Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-02-16
CHAPTER x1v-(continued.)

CHAPTER XIv-(Continued.)
He rang down the order to the en-
CINE and we raced straight ahead,
not a man uttering q sound, not q
light showing aboard us. Holding on
sibility, We drove the yacht irto the
very shadows Of the great unknown
ship we had tracked SO far. To say
that we stood within an ace Of de-
%etruction would be to treat of our cir
cumstances light. A word amiss might
q man of us all could a told the
tale. There, towering above US, was
the great hull OF this floating mystery,
the massive outline of q vessel built
upon the lines Of an Atlantic steamer.
yet carrying o masts and a tunnel
SO low that one might look twice to
detect it at all. Flashing lights from
stern to stern, we could almost count
the men upon the decks of this phan-
tom Of the high seas-men wearing all
varieties Of dress. some the garb of
fashion. some that Of ordinary work.
men, a few in the uniform of sailors.
And what a hive of activity those decks
appeared to be! How the fellows were
running to and fro, changing their
positions every moment, taking their
stands now in the shroud. now high
upon the fo'castle, an agitated. expect
ant throng, turning. as it We're, n a
to the steamer which came to relieve
them. and by which Jews of their
safety or their danger might come.
Their very interest. however. became
our confidence. Taking my place with
the forward lookout. I conned every
feature Of the great ship and i'm
pressed the facts of it upon my MEM
" ~,,-l ~ .oo~ay tv~0,,h0o1 mn
now.
scanned the decks, I say. as quietly
as one surveys a ship that must be
locked, noted the black shapes of the
yelled guns. the w%retched. haphazard
armament amidships, the unsuitability
of the great hull to the purposes now
Indicated. the seeming absence OF all
order and method and ven leadership
upon its decks. This monstrous. float
ing haven of crime and horror-no
sailor had chosen 1t for it's present
purpose I made sure. In a lighter mo-
ment I could say that it had once been
a second class cruiser, and now stood
for a witness to an age which added
raking masts to its warships and eyed
askance the supremacy of steam. Inn
roth, it might be. had purchased this
ship from a government that had no
further use for it. He had gone to
Chilli or the Argentine second
L w ~ ~ 4SeAy " IA O0s9SA
had more than a smack of Italian de-
sign and practice as we knew 1t In
the last days Of canvas and the first
OF steel. And he had bought this relic
at his own price, had maintained its
engines, added new masts for disguise,
and SO adapted it to that master
scheme those aims rose so far above
this evidence of realization. All this. 1
say, my swift survey showed me. But
the supreme question 1t did not answer
There were women to be discerned up
on the deck of the ship; but not the
figure Of Joan Fordibras. OF her the
night had no news to give me.
We lay at this time. I suppose, some
200 yards from the great ship, q little
astern of her. and ready. need it be
said, to bound away into the darkness
should the need arise. Our daring is
neither to be set down to courage nor
foolhardiness. 1t was plain that every
man on board Valentine 1mroth's
sanctuary had eyes but for the ap-
preaching steamer, ears but for the
news it should carry. Absolutely con-
WINGED of u safety. we watched he
spectacle with that air Of assurance
and s~elf-content which any secret
agent of a good cause may assume at
the moment of his triumph. My own
, doubt and trouble could hardly be
shared by the honest fellows about me;
or IL 1t were shared, then had they the
good taste to make light Of it. Indeed,
| they were upon the point of persuading
me that if it were Joan Fordibras I
had come out to seek, then the sooner
I get me back to Europe the better.
'"There's no Joan upon yonder Ship"
said old Timothy in a big whisper:
I'D as 500 look to find the Queen Of
Sheba there"
do think Mr.. McShanus is right. They'd
never take a lady among that riff raft.
/ don't see 10Y 1t would serve them,
anyway. We must credit General For
dibras with some feelings, If the other
has non He's taken Miss Joan to
Europe. be sure of it."
I could make no answer, for my
reasoned opinion a that obstinate
~dogmatism which must attend the
logical idea IL logic be of any worth at
all. 1t were better, I thought, o to
discuss 1t, n for that matter, there
| were events enough to take a mans
mind from the graver doubts. The re-
lief steamer had by now drawn SO
near to the other that loud cheers were
raised between them. boats put OFF in
haste from the Diamond Ship. and
boats from the newcomer We heard
greetings .exchanged-in French. in
German, in Italian. Instantly almost,
a great business OF making ready to
unload a cargo cut there In mid At
lantic began. I perceived that the two
ships were to be caught together by
immense grapplings. and so held while
the affair Of discharging was done. OF
what h patrols cargo might be,
could only surmise. She would bring
h invaluable coal. Of course-else
could not the water be distilled aboard
the rogue-coal n food and news
and. It might be. new ruffians who had
escaped the Justice of Europe or Africa.
This. ] ray, was q Surmise. The inn