The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-09-24
The Reconciliation
By Norman Springer

above. les fresh, and I'm tired
III wait my time"
-Four hours later the soft voice of
the call boy awakened O'Keefe. The
forecastle was filled with the pro-
testing growls of suddenly aroused
men. With grunt 0 'Keefe composed
himself again to sleep. The mid d-watch
was being called; it was midnight and
he had still four hours before his turn
below.
And then the idea came to him.
Now was his chancel He was refresh
ed and strong. Unnoticed, he could
go below with the mid dwatch. He
would wait at the foot of the fiddly
ladder, and when Malone sought to
ascend, he would confront him. And
then, before the eyes of all the watch
Malone s own watch-he would
prove himself the better man.
0 'Keefe reached for his shoes and
rolled from his bunk. The mid-watch
looked at him in surprise, but for
bore to question. The doings of Bull
. 'keefe were not lightly to be dis
cussed in his hearing; in all the
Black Gang, only Malone might essay
it. O'Keefe opened his ditty bag end
drew therefrom pair of brass
knuckles. The eyes of the watch
wldened with comprehension.
:" 'Es goin down after Malone''
excitedly whispered little Cockney
coal -passer to the man pext to him.
" Bilmme-wot a rowl'
o Keefe turned black face to the
speaker.
"Yeil do well to mind your own
damned business!" he growled.
The little cockney subsided with an
apologetic whimper. The rest of the
watch maintained an interested
silence; it was no affair of theirs
and O'Keefe was hasty man.
The watch filed quietly out of the
forecastle and along the deck; and
behind them stalked O'Keefe, battle
in his heart and the deadly knuckles
on his fist. When he had finished
with Malone, he exulted, Malone s
own mother wouldn't know her son.
He would break him.
And then it happened.
A sharp, penetrating, swelling hiss
rose from the stoke-hold; startled
shouts, and the shrill scream of man
in agony. The group at the fiddly
door stiffened and blanched, each man
instinctively knowing what was wrong.
GA tube" cried one. GA tube
has busted!"
Then came roar that shook the
ship and drowned all other sounds.
Clouds of vapor swirled upward from
the hold and billowed through the
door. A figure stumbled out on deck
then other figures
O'Keefe counted eight men-two
were missing. One was dead. He had
heard that scream before, and knew
its meaning. But the otheri Without
looking, he knew it to be Malone
Malone was head stoker of his watch;
he would have tried to reach the cut
off valve.
O'Keefe wheeled on a man who
danced and gibbered with the pain of
his scalds.
"What boileri" he roared.
The man mouthed the answer:
"Four!"
"And Malonef"
The poor wretch replied with a
dumb gesture toward the hold.
O'Keefe dove through the fiddly
door-to be driven back, choking. He
snatched towel that draped one
man s shoulders, dipped it into fire
bucket that hung on the bulkhead,
and then wrapped it about his face.
Hands reached to restrain him. He
shook them off and disappeared into
the swirling mist Of steam.
He felt his way down the ladder,
the wet cloth covering his mouth and
nostrils, his eyes shut. His brain
worked surely and swiftly.
A tube had gone on number four.
Malone would have tried to reach the
cut off. The cutoff was on the side
Of the boiler near the foot Of The
Id Oh