East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-09-25
The Reconciliation
By Norman Springer


athematized Creation. 1t was
hot-heavens, but it was hoti Not in
the memory of many voyages could
he recall a spell so hot. Nor-as he
had profanely asserted at least once
day since joining the ship-never
had he seen, or heard of, or believed
to exist above water, such q tumble
OF junk as masqueraded for boilers
on board the Galway. Leaky tubes
and burnt out furnacesl 1t would be
a miracle if they made home without
o smash.
The faint. tinkle of the ships bell
came to the fireman S ears through
the ventilator. Seven bells Another
half hour and the watch would be
over. AT eight bells the relief would
come. At eight bells, his relief-the
rage that had smouldered within
0 'Keefe since that day ashore at
Singapore, a week before, blazed
again. At eight bells, Jim Malone
would relieve him.
Malone-the false mattel Seven years
they had been mates, closer to each
other than brothers. And then-all
because of woman-Nalone had be-
trayed the friendship. Ii had been
Malone's treaehery in stealing
O'Keefe s sweetheart-and then boast
ing about it. And then, the erowniug
ignominy! They had fought, and Ma
lone had knocked him cold before the
eyes of all Malay street But, it was
the drink that had bested him, the
rotgut ssmshu of Madras Bob 's-not
Malone. He knew that, and soon he
would square accounts with Jim Ma.
lone.
The engineer S gruff below came
from the passageway between the
stoke-hold and the engine room.
"D'ye think you're home on the
farmi Watch your steam, o 'Keefe! "
The furnace doors swung open, and
the stoke hold was white in the glare
of the fires. o Keefe bent over his
shovel, working with speed and sure
ness; casting far back into the fire
box; feathering each scoop with
deft flick of the wrist, and spreading
the coal evenly over the flames. The
bulging muscles of his great body
rippled and eoiled. He kept his head
half turned from the blistering heat
that surged out upon him; yet, in the
brief moments of his labor, the veins
~ bsg faraha.I sv-,1InI tvN,
his face seemed TO draw up end with
ef.
The furnace doors changing shut an
nOuneed the completion of the task;
and the coal.passers darted from their
dark eaverns, their barrows piled high
with coal, to repenish the heaps on
tho floor plates.
o 'Keefe turned to the water butt.
his whole parched being craving mois.
ture. He raised cup of cold water
to his lips. For a long delicious mo-
ment he held mouthful, then spat
it out. Though he lusted to drink, ex.
perience forbade.
Eight bells! The, watch was chang
ing, and the heart-breaking work of
cleaning fires had begun. Through
narrowed eyes and grasping tight the
heavy shovel, O'Keefe saw the huge
form of Malone come toward him. The
two eyed each other warily, their
bodies half crouched, their whole at
titude eloquent of hatred and dis
trust.
elbows she steamin ~" demanded
Malone.
"Hard!" was the terse reply.
g fair eatin' the steam. Keep
an eye on number four-tube leak
ing"
"All right" returned Malone. And
then, with studied, mock concern, he
added: "You look bad, o'Keefe.
You're not the man ye once were
mind ye don't burn outl"
O'Keefe gritted his teeth. His physi.
cal powers is the stoker's pride; and
greater insult could hardly be of.
fered him than reflection cast upon
his ability to Withstand the killing
pace Of the hold. OKeefe tightened
hia orasn IN the ahovaI apd tonL