this
snip from n other I had ever visited
ana placed her at once in a category
apart. This was nothing more nor less
than a screen OF solid steel bars, 10
rect hlgh. perhaps. n defended by
f~orbidding spikes, sharp as swords and
impossible to fend. a screen cutting the
Vessel into two clear divisions, and OBJ
v1ously 1mroth's protection against all
others who sailed with him. I Judged
at once that the men lived forward Of
inns Green. Ir0rnfh md 1{1 -l,a--.> 49,
pany aft. A wicket gate, lust large
nough to admit the body Of a man.
permitted communication between the
divisions; but the steelwork itself an
peared to be carrier cunningly over
the bulwarks in a amer that n1,st
nave rendered the aft cabins absolutely
secure, not only against the seamen COL
lectively, but against any spy among
them.
This wicket gatae. be it said. stood
open When climed to the main deck
and the men now passed to and fro at
their will. The more horrible asnect
OF the picture did not Immediately pre-
sent Itself to my notice. l vsSs some min
utes abroad before myeyes discerned the
nuddled figures of men, some roppe
IN bent attitudes against the bulwarks,
some already dead, a few crying hor-
flbly In the agony of mutilation AS the
scene unfolded itself. the woe Of it be-
came more terrible to witness There
We're sallors of many n~ationalities here.
chleliy. i perceived, from South Euro
pean ana Mediterranean ports, Turks
IN their native dress, sturdy Greeks.
Iunlsians, seamen from Algiers and the
Adr1atlc OF those who crowded about
me unWounded, two were American.
one a negro, a third a little Frenchman.
who gabbled to the point of delirium.
The appeal. however. was co,1,mnn -
all.
"Help u friends, doctor-save them.
for Gods sake! We have no doctor on
board. Herr Klein sailed with Mr..
lmroth. We can do nothing for our
selves"
The woe Of it appalled, me: I knew
best to help them. Many a day had
passed since practiced my own pro-
fession. And to be called upon as a
surgeon upon a battlefield!
Have you stores?" I asked. "Is there
a surgery on board?"
They shouted an affirmative alto
gether. Half a dozen among them were
ready to lead me below. Hesitating an
instant to give my comand to Okyada.
vent with them as they desired.
Miss Joan is on the Ship" I said
to the faithful fellow: find her and
take her to the yacht"
.Okyada looked at me with one swift.
almost wistful. glance. and disappeared
imediately from my sight. The burly
American who posed as my guide.
pushing his comrads aside. led mo
scended the great companionway. We
passed by a boudpir furnished with
such elegance hat Paris alone could
have commanded its ensemble. There
was a card room not unlike that Of a
great London club. Crossing this room,
center Of the ship. l found myself inn
mediately in a broad corridor lighted
from above, n the walls of this an
peared to be of steel Had 1 been in