The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1914-12-15

power horn of catboat crying the
! warning back to the deep-throated
/ whistle OF a coastwise steamship and
the impertinent drumming of a motor
boats exhaust with the muller cut
out.
This last boxed the compass, sound
ing now near, now far, though the COM
! plants Of other shipping diminished
in volume and died away in the dis
lance, giving place to others still, the
| plutter-plutter of that motor was never
altogether lost; if at times it faded,
it seemed certain always TO return in
even louder volume.
Vainly straining his vision against
the blank pallor of the encompassing
fog, Alan wondered, worried, dreaded!
At irregular intervals, starting
from preoccupation, he would manipu-
late the brass pull on the wheel-box,
provoking the horns suffering blasts
of protest. But the need for unremit-
ting vigilance and exercise of the fog
signal failed none the less to reconcile
Alan to that blatant clamor which so
widely and so hideously advertised
| their whereabouts.
If there were anything still to be
feared from Judith and her crew-if,
for instance, as Barcus had suggested
1 they had sought out one of the life
saving stations on Nauset beach, ap-
propriated it's power-driven lifeboat
and renewed the pursuit, If ever they
| hot
| question be the devil to pay!
The loneliness of his vigil was even
tually relieved by the appearance on
deck of the woman Alan loved.
The tableau that greeted her vision as
she emerged from the companionway
Of the haggard, unshaven wretch at
the wheel and the other who lay at his
feet, where he had fallen, in stupor
Of fatigue, instantly wrung from Rose
a little cry of solicitude. And she was
quick to do what little she could to
alleviate their discomfort For Barcus
she fetched pillow and blanket from
the cabin, and this one suffered her
ministrations without once rousing
! from his slumbers. Then fastening
forward, she got the galley fire going
and prepared nakeshift breakfast
for her half-famished lover.
| Warm food and hot coffee-such as
| they were-lending a little tone to
Alan's spirits, he was presently able
to discuss their situation with some
optimism. Yet nothing could gloss
| the fact that the problem confronting
them was one whose solution baff1ed
their utmost ingenuity-one the simple
contemplation Of which taxed their
courage and intelligence to the ex-
IRENE.
He summed up: II can't see any
thing for it but father and Judith are
determined to have my scalp, and I'm
hanged If can see how to protect my
self without taking leaf out Of their
! books. What I'm most afraid of is
that some time l may forget it's a
woman I'm defending myself against.
When a fellows fighting for his very
life he can't always stop to calculate
the weight Of his blows"
The young man sighed, shook his
head, laughed uncertainty, and held
her closer to him. Don't fear; I'll
find some way out without injuring
either of them. l promise you that!"
He sealed the pledge upon her lips.
And in that moment of their obliv-
ion to the world from some point for
ward a muf11ed crash sounded stimuli
taneously with the dull shock of a
collision with smaller vessel, and a
strange voice cried out with an ac-
cent of high exultation
Before either Alan or the girl could
disengage the decks rang loud with a
rush Of booted feet pounding aft.
The figures of the boarding party
were already taking shape through the
fog as Alan sprang toward the COM
panionway to fetch the rifle And in
this action his feet slipped on planks
greasy with moisture deposited by the
surcharged atmosphere. He went down
with a stumbling thump, and an in
slant later two men fell bodily upon
him-active, strong fellows in the
dress of fishermen. He was suffered
to rise only as a prisoner, helpless in
| IhO 6idop VI LWO pairs VI pOW0IIui
hands.
| He saw Barcus, rudely reused and
still dumb with sleepy confusion, in
no better case-jerked to his feet and
held captive by two more fishermen.
A fifth had taken charge of Rose,
clamping her wrists in the wise Of
one big hand
The sixth and sole other member of
the boarding party, likewise in the
rough-and-ready garb of a fisherman,
was Judith Trine
| Down the side a heavy life-boat
ground its way astern, the loose end
of its painter slipping over the rail-
even as Alan caught sight of it. $50
it seemed Barcus had guessed shrewd-
| ly!)
Observing this, one of the men in
charge Of Alan made as If to leave
| him to the other, addressing Judith
for permission to prevent the loss Of
the lifeboat. She stopped him with
a peremptory gesture.
"No-let it CO. We're better off
without it. Hold that man fast till
fetch rope. Well make sure of
them both this time!"
Straining forward in the grasp of
her guard, Rose implored her sister,
Judith, in PHYS name. think what
you are doing!"
Hold your tonguei" Judith snapped