The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-11-06
L. BY
=; LLOYD LLOYD OsBOUKNE
cssysishs, vi. :, ~ SssssAsrin csasas'

good pump, worked by couple OF
hand spikes. and throwing five inch
stream. Matt squared the circle IN
dustriously and then doubled the re-
suit. going over these calculations
again and again to make sure OF no
mistake. What he aimed to accom-
plsh was a leak that would force
Schwartz to lay the vessel toward the
nearest land. and perhaps bring II mo
view before there would be any need
to take refuge in the whaer TN
two to one ratio of leak against pump,
he hoped the ESmeralda might stay
a0oat for ten or twelve hours after
he had achieved his purpose
They Wpr" twenty four days out OF
san Francisco when III" first Iand
rose over the horizon TO Matt the
sight Of the island was Ii..c 4 signal;
it made him acutely restless ANA nm
comfortahlc; he was possessed with
tie Suflocating sense Of almost terror
that precetlps al desperate deeds TAX
Ing advantage Of the comm0tion on
deck. he ran below, watched his op
p0rtunity. and entered the trade room
No crncksman. on his knees before Il
safe. and thrillin@ly conscious that at
any moment he might be- interrupted.
could have experienced more trenlda-
ton than did Matt MS he sought out a
case Of axes and pried open the lid
He seized one, he went down on his
knees before the hatch and fumhled
with the ring counterSunk in the plank
ing.
The hold was about nine or ten feet
deep: ne peered In again. gauging
/ it. Rope: There was rope every
where. compactly coilel and hurapped
Ii would be quite a bother. though.
to cut the fpsteningS: new rome also
was sure to kink to tanglp and twist
itself into snarlS. Why not a bolt of
that stout red cotton II would he
! just as etficacious more pf'iracious-
timber He made the loose end fast to
keg Of nails and tossed the bolt itself
down the hatchway: lowered the TX
after II on n piece of Irvine: also u Key
saw and pair OF chsels on another
| piece Of Irvine
| Crushing the cotton In his hands. he
swung over the opening and let him.
self go His feet touched the iron bars:
| ell nhpt,f hin, hI,,,.l, tt,,h
except under the twilight ~ the hatch
The air was stale and sitting and reek
ing of hilgp water,
Getting his tools torether. he got
vigorously to work. ripping OF n big
patch Of the inner skin and LAYING open
beyond the real object Of attack The
next step required more delicate meth
ods-more care and skill One tiSSure.
however small. In the outer rIanking
might admit 40 fierce gllSh of wafer
that the task would have to he rebc-
Gun elsewhere with all It's attendant
delay But there was no time for de-
lay not an Instant Above lin VAS
the unlocked door-the open hatch.
urging him TO fevpriSh haste.
He marked good sized square on
the plankins, mindful that the copper
outside would help to cheek the inflow.
and set to pairing the wood AWAY rs
evenly rs he could with the rhiscl Il
WIS Oregon pine and came of in
bright, clean shavings. sticky with
gum. He dug deeper and deeper: the
square sank into the yellow timher. he
wis IN aSSidliolis as ever. though the
effort became harder to keep the sur
face fat and uniform He WIS drip-
ping with sweat the ax WIS heavy
aud extremely awkward 10 hold
rramning his right hand and Annoying
him with its cumbersome handle
Dropping the rhiSpl. he ran his hand
down tn. aS handle. crippled aud. aim.
In: the blunt end of the ax nj the ap
erture. let ty with all his strength.
There wis fash of greenish water
s'uIefying roar. blow In his rhps,
that hurled him sprawlins backward
drenched. confused. almost Spuspl,ss
Even at that depth the water wls I'M
der colossal pressure; IL was ~.
Though Styser had opened In th,
Slips side: the stream ran solid for \ \
or seven feet, curved and hurst. Mat,
staggered M ND regarded it with awe
dlzziiy tryiAS "a collect his hewilder.t
SENSES Good God. how would the
pumps ever COTE with It. The Who'll.