Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-06

when the moment of their service was ended.
The boy, although realizing the power of
Benson, could not help thinking of Van
Straaten. The Flying Dutchman must have
stood his ships deck this way, grimly, stol-
idly, Jaw thrust out and set. But there the
image Departed for, unlike Van Straaten,
this strange man could and did drive his ship
ahead. Inch by inch, foot by foot, he fought
her to the westward Came veer, flaw,
the slightest pocket of calm in the gales, and
it had been anticipated with weird cunning
by the Craigie Laws master. As the small
est advantage was born it was his; it was
bent to his ships succor and triumph. Thus
Davy McGavock's ship rounded the Horn,
and was put again into the keeping of the
two mates. Benson disappeared into his
reported by the steward to be sleeping.
"By Heaven! he's Captain of the sea!'
said Allen to Gordon during this time.
A WEEK elapsed before Benson was seen
on deck again, and then a wonderful
thing happened. 1t was on Sunday after
noon. The weather was softening, and near
ly all the foc's'le hands were hanging about
in the waist. Gordon was among them, and
their speech and his were all of Benson and
what had happened off the Horn. In the
instant Of their highest praise of his seaman
ship, the cabins forward companlonway
opened and revealed the master of the
Craigie Law, unchanged of garb unchanged
of mien, and with Hector at his heels.
"a cheer!" cried Gordon in inspiration.
Hip! Hip"
"Hurrah!' burst from all the sailor
threats. "Hurrah!'
"Sick 'em. Boy!" snarled Benson. 3Sick
EN-, say!"
Gordon heard him; but the men could
not have done so, for they held their places
and paused not The dog bounded forward,
smelt the passengers feet, and dropped to
his launches before him. Unmindful, as
one inspired Gordon cried:
"A tiger!'
In unison and with a will the men Choir
used it at the top of their lungs.
Benson stood In the cOmpanlonway, inn
movable for moment; he then turned slow
ly away and disappeared. That evening he
knocked efficiently at Gordon's door. The
boy was writing letter to his father.
Excuse me for disturbing you, Mr.. Cor
don," the skipper began in an embarrassed
way, 1but | want you to answer question
fairly"
Certainly, Captain Benson
"Why did you and-and those sailors
cheer me this afternoono'
Because of the wonderful thing you did
off the Horn Why-we cheered you for
for being a man when the pinch came! You
saved the ship-every soul in her! Why-I
we couldn't help it, Sir
at wasn't made up, then? You didn't
cheer in irony? You weren't scoffing at me?"
"Why-of-of course not"
The skipper gulped hard at the answer
"Ive been a master of vessels since | was
eighteen-younger than you, Mr.. Gordon
he said slowly. 1--WE never had an acct
dent" This he said without boast. 1t was
simply an explanation. He paused second
and then added, I'LL be fifty-five my next
birthday. haven't always been like am;
but nobody-nobody ever cheered me in my
life before"
Benson's voice trailed off to hardly more
than a whisper-a whisper more poignant
than cry. He turned away quickly, and
the passenger watched him, as through a
mist, cross the dinly lit cabin and enter his
own ROOM.
In the middle of the night Gordon started
up at what he thought was note of the me-
lodeon. He peered out of his door, and the
dog, which had been shut out by its master,
came to his side and licked his hand. The
melodeon lay on the cabin table. For a mo-
,,,o,,t oil u,oc c;1apt Thor, came tho