Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-24
THING IN THE WORLD

lightless loom of sailing vessel hove to in
the Electra's track, less than a cables length
ahead. Like a flame the impulse of instinct
had carried him to the wheelhouse skylight
and the engine room telegraph to do the one
necessary thing.
Coogan heard that much of the command,
and then began to slide to leeward along an
inclined plane Of about forty-ive degrees
which the Electra provided as she performed
a stunt that was her salvation. Coogan
brought up against Pericles and clawed him.
self to his feet again with the aid of his en-
ployer's legs and the skirt of his oilskin coat.
The Electra filled her deep forward deck rail
high before she regained her equilibrium
from the swerve that sent her clear to lee
ward of the dark and towering bulk preg
nant of doom.
what do you make her out!' shouted
Pericles to Coogan.
Square rigger, hove to, answered Johnny,
grimly.
"How many masts??'
"Three, Sir don't know. | couldn't
see A mule kicked me amidships. But
every mothers son aboard that brute ought
to be hanged!s
Pericles got no more than the first part of
Coogan's answer, and with that he had
turned to stare into the murk astern. Swing
head to him. "Set the foresail I'm going to
heave to!'
Coogan departed forthwith down forward,
bawling out all hands and leaving Pericles
alone on the bridge in a torment of doubt as
to what he had actually seen in the dark
ness Was it ship with four masts and
raised deck amidships that was now lying up
to windward of him? Coogan said she was
a three-masted vessel, and Coogan was prob
ably right He himself had found it posi-
BILE to snatch only glance OF her as the
Electra swept by. His one thought had
been of the two women asleep and helpless
below deck,-the faithful old Proctor, whose
voice he had heard lifted in prayer as he
passed through the saloon at the beginning of
the gale, and the fair girl from whose room
transom the sound of muff1ed sob had es
capped Whatever the stranger might be the
dawn would tell; but the soul OF PerlcleS
was in the hope that Helen Muir would not
be compelled to suffer the added cruelty of
the disappointment that he was already be-
coming certain the day would bring. He
was heaving to to wait on the strength OF
bare mpression-perhaps trick OF the I'M
agination.
lust then he felt somehow that he was not
alone on the bridge. Peering down to lee
ward, he was shocked to see woman S form
take shape in the darkness. A stride car
ried him to it, and he found Helen Muir,
CARRIED against storm, clinging to the rail
ing She could not have been there long;
for he noted that her ulster was warm and
drv. He could not leave the bridge to take
her below again until Coogan returned or the
watch was relieved by the second officer.
Putting an arm around her waist, he swept
her I'D to windward into the protecting lee
Of the weather cloth, which was drumming
now like a banjo head. He did not attempt
to speak to her; but took off his oilskin coat,
and like a chastened child she let him wrap
her in it. As he Strengthened from fastening
the waterproof he heard her.
Il saw-through the port-my room. You
think my ship-the Drumlie-'
Pericles let 60 a mental curse. He had
ordered all ports closed and covered at the
beginning Of the blow. If his instructions
had been carried out, she could not have seen
the ship that had SO nearly sent the Electra
to the bottom.
Il don't know" was the helpless answer
; Pericles gave back, and a moment afterward
a small hand stole into his clasp trustfully.
Thus they were standing, hand in hand,
searching the rim of the sea as dawn came.
DERICLES saw the stranger first, nearly
hull down and broad off the weather
bow; although Coogan and Galbraith, the
second officer, who had relieved the first at
fo,.~ o,c1oc1y o1co yuera On the bridge search