Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-05-23

| ostensible captain with mate who
roughly ordered him back to work.
At midnight, after another stormy
alteration between the two, Schwartz
seemed to win a grudging consent to
get the wireless into operation A
slender. pointed steel pole was run
aloft; Herman installed his apparatus
at the foot of the foremost, and with
no pretensions Of secrecy, and as OBJ
livious Of Matt as he was of the rest
of the crew, calmly harnessed himself
to the wires. The increasing enmity
between Brandeis and Schwartz grew
! to white heat as both struggled to
dictate the first message. There was
another fierce dispute OF which Matt
never knew the outcome, for he was
spell at the pump: but 1t must have
gone in the mates favor, for the main
boom remained guyed out and there
was no change in the Esmeralda's
course
Thus the night passed, and by morn
ing it was plain the ship was doomed.
She was submerged to the channels,
and had sickening, undecided move
ment as she sank in the trough of the
sea. The men looked at one another,
wondering each time If she would ever
rise again, or simply founder then and
there and go down like a stone. Bran
deis had the whaler cleared, pro-
visioned and lowered. and ordering
Chris into it. as we'll as one Of the
hands, caused the boat to be towed In
the schooner's wake. 1t was a tragic
parting for husband and wife, and
took place with a suddenness 70"
which they were utterly unpreparad.
Matt, sodden with fatigue and so worn
out that he could scarcely stand, was
thankful to see Chris safe, though he
wondered whether they might ever
meet again on this side; of eternity.
On his spell off he would wave his
hand to her. and after she had waved
back would collapse like dead man
until reused by the relentless mate.
The acquiescence of the crew filled
him with amazement and a bitter,
mounting anger. He tried to instil
into them something Of his own fury;
pointed and made signs at the boat;
urged them to mutiny, to get away
/ before the ship sank under them. But
they listeI>' unmoved, though not
without a strained, hungry expression.
Life is sweet, and there it was tow
ing hundred feet behind them, wnie
Brandeis with no weapon but his
strident voice held them to a coffin.
Their obedience was indeed surprir-
ing; no seaman Matt had ever know,
could have been so patient he sh~o
his fist in their faces.
! Neither of the Japanese could he
spared to make breakfast, but soma
cans of meat were opened and bis
cults served out, as well as niggarI-
ly allowance OF schnapps. It put fre~N
heart in the jaded specters as the
lay half-naked about the deck. VOL
ing the food and almost fighting for
the liquor. 1t provoked, too, the first
outbreak against Brandeis; muttered
growing and complaining suddenly
flared up, and was not extinguished
until a second round of schnapps was
reluctantly doled out. But with that
they seemed appeased and went back
to work with the same doggedness
they had shown throughout. Matt.
who had thought the men were at last
asserting themselves, was cruelty dis
appointed. Even Schwartz, the most
the rest and submitted like lamb to
the hectoring, driving mate.
BY o'clock land was sighted on tho
port bow, but it caused no reaxatio
Of the killing routine, nor any change
in the ships course. Matt watched 1t
with an expression not to be described.
Over there was safety; over there. roi
fifteen miles away, was the end OF III
their troubles-white beaches, pal,
people, law, security. Yet they m
stick like flies on a sieve at the D
hest of that Internal Brandeis. NJ,
| hn ,-
swore: had he been alone-had
not been withheld by the thought
Chris-he would have got his
volver and brought the thing to
head.
| But no one paid any attention to
him, though if he had fallen behind
Jared badly. So he kept at it till his
arms seemed wrenched from their
sockets, till his heart was ready to
burst-in blind. dizzy agony to hold
his own with his companions. At In
tervals the wireless clicked and
buzzed: at once, at some message 1t
caught from space, there was much
congratulation and handshaking, and
even thin cheer.
| The ship was settling fast; at eve;,
she sickened in the depths of the
swell, Guivered, and threatened to rise
no more. Never was there gladder
sound than Brandeis' order to leave
her before she left them.
| The whaler was drawn up to her
quarter, and a hurried descent made
into her, the first corners Selling the
oars and preparing to back away, !
case the Esmeralda suddenly VIC,
down. 1t was very cody done, withol
panic or disorder; and they pulic
clear of the sinking ship with {
liberate strokes, Brandeis at the hel
nonchantly smoking cigar Matt NJ
been allotted place beside Chris u
the stern, and though they greete
each other quietly and tried to smile,
it was to conceal an emotion so over
whelming. SO holy in it's tenderness,