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

better EST True, we detected tho
shell this time, for It fell plump into
the sea, near the NTH part of q mile
from u starboard quarters: but the
wretched shooting, the long interval
between the shots, and the speed at
which we travelled inspired confidence
anew, and 80 surely, that my men be-
gan to cheer the unners ironically.
and even to flash a signal to them
across the sea.
ITS as l thought, Larry" said I:
.they carry a u n have no more
idea how to use it than a lady in
charge OF 9 boarding school. Imroth
has been living as near to a FOOLS
paradise. as such a mar is ever likely
to get to paradise at all. 1 think we
need waste no more o Let US lie to
take our chances. The risk 10 too
small to think about"
"Yon mar would never hit cokernuts
at a fair!" chimed in McShanus, who
had come up: what will ye be fling
over the ocean for? Is it coal we have
to steam to China and back? Sure. the
docther is wise entirely, and be hanged
to them! We lie here az safe as a babe
In a mothers lap!"
We laughed at his earnestness, but
the order was rung down nevertheless,
and presently the yacht lay rolling to
the swell and we could e the stok-
ers drawing a furnace below. Who IL
justly to blame for the accident, which
followed, l do not dare to tell myself.
Sometimes I have charged myself with
IT. and complained bitterly of the opin-
ions l had ventured. l can only tell you
that the yacht had scarcely slowed
down again when the rogues' ship fired
at us again, and the shot, crossing u
forward decks at an angle of some IS
degrees. struck a fine young seaman
OF the name of Holland. and almost
annihilated him before our very eyes.
The tragedy had q greater significance
II h0001NGn nH h VynrNs Nfvt1 IA vI~l
we had but q before regard
ed Imroth's gunners and their perform
ance. Death stood there upon the heels
OF laughter: a cry in h night was
the answer to an honest mans def
ance and my own bravado. As for poor
Holland. the shot took him about the
middle am cut him absolutely in two.
He could have suffered no pain, SO in
simultaneously was he hurled into etern-
tty. One m / saw him standing
at the bulwarks watching the distant
s~earchlight: at the next, there remained
but a dreadful something upon the
deck from which men turned their eyes
In horror and dared not SO much as
speak about.
The truth appalled, the, men. drove
challenge from their lips and laughter
from their eyes. They were new men
thereafter--British seamen. handy-men
who worked silently, methodically.
stubbornly. as such fellows ever will
l Wnen DUTY calls them.
Larry" l said. the blame of that 10
upon me. God forgive my rashness!
feel as though my W folly a cost
me the life of one Of my own sons"
Far away over the waters, the
Diamond Ship still fired her impotent
shells at us. Their very impotency con-
WINGED me how surely an accident had
killed o. Holland.
Nor was the hour to pass without
further news OF them. Impotent at the
guns. they fell to words. raped out by
our receiver so plainly that q very child
OF telegraphy could nave read them.
The message of Valentine Imroth, to
the Englisman. Fabos. ! take up your
challenge. Joan Fordibras shall pay
your debts In full"
1 have it in my mind that it was Just
upon h stroke Of l o'clock Of the
morning. or two bells in the middle
watch, when this amazing message
came to me.
h men were sleeping. and why
should I awake them? Fallin. the
young officer, had but little news to re-
port. The Diamond Ship no longer
wasted her shells In angry impotence.
Her searchlight had ceased to play
as came. were Of a steamers mast
head light seen for an instant upon our
port bow and then vanishing.
Its a usual course for tramps, sir"
the young officer said: IAN to tell you
the truth. I wasn't sure enough about
a ship out of Buenos Ayres. she's keep
ing more south than usual; but I've
altered the course for q star before
now. and you don't care to wake I'D
such a seaman as Captain Larry to tel
him you've done h His orders to
me were to go down and report any
thing unusual. Well. a glimpse OF a
ships light shouldn't be unusual. ant
that's a fact"
1 agreed with him: young landsman
that 1 was, I thought that I could read
the omen better than he. If he had
steamer. she could be no other thar
the second Of h relief ships Imroth
was awaiting. Herein lay many and
disquieting possibilities. Given coal
n stores enough. what was there to
prevent the rogues putting in to some
such plumber as they had. and dis.
persing to the cities wherein theiy
friends would shelter them. 1 foresaw
Immediately a complete Illustration OF
my own plans and a conclusion Of my
task, humiliating beyond relief. Not
! sailed already under the colors of some
irresponsible republic. She might. /
judged, fly the Venezuelan flag, or that
OF Honruras or Nicaragua.
This would be to say that the mes.
sage still troubled me, and that I haS
upon it. Let it be admitted that II
found me q little wanting in courage
l have written that the third onicei
made his report of a strange steamer
about two bells Of the middle watch
Not less curious than he. I paced the
no further tidings. When Larry him.
J eelf turned out, It was tust before thu