Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-23

swamp the little craft, now fleeing before WIND and sea
the north always drawing off shore with the speed
OF fast The life savers eyes sore, gazing
into the cutting salt spray, and they st with the
cold. Little Welsh's shout from the bow, broke the
long silence.
"There she is-fve mile out, easy She's jus blur
in this smoke, more like inch n sail craft the
gunner said LAWN right in the steamer lane she IS!
There's a big stemWlnder comm down too, Johnny.
Looks like the N'Orleans liner. Why don't the fool
show 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 dying in the murk bringing shout OF
rage from the Ships Bottom men.
well what do you know about that" Welsh roared
angriy. He amt been waltln for us at all He's wig
Vaughn the steamerspeak code to stop! He come out
to meet that lner.
Hell meet her. all right-the way he don't want to
get wrecked, Yankee Evans said significantly. "1here
goes his lights out fore she has time to make out what
he's after!"
The Pickering lights died sharply. Evidently in
that gale that was whipashing the ocean in mighty
rollers, the launch had all she could do hold her
THE life savers too had their work for them.
OF all the crew Johnson alone silent amid the
general disgust For the first time they left the
beach he realized the farce he playing At that, he
could scarcely believe that Norton daredevil he was,
would juggle reckessy with life and death For that
was Morton in the launch Johnson had not doubted
from the first: he had known all along what the des-
perate maneuvers meant The wrecker had toled the
of Ships Bottom out in to false signals of
methods He was going to put Johnson through
his PAGES, and he and his partner would do they
pleased afterward, knowing that he and consequently
the crew, dared not talk He had tangled Johnson in
a net from which the life despaired of escaping.
And only this morning he thought he was badly off be
cause he was broke
"Say, Johnny" Weshs cry reused him. "That dufer
in the launch is goin to get down nough The
old Cornwall S most on him, an he amt moved. Reckon
he's mos swamped in this welter!
Doubt and fear vanished before the call for pro-
fessiona work With sweep of his brawny arm, Ohm
whred the boat round heading for the blur the
ocean that he knew was Mortons launch. Good enough
for the crook after foong Ships Bottom, he did get
run down!
AS the thought crossed his mind the steamers siren
groaned Then the beam of her searchight fell full on
the lifeboat blotting the launch from view. Some
where between, Harry Morton and his crippled craft
lay in utter darkness by the liner ten thou
sand tons of potential destruction hurting through the
night!
1t between the liner and the feboat, John
holding the big motor straight into the binding
glare of that funnel of white light Suddenly its
rim fell on the waowing launch In the flare they
a man, waist deep in water waving to them; then bell
changed and the towering hulk of the steamship veered
slowly seaward-a second too late!
The swell from her bows rolled over him, broadsde
on, solid wall of water sinking the launch under his
feet. In the swirling water Johnson gmpsed pair of
upfung arms. Already the lifeboat had sheered away
from the onrushng liner 1t too late for her to turn
in time reach the drowning before the suction
from the passing ship dragged him under the murderous
twin propelers; but strong swimmer might. He