The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-05-22
TIL WRECK OF ThE TITAN
By MORGAN ROBERTSON

resiai,..e aI.a Whtn his voice had
crown hoar,r and futile and his feet
numb from TIE cold Of the thawing Ice
he returned t. the wrecka=e weighed
down and all but crushed by the black
est leso,:.;ion that had so far come into
his unhalpy lie. The little girl was
erwin. and lie tried to sOothe her.
~ want mammal" she walled.
"Uu>h. baby. husl," he answered
YEARLY and bitterly. $50 do l-more
than heaven. Eut think our chances
are about even now. Are you cold. III
tie one: Well 60 inside and III make
a house for US
He removed his coat. tenderly
wrapped the little figure In 1t. and
with the injunction. Don't be afraid.
now" placed her in the corner OF the
bridge which rested on its forward
side. As he did so the bottle Of whisky
fell out Of the pocket 1t seemed an
age since he had found it there. and it
required strong effort Of reasoning
before he remembered its full signiti-
canoe. Then he raised 1t to hurl It
down the incline Of ice, but stopped
himself.
"I'll keep It," he muttered. 1T may
be safe in small quantities. and we'll
neel it on this ice" lie placed it In a
corner: then. removing the canvas
cover from one Of the wrecked boats.
he hung it over the open side and end
Of the bridge. crawled within and
donncd his coat-a ready made. slop
chest garment designed for larger
man-and. buttoning 1t around him.
self and the little girl. lay down on
the hard woodwork. She was still cry.
ing. but soon, under the influence OF
the warmth Of his body. ceased and
went to sleep.
IIuddled in a corner. he gave himself
up to the torment of his thoughts
Two pictures alternately crowded his
mind-one that Of the woman of his
dream cntreating him to come back.
which his memory chung to as an ora.
Gle; the other Of this woman cold and
lifcess fathoms deep in the sea. lie
pondcred on her chances. She was
close to or on the bridge steps. The
boat. 81, which he was almost sure was
being cleared away as he looked. would
swing close to her as 1t descended. She
could climb In and be saved unless the
swimmers from doors and matches
should swamp the boat. And in his
agony Of mind he cursed these swim
mers. prefcrring to see her mentally
the only passenger in the boat, with
the watch on deck to pull her to safety
The potent drug he had taken was
still ut work. and this, with the mu
sical swash Of the sea on the icy beaci
and the muilled crcaking and cracking
beneath and around him-the voice oI
the iceberg-Overcam him finally. ant
he slept to waken ut daylight will
limbs stiffened and numb--almost fro
zen.
And all night rs he slept boat will
the No. - on her bow, pulled BY
sturdy sailors and steered by bras
buttonel officers, was making for tn
southern hne-the highway Of sprin
traffic. And crouched in the stern
sheets of this boat was moaning
praying woman, who cried and scream
ell at intervals for husband and bah
and would not be comfOrted, eve
when one of the brass buttoned officer
assured her that her child was safe |
the care of John Rowland, brave an
trusty sailor. who was certainly in tn
other boat with it. lie did not tell he
!, Of course, that Rowland had halle
from the berg as she lay unconsciou
and that il he still had the child it WI
: with him there-desertcd.
!, Rowland. with some misgiving
drank small quantity Of the liqu,
/, and. wrapping the still sleeping chill
: In the coat, stepped out on the ice. tt
fog was gone. and blue. sanless Sc
stretched out to the horizon. Behir
; him was ice-a mountain Of 1t. Il
: climbed the elevation and looked
!. another stretch Of vacant view from
precipice hundred feet high. To b
. left the Ice sloped to a sleeper beat
!. than the one behind him, and to Il
right q pile Of hummocks and tall
peaks, interspersed with numerous ca
= ions and caves and glistening vii
= waterfalls, shut out the horizon In til
= direction. Nowhere was there q %
= or steamers smoke to cheer him. al
: he retraced his steps. When but hal
e way to the wreckage he saw q movil
. white object approaching from the
y rection Of the peaks.
u His eyes were not yet In good COMO
u ton, and after an uncertain scrutir
v he started at a run. for he saw tn
II the mysterious white object was nea
u er the bridge than himself and rapid
IL lessening the distance. A hundr,
10 yards away his heart bounded and Il
blood In his veins felt cold as the 1
. under foot, for the white object prov,
$ to be q traveller from the frozen mort
le lean and famished-a polar bear. vi
ie had scented food and was seeking II
IS coming on at numbering run, wi
~ great red jaws half open and yello
~ fangs exposed Rowland had no wea
Is | 80, h,,< a strong 10 cllnifo b,,< fhts