New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-23
SUNDAY MAGAZINE FOR MARCH %, 1913

swamp the little craft now fleeing before WIND and
the north always drawing of shore with the speed
Of fast steamer The life savers eyes were sore gazing
into the cutting salt spray and they were sun with the
cold. Little Wclshs shout, from the DOW broke the
long silence.
There she is-6vc mile out easy. Shes jus a blur
in this smoke, more like a anch n sail craft. the
gunner SAID LAWN right the steamer lane She Is.
There a big stemwindcr comm down ''o' Johnny.
Looks like the NOrcans liner. Why don't the fo)l
show a light
Even as he spoke thin line Of fire shot up from the
rising higher and higher then dropped with sharp
downward curve flare Of lights followed, alternately
flashing and diving the murk bringing shout OF
rage from the Ships Bottom men
We'll what do YOU know about that? Welsh roared
angry. "IIc amt been waitin for at all. Hes wiz
Vaughn the stcamcrspcak code to stop He come out
to meet that liner.
Hell meet her all right-the way he don't want TO
get wrecked Yankee Evans said significantly. There
goes his lights out fore She has time to make out what
he's after"
The Pickering lights died out sharply. Evidently in
that gale that whipashlng the ocean IN mighty
rollers the launch had all she could d. to hold her
course.
THE life savers too had their work OH, for them
OF all the crew Johnson alone silent amid the
general disgust For the first time since they lci, the
beach he realized the farce he playing Al that. he
could scarcely believe that Norton daredevil he
would uggc rcckcssy with life and death. For that
was Morton in the launch. Johnson had doubted
from the first he had known all along what the dcS-
pcraIc mancuvcrS meant. The wrc. kcr had locd the
crew OF Ships Bottom out to false signals Of
distress and he going to stop the liner by the
same methods. He was going to put Johnson through
his PAGES. and he and his partner would do they
pleased aftcrward. knowing that he and conscquctV
the crew, dared not talk. He had tangled Johnson III
nc, from which the HE despaired OF escaping.
And only this morning he thought he badly of be-
cause he was broke
SAY Johnny" Wclsh's cry reused him That duicr
in the launch gon "a get down sure nough The
old Cornwall most on him, an he ain moved. Reckon
he's mos swampcd in this wctcr
Doubt and fear vanished before the call for pro-
tcssIon4l work With sweep OF his brawny arm John
son whrlcd the boat round heading for the blur the
for the crook after ioong Ships Bottom he did get
run down
As the thought crossed hs mind the steamer siren
groancd Then the beam OF her ScarCligh tc, full on
the lifcboat, blotting the launch from view. Some
where between Harry Morton and his crippled craft
lay utter d,rknc,s. by the liner. ten thou
sand tons Of potential destruction hurting through the
night.
Ii WAS race between the liner and the liieboat John
son holding the big motor straight into the binding
glare of that funnel OF white light suddenly rs outer
rim fell the walowng launch. In the flare they saw
"a man, waist deep IN water, waving - them; then oc
changed. and the towering hulk Of the steamship vecfc
slowly scawari "a second too late,
The swell from her bows rolled over him. broaI-iic
on solid wall Of water. sinking the launch under hi,
feet, In the wlrllng water Johnson g.mp,ei % pair ~
uphung arms Already the cboat had -hccrci away
from the onrlshng liner II wa, too late for hey 20 turn
from the passing ship dragged him under 'hc mlrIer.u,
twin propclcrs; bu, strong swimmer might. lie