White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1914-10-18
The Million Dollar Mystery

'h eoosinS sed up 10 meet
her she noted a block of wood bob
bling up and down. She tried to
avoid 1t, but could not, and struck it
nead on. Despite the blow and the
shock of the chill water she instinc-
lively elung to the buoy. The wash
from the mighty propellers tossed
her about, hither and yon. from one
swirl to another, like a chip of wood.
Then everything grew blank.
Fortunately for her the master of
the fishing schooner was at the time
standing on his quarter deck by the
wheel, squirting through his glass at
the liner and envying the ease and
comfort of those on board her. The
mate. sitting on the steps and smok-
ing his turning-in pipe, saw the mas
ter lean forward suddenly, lower the
glass. then raise 1t again.
Lord Almighty"
What's the matter. Cap'n?"
Jake. in Gods name, come ere an
take a peek through this glass. I'm
dreamin'i"
The mate jumped and took the
glass. Where away. sir?"
"A pint of tn sta'board bow.
somethin' white bobbin' up
"Yessir, Looks like some one
dropped a bolster r a piller over
board. Gods whiskers."
he brook of.
Then | ain't seem things" cried
the master. Hi. y lubbers," he
yelled 10 the crew; "lower tn
dory. They's a woman in tn water
cut there. | seer her leap tn rail.
Look alive, sharp's tn word, Mate.
you go long"
The crew dropped their tasks and
sprang for the davits. and the star
board dory was lowered in shipshape
style.
1t takes a good bit of s%eamanship
to haul a body ont of the sea into a
dancing bobtailed dory. when one
moment 1t is climbing frantically
heayenward and the next heading for
the bottomless pit. They were very
tender with her. They laid her out
in the bottom of the boat. with the
life buoy as a pillow. and pulled
energetieally for the schooner. She
was alive, because she breathed; but
she did not stir so much as an eye
lid. 1t was a stiff bit of work. too,
TO land her aboard without adding to
her injuries. The master ordered
The men TO put her in his own bunk,
where he nearly s%trangled her by
forcing raw brandy down her throat.
well, she's alive. anyhow"
When Florence finally opened her
eyes the gray of dawn lay on the sea,
dotted here and there by the schoon-
.ers of the fleet. which seemed TO be
hanging in midair, as at the moment
there was visible to the eye no hori-
ION.
Don't seem L recognize nothin.' y
"Mebbe she's got a fever" sug-
gested the mate. rubbing his bristly
chin.
Fever nothin', Not after bein' in
tn water half an hour. Mebbe she
hit one o. them wooden floats We
left. Them dinged liners keep on
crowdin' us" growled Barnes, with
a fisherman's hate for the floating
hotels. Went by with never a toot.
see'er. jus like tn bankers wife
eoin' L church on Sunday? A mile
a minute; fog or no fog. it's all the
same t them. They run us down an
never stop. What the tarnation we
goin' to do? She'll han t stay
aboard till tn run is over. can't
afford t yank up my mudhook this
time o day"
Guess she a stand three'r four
days in our company, smellin' oil
cloth. fish. Kerosene, and punk
t'bacco."
IF y don't like tn kind o. t'bacco
| buy. buy your own. amt OBJ
jectin' none"
The mate stepped over to the bunk
and gingerly ran his hand over the
girls head. Gods whiskers, Cap'n.
they's a bump as big's a cork on tn
back o. her head, She's struck L
o. them floats all right. Where's tn
africa"
For three days Florence evinced
not the slightest inclination to leave
the bunk. She lay on her back
either asleep or with her eyes star
ing at the beams above her head.
She ate just enough to keep her
alive; and the strong black coffee