The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1915-04-30

here"
That's So" Harry admitted. But
WOULD like to know what is keep
ing her out SO long. Why it's nearly
time for us to sail"
You didn't want to let her go out
alone In the motorboat; SO now she is
going to worry you for revenge"
There go the battleships," said Har-
ry, as the far boom of heavy gun an
nounced the beginning of the target
practice
The sail that Pauline had sighted
from the sinking motorboat and to-
ward which she now drove desperate
ly, was not a sail as she discovered,
on closer view 1t was a great white |
sheet Of canvass stretched between
two masts and uprights that were fix
ed on an old canal boat Pauline was |
trying to puzzle out the meaning Of |
the strange craft and it's peculiar rig
when suddenly her attention was grip
ped with graver problem.
The engine of the motorboat had |
stopped
The water which now half-filled the
little vessel had found it's way at last
through the protection walls around
the motor. Without propulsion, the
head of the boat swung slowly around
and, within a hundred feet of the
goal she sought Pauline felt herself
| baffled anew
Pauline seized an oar and piled it
with all her strength. She managed
to swing the boat again, and, standing
almost kneedeep in water, padding
now on one side, now on the other, she
fought on toward the sheeted hulk.
| 1tro1 ,1vt n oct; of@
The water continued to flow in
through the subtle leak that Raymond
Owen had cut in the bottom of the
boat. Pauline could feel the rise of
the water; she could feel the increas-
ing weight of the craft as the padding
became more and more difficult.
On the seat behind her with his
paws still set patiently upon the now
useless wheel, the little bull terrier
waited and watched without whimp-
err
ut is a canal boat" Pauline said to
herself, as she forced the sinking boat
past the stern of the hulk "And its
anchored; there are the chains l
wonder what in the world it is for"
She began to call again, hoping that
there might be someone aboard the
| vessel; but no answer came. There
was not the slightest sign of life on
the deck or in the low-set cabin.
A sudden gulping groan-and Pau
line felt the motorboat CULVER from
stem to stern.
Two more desperate paddle strokes
and she was within reach of the FORE
chains of the hulk. She stepped back
caught Cyrus under her arm and then,
just as the waterfilled launch was
sucked into the sea from beneath her
feet, she grasped the chains and swung
herself to the side of the mysterious
barge.
In spite of the weird loneliness, the
puzzling surroundings, the fearful I'M
certainty that still beset her, she
reached the low deck with prayer of
thanks on her lips. Here was safety
at least for time. Here were solid
planks under her feet. Here was
probably kind of shelter--if need be.
She moved toward the door of the
cabin to investigate. Cyrus ran ahead
of her, shifting suspiciously at every
corner. But he made no sign of dis
covery, and Pauline stepped down the
rickety steps into the dim cabin with
out fear.
There was not sign of human hab-
itation, save small pine table, two
: tottering chairs and the wreck of an
old discriminating SO weak from
age and wearthat seemed to have have
been abandoned as part of the USELESS
hulk
But was it abandoned? Was it use
| less? Pauline asked herself again as
she explored small cupboard in the
wall. Surely there must be some OBJ
| ject in the anchoring of even such a
battered ruin out at sea- Surely some
one must have rugged up the strange
sail as sort of a signal. And that
| someone-Pauline trusted and prayed
would come and find her and take
/ her back to Harry.
She sat down on one of the quaktng
chairs and began to wiring the water
from the bottom of the dress. Cyrus
came back from his tour of inspection
apparently satisfied that all was safe
He sat before Pauline and SO reported
with his confident eyes.
"Oh, you precious puppy! What
would l do now if you were not with
me?" cried Pauline, suddenly catching
him in her arms.
He barked joyously squirming, he
tore himself free and dashed out of the
cabin yelping wildly
Paunue, TOO, naO 1elC anu nearC
strange things. The hulk had sudden
ly trembled with peculiar fore-and
aft motion, and next instant, on the
seaward side, sounded the mighty
splash of some huge missile flung into
the waves.
Pauline breathlessly followed Cyrus
to the deck. She found the dog stand
ing under it and barking. Through thu
cloth there was hole as large arount
as the body Of man. Pauline gazed
In wonder but her bewilderment was
: brief. Before she had time to search
: her mind for possibilities. the mys
Z terry was clearly and alarmingly solv
ed for her.
There was a weird whistling sound
q crash that seemed to turn the hull
over on Its side, and the aft section 81
the little cabin waA torn to splinters
by battleship projectile. The huge
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