Evening star., 1912-09-01

They the hydroplane, only silver at sea now,
suddenly dip sdewise barely missing the rocks, where
the end of the buestone reef showed above the surface
The machine spurted out and up, as if lodging the
swoop of mighty, invisible hand. For moment it
zigzagged up, Welsh driving it high to look over the
horizon, then in wide swung back to shore.
@That reef rock reached for him, Jem | see it when
he sprung!' Long Johnson looked at his Captain with
Casco forced laugh. The hydroplane alighted on
the bay with the big fanwheel buzzng behind it, and
turned slowly into the landing
Little Welsh, white to his tanned forehead, seemed
dazed when they questioned him. "Same way l had
trouble before. Something grabbed"
Like Johnny here seen it Casco began He
stopped
The three men stood staring faced, iron
nerved surfmen who faced death daily trade. The
unknown the unfathomable grpped them the fear that
sailors know and men that traverse the high heavens
"Holy smoke!" Welsh shook himself and sprang up
the beach. "The hull Atlantics washin', Cap!" he
cried u see it when got up, an semwinder in the
thick of t!7
The heavens had backened as by the sweep of a
mighty brush, blotting out sun and sky. The ocean
turned to ink slvered by leapng fish. Sand dunes
shifted, swept hayward. The whistling buoy sobbed
out at sea. sonorous traversed Gridiron Reef
with the rush of railroad trn and the swept in,
filling the gulles, choking the inlet, and overowng into
the bay.
Something of tidal wave eho" Casco roared cheer
fully. "Ain't nothn we can't see there'
Ships Bottom was at professional work. weather
bleached faces scanning the ocean, From the station
tower the bell tolled thrice-"Shps sghted Casco's
binoculars picked up founderng up coast and max
ing bad weather OF it.
algonquin; twenty thousand -tonner; King liner
the life Captain rected evenly; then, in bulls below,
I'D give months pay to her stern down nor ard!
She's sister ship to the Copper King'
The Algonquin, just the Copper King had done,
bowling UP the coast with the her quarter,
crowding the shoreline because she dared not turn
broadsde to the gale, deep laden she Twice
she tried out Casco watched and each time the
rolled over her iron deck.
"Next time she turns out she'll turn turtlc the Cap
tain growled. "An theys a chance she'll go by,
this welter. He'd better beach her.
draws thirty feet, an the Grid marks thirty;
loaded to the guards, she sbest she'll do is Craze it
Little Welsh had pounced the Coastwise Record,
looking up the coming ship "Thirty of her crew too
"That'n be jam load for the motor, or three loads
for the lfeank tight packed don't trust their boats,
Casco said. 3Get busy, Boys, fore it's dark. Watts
yon? The Captain swept the with his glass. Just
our luck! l knowed we're goin to get it! That's
rev nue. boat yonder, butting in! See her hash?"
pale flare, far out to sea- icked the sky black
the inside of hat No need to tell the Ships Bottom
that loang coaster in that weather, working her
searchlght, was other than Government craft "Wy-
andotte, mos likely: she's this beat, Casco said
THE Algonquin, now, did not to recognize
her danger from the lurking reef. Far down the
beach the patrol burning warning Coston lights
after the other. The Government wireless operator
trying to raise the ship, sending crashing blue
green voleys, and the life station tapped the
of code signals Cleared for action the powerful
Ships Bottom motor fit to hold ships crew nosed the
1andinp in he bav. he Hfecar Law ALONGSIDE