The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1915-03-19

mdTbA uuuuleu IN cna1r DeSlQo tn
. table. feverishly scratching at a pa,
with the stub of pencil Alread
his skin, stretched tightly over hi
protruding cheek-bones, held some
. thing OF the dulling gloss Of time
stained parchment. AS he wrote, hi
, kept speaking his own dictation in {
half-audible whisper.
Better save your strength" Bar
ton cautioned, after observing hin
silently for some moments.
Marsh slumped in his chair, his
: sparse arms tight at his sides, touch
ing the floor with his finger tips which
still outstretched rigidly as when they
had dropped the pad and pencil al
Barton's implied command. The lieu
tenant, at the table, tapped with a
paper-knife; then laid it aside with an
annoyed look of self-reproof
Rolf sat on the edge of a bunk
his normally full lips drawn to gray
blue line his starting eyes fixed in a
stare that seemed plumbing infnity
Corrigan was at the valve He
| stood with back to the others, his
head so far bowed forward upon his
breast that the rolls of fat at the nape
Of his neck pressed fiat, and the
cords showed ivory-white beneath
the skin. Now and again his body
| heaved and a ponderous sigh welled
from within to blend generously with
| the seethe of the liberated air.
Presently he began to hum softly
under his breath:
There's sunny spot in Ireland"
This is awful" he said, awful
My God, isn't there anything we can
do? Can't we send up a bottle-or
something?"
Nothing" Barton replied with ap-
parent effort.
"The torpedoes!" Marsh 1eaped to
his feet, his face fairly comforting in
his excitement. They'll tear up the
surface when they explode" he
walled.
Barton glanced at Rolf. Neither
had spoken of that other instrument
of destruction outside almost brush
ing the hull. The ensign still looked
away. He could not speak to dash the
old mans hopes.
I'm afraid it wouldn't do,' the
lieutenant shook his head reluctantly.
1.-THE hulk is close aboard, and that's
where they'd go off. We might chance
them splitting her in pieces before
they did US, if she were all. I'd thought |
of it. But we lay within five feet of |
mine-plant. The concussion-no, |
we can't do that"
AS those in the last death-watch, |
the seconds before the black-capped |
march to eternity, the men passed the |
next afternoon.
There was a brief relief from
tension, while they ate from the
plentiful store in the food-locker, and
one or another stepped to
the big water-tank to drink Other
wise attention conferred on the pas
sage of time.
The hands of the ships clock moved
forward, and as remorselessly, the
hand on the dial toiled in the other
irection-pointing nearer and nearer,
like the index finger of Fate, to the
little zero that meant humiliation.
From moment to moment, the hiss
ing of the valve became almost SEN
sibly fainter.
Their days of living in the small,
compartment had so
fouled the atmosphere that the men
breathed pantingly, open-mouthed, in
great, whistling gulps. In their pur-
pied, swollen veins and their jaundiced
eyes and yellow skin, the effect of
he toxic carbons in the air was only
100 apparent.
Barton sat at the table-the log
before him-painfully yet
inscribing the record.
His own message had been written !,
| farewell to life and to her for whom
le most cherished it. When at length ,
lie raised his eyes from the page, they
vavered ever so slightly as he ad-
lressed the old boatswain.
"What shall I say, Marsh?" The
words came palpitatfngly as he strug-
lied for breath. I'D better have it
own time"
The boatswain was at the valve :
ontrolling the lever with fingers
gitated as the indicator itself. His
hroat muscles gripped spasmodically
t the question, and he seemed about c
D fall When he turned, his eyes 3
cid a look of longing SO unutter- 7
BILE, yet withal so hopeless, that Rolf Z
nd Corrigan with common impulse II
lanced away, and Barton clenched his a
st until the penholder snapped in q
NO.
Tell Mary" Marsh fingered falter-
Ugly over the name, ''say | didn't tt
link the old cottage at home was
pod enough for her; SO I'm going to "
1T better one promised us yonder. p
ell her I'll keep it waiting, as she a
ID for me, and that I'll try not to g
ind her not coming for while" tt
The old mans voice failed, and he W
'essed his face against the wall to a
de his feelings. h;
The broken holder shook in the
riting and paused a long moment at 81
Q end, while Barton summoned the VI
serve of his stole will to help him in