The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-26

! II o ~ land, Of the navy. ts III? Well
this L. tumble Wasn't he broken
+ FOR conduct unhecoming an officer
Got roaring drunk at the Presidents
! levec, 6idn't he? / think ! read Of
! 81"
/ II know ne lost his position ana
was terribly disgraced. ANSWERED. The
VIE.
/, Wei. MsIa. the poor devil is hssIIf-
.@ss now Wen be across ia Jew
deys, and you needn't meet aim on
tC',s brad deck. II he hasn't lost all
| Scnsi.il.fy he's as embarrassed -
you. Better stay in now--it's getting
f>Sry"
CHAPTER III
| Nacn the watch turned out at mid
night they found q vicious half gale
! blowing from the northeast. which.
] added to the speed of the steamship.
made, so far as effects on her deck
" ent. fairly uncomfortable whole
gale of chilly wind The head sea,
| choppy AZ compared with her great
! length. dealt the Titan" successive
| blows, each one attended to supple
men1ary tremors to the continuous VI
| brations Of the engines-each one
sending cloud of thick spray aloft
| that reached the crow's-nest on the
| forensast and battered the pilt house
| Window on the bridge In liquid
| BON rdment that would have broken
ordinary glass. fog bank. into
which the ship had plunged in tho
afternoon. still enveloped her-damp
ever-recedinE WALL ahead. with two
deck officers and three lookouts
straining sight and hearing to the ut
most, the great racer was charging
with undiminished speed.
| At quarter past twelve. two men
! crawled in from the darkness at tho
| ends OF the eighty-foot bridge and
shouted to the first officer. who had
| just taken the deck, the names OF
the men who had relieved them.
Backing up to the pilot house, the
officer repeated the names to a guar
| termaster within. who entered them
ished-to their coffee and watch be-
! low" In few moments another
| dripping shape appeared on the
briuxe and reported the crow's-nest
relief.
Rowland. you say?' bawled the
officer above the bowling OF the
wind. ia he the man who was lift
ED aboard. drunk, yesterday"
| Yes. sir
rs he straight now?"
| Yes. sir
IAN right--that'll do. Enter Row
! land in the crow S-ness. Quarter mas
| ter" said the officer; then. making a
funnel of his hands. he roared out:
| ''Crow's-nest. there"
| Sir" came the answer shrill and
| clear OH the gale.
Keep your eyes open-~keep SHARP
| lookout"
| Very good. SIR
| Been a man-o'war s-man. judge by
| his answer. They're no good" NUT
| tered the officer He resumed his posi-
| ton at the forward side OF the bridge
| shelter from the raw wind. and began
| the long vigil which which would onl,
end when the second officer relieve I'd
| him. feur hours later. conversations
!, evident In tho line Of duty--was for
| hidden among the bridge officers OF the
Titan and his watchmate. the third
| officer. stood on the other side OF tbs
| large bridge pinnacle. only leaving this
position occasionally to glance in. al
! the co,npass-which seemed to be his
| sole duty at sea. Sheltered by one o,
! the deck houses below. the boatswair
| and the watch paced back and forth
| enfoying the only two hours respite
~ kirh steamship rs,les> afforded. fer tht
! dayat work had ended with The coins
down Of the other watch. and at
| o'clock the washing Of the 'tween-deci
| would begin as an opening task In tht
| next dav't labor.
Nv the time one bell had sounded,
| with Its repetition from the crows
| nest. followed by long-drawn cry
TAILS well from the lookouts, the
| last Of the two thousand passengers
| had retired, leaving the spacious cab
| ms and steerage in possession OF the
| watchmen: while, sound asleep in his
| cabin abaft the chart-room was the
"a plain. the commander who never
! command led unless the ship was In
| danger: for the pilot had charge,
| making and leaving port, and the
! officers, at sea.
Two bells were struck and answer
| ed. then three, and the boatswain
1 and his men were lighting up for q
final smoke. when there rang out
/ overhead a startling cry from the
crows nest
Something ahead. sir---can't MAKE
II out"
/ The FIRST officer aprang to the en-.
| zine room telegraph and grasped the
/ lever. Sing out what you see" hi
roared.
lizard "a port. sir-ship on the star.
board tack-dead ahead" came thu
i cry.
Port your wheoi--hArd over" 70
Il peated the hrst ofsicer to the quarter.
4 master ct the hNlm-who answcre6
and oheyed. Nothing - vet could bs
seen from the brtdGeThe powerful
steering engine In the stern grount
/ the rudder over; but before three te.
t.grees on the compan card were ira.
! versed by the lubber's point 1 seem.
sng thickening o. the darkness and
for ahead resOlvod tsek Into th4
sqaara rails of = Aeap-ae6en shir