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

posture; collected the tools and flung
them into the blacklist recesses OF the
hold so that they might not rise IN
Judgment against hinl--tor he knew
the short shrift he would get were the
act brought home to him. He drew
himself up the hatch, caught the coam-
ing, and with sailors alertness
sprang out on the trade-room floor,
where, trailing water like spaniel,
he hurriedly closed the cover, stamp
ing it into place with his feet. Then
with unspeakable relief, he went to
the door, listened, opened 1t few
inches, and peeped cautiously into the
passageway.
He looked straight into Chris eyes.
She was in their cabin, leaning against
the hunks, and cloaking with the book
in her hand the duty she must have
assumed of protecting him from In
reference. She started and turned
pale as she beheld him. sitting an ex-
clamation, and signaling him to hurry
across. He did so at a bound, clos
ing the cabin door behind him, putting
his back to it like hunted man.
Get me some dry clothes quick" he
painted. THE schooners done for
I've put hole in her you could shove
your two fists through"
CHAPTER XXI.
The leak was not reported till sup
per time, when Krantz broke in on the
party like a whirlwind. To Matt 1t was
Il reprieve at the gallows' foot, for he
could feel how sluggishly the little
vessel rose to the SWELL and how she
labored with the increasing weight or
water in her hold. The uproar that en-
sued was as welcome to him as 1t was
dismaying to the galvanized mate and
to the pallid, suffering Schwartz.
Brandeis was on deck In a moment,
hawling orders in voice like bull;
Schwartz behind him. as white as a
corpse; Krantz next, his whiskers fly
ing, and his heavy tread resounding as
he stumbled forward to call all hands.
Chris and Matt remained out OF
harms way with their half-finished
supper before them( whispering in I'M
dertones and following as best they
could all that was taking place on
deck. No criminals ever gazed at each
other more guilty. The fat was now
In the fire with vengeance. Every
thing hung on Brandeis' decision, and
they waited for it with their hearts
in their mouths. His first order was
to put the ship on the wind, and heel
her over on the port tack.
That's to see if he can't raise the
leak out Of water" said Matt. Good
for Brandeis, though he will find it
don't help much" With the aid of a
dish of sliced beets he explained the
maneuver to Chris, so that she was
not at all astonished when the mate
reversed his tactics, went about, and
put the Esmeralda over on the star.
board tack "A good seaman, that fell
low" Matt commented approvingly.
"Only the trouble isn't where he
hopes it is" Then the pump began to
clank and the sheets were eased as
the vessel seemed to be laid again on
her original course. Back where we
started said Matt.
On deck. in the glow Of a fiery sun
set, they found everything in con-
fusion--a wild scene, tinged like a
picture with the crimsoning west.
Naked to the waist, a couple of men
we're working the handspikes Of the
pump, which was hoarsely flooding the
scuppers. The canvas covers had been
cut from the whale-boat, and beside it,
in little heap, Yonida and Fusi were
stacking provisions, and with tin
saucepan were filling a pair of break
ers from the water butt. The main
hatch was open, gaping to the sky, and
within it's depths could be heard
wicked, gurgling sound. swishing to
and fro with the roll of the ship. At
the break of the poop, and showing
Brandeis had at last discovered the
source Of danger, was the mat himself,
vociferously directing the efforts to
draw trysail over the leak and up on
the opposite side.
A believing command brought Matt
to the task and second later he was
striving with the rest, and as ener-
getically busy to accomplish the i'm
possible; for he knew the hole was
too near the keelson to be likely to
suck-he had cut it there for that very
reason-but he worked with will
nevertheless, glad to elude suspicion
by an appearance of zeal, and gladder
still at the murmurs about him, which.
although in German, plainly implied
hoplessness and failure.
BrandelS repeated eAamlHdtlolls VI
the hold, from which he emerged like
drowned rat, appeared to show that
the water was gaining on them;
though Matt was not half as sure that
the COMPOUNDED trysail was not check
ing the leak to some degree. After an
hour of fiddle-faddling with it, the
ends were dashed fast, and attention
was diverted to rigging a block and
tackle over the hatch and attaching
Darrell that could be lowered, tilted,
hoisted out full. and spilled over the
lee-bulwarks like giant baler--- a
laborious operation, and, to Mats
idea, clumsy and Intellectual. Relays
were appointed both for this and the
pump, and a back-breaking routine