The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1915-01-14
Copyright, 1914, by Louis Joseph Vance

yes, 1 did-ehT l happen to be
bossing this end Of the boat and to-
have sense enough to realize there's
no sense at all in u wasting fuel the
way we are-cruising nowhere!"
Well" Law contended, struck by
the fairness Of this argument, but un-
able to calm his uneasiness-"just the
same, we might"
Yes; Of course, wa might" Barcus
snapped. I'VE might a whole lot We
might, for instance, be heading for
Spain, for all you or l know to the
contrary. And in such case, / for one
respectfully prefer to have a enough
to take us home again II ever this
da-blessed fog liftsl" ,
And for several seconds longer the
stiffness ~strangled their spirits In its
ruthless grasp.
Then of a sudden a cry shrilled
through the fog, SO near at hand that
1t seemed scarcely more distant than
over the side:
Alloy! Help! Alloy there! Helpi"
So insistent, SO urgent was it's ac-
cent that, coupled with the surprise,
1t brought the three as one to their
feet, all a-tremble, their eyes seeking
one another's faces, then shifting IN
easily away.
what can 1t be7" Rose whispered,
aghast, shrinking into Alan's ready
arm.
"A woman" Barcus put In harshly.
Judith" the girl moaned.
Alan shook himself together. I'm
possible!" he c~ontended. Il saw her
go down :"
THAT doesn't prove she didn't come
up" Barcus commented acidly.
Alloy! M%otorboat aho-o-oy! Help!"
And that" Barcus pursued sadly,
"just proves she did come up-blame
the luck! Alive she Is, and kicking;
stand clear. An able-bodied pair of
lungs was back Of that hail, my friend;
and you needn't tell me I don't know
the dulcet accents of that angelic con-
tralto!"
without needing him, Alan cupped
hands to mouth and sent an answer
ing cry ringing through the murk:
"Ahoy! Where are you? Where
away?"
Thereon the reef-half-drowned-
perishing with chill"
How does my voice bear?" Alan
called back.
What the dickens do you carer"
Barcus interpolated su~spiciuoely.
ITO port" the response rang through
the fog. "%Starboard your helm and
come in SLOWLY"
"Right-o! Half a minute!" Alan re-
piled reassuringly.
Like hell" Mr.. Barcus muttered In
his throat as he jumped down into the
engine pit and bent yer the fy-wheel.
Leaping on the forward thwart and
balancing himself p%erilously near the
gunwale, Alan strained his vision
vainly against the opacity Of the fog.
Cant make out anything" he
grumbled, looking back. start her
up-but slows the woodland ware
reef"
Nothing doing" Barcus retorted
CURLY. "The motto is nov Full speed
astern!' as you must know"
20 come! We can't leave a woman
out therein a fix like that!"
Cant we? You watch!" Barcus
grunted ~malevolently, rocking the
heavy fywheel with all his might; for
the motor had turned suddenly stub
born.
"Alan!" Rose pleaded, laying a hand
upon his sleeve. Think what 1t
means! / know it sounds heartless Of
me-and it's my own sister. But you
know how mad she is-wild with ha-
tired and jealousy. II you take her into
this boat, it's your life or hers!"
"If we leave her out there" Alan
retorted, shaking his arm impatiently
free, cts her life on our heads!"
At this juncture the motor took
charge Of the argument, ending 1t In
summary fashion. With a smart ex-
plosion in the cylinder, It started up
unexpectedly, at one and the same
time almost ~dislocating the arm Of
Mr.. Barcus and precipitating Alan
overheard.
1t was not given him to know what
was happening until he found himself
in the water; he struggled to the ur-
face just in time to see the bows Of
the lifeboat back away and vanish into
the mist.
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